Sometimes when we are deciding on show music, an idea is presented that we have all seen or heard before.  This can give one pause, as you could possibly end up competing with the original version that is the judges’ or viewers’ heads.   If a director wants to play music from “West Side Story,” we’ve all seen a hundred of these.  However, my reply is always, “Okay, let’s make it our own.”  In other words, find a way to present the show concept or music in a new, fresh, innovative way that is unique and different.

One of my favorite examples of this comes from the world of Winter Guard International.  Each year there seems to be one song that a lot of groups choose to perform to.  If you sit in Dayton at the Championships and watch hundreds of shows, you might find yourself hearing the same song over and over.  After a while, there can be  a bit of a “groan” that rises from the audience when the song begins.  What is really interesting, however, is what happens NEXT!

Here’s a prime example:  Picture it…..Dayton, Ohio, 1987.  The “chosen” song that year was “Second Rendez-vouz” by Jean Michel Jarre.  The morning of Scholastic World Prelimes we heard it over and over.  In the afternoon the eventual winner, Union HS from Tulsa, OK, took the floor with their show, “Mannequins.”  They were wearing dazzling red-sequined full body leotards and were accompanied by a full compliment of identical mannequin props.

As the show began, so did the strains from Mr. Jarre’s synthesized music.  There was a collective groan throughout the audience, as there had been for several groups earlier that day.  However, in a matter of sheer seconds, like slicing a knife, the auditorium filled with electricity.  The performance was astounding, mind-boggling, artistic, groundbreaking.  In the blink of an eye the entire audience completely forgot they had ever heard this music before, as they were mesmerized by the originality and excellence of the performance.  To this day it remains one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen.  (Don’t believe me, Google it!)

Union HS took this music and made it their own.  It didn’t matter that we had heard this music many times before.  It seemed totally new to us once they took command of the audience.  And this show has gone on to become one of the most famous and best loved shows in WGI history.

No matter what idea you may have for a show, even if it’s been done before, do something fantastic and original.  Be innovative and daring and show the world something it doesn’t expect.