Working With Your Band Director
By Debbie Byrd

A.  Meet Your Band Director and discuss the Following Information:

1. Does your band director select the music of your routines?  If not, it will be up to the drill team director to get available tapes from publishing companies or music selections as well as routine selections from drill team camp tapes.
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2. How much time does the band director allot for the drill team's half time performance?  Possibly, your administration makes this decision.
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3. How much time and when does the drill team practice with the band?
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4. Does the drill team march with the band?  If not, does the drill team perform before or after the band half time?    If the drill team does march as a unit with the band, will the drill team be attending contests with the band?
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5. At which area of the football field will the drill team enter for their routine performance?  Frequently there are problems if the drill team enters from the same side where the band is trying to exit or vice versa.
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6. Does the drill team travel with the band?  In most cases the drill team must make their own travel arrangements and the drill team does not travel to the contest with their band.  Bands and dance/ drill teams have separate competitions.
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7. Does your band play music at pep rallies for the drill team to perform, or will it be necessary for the drill team director to have a quality tape recording?
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8. What type of music works best for the band to play?  Also, should certain arrangements be avoided?

B.  Other Requirements:

1. Decide on the music you will be using for football season as soon as your camp company makes it available so you can order the    band arrangements.  Your band director will appreciate your promptness.
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2. Type out a football schedule for your band director showing when the different dances will be performed.  Also, make any notations by the music title if the tempo needs to be slower or faster.
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3. A cassette tape should accompany the schedule in case the band director needs to refer to it to remember the proper repeats.
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4. Have your band director  keep the drill team's music selection in their permanent files.  The routine and sheet music could be used again in later years