One of the hardest lessons I learned as a designer was that successful shows are rarely built around what's missing. They're built around what's already there.
Every spring and summer, directors begin evaluating instrumentation, assigning leadership positions, and dreaming about what next season could look like. It's an exciting time. It's also when I hear some version of the same concern:
"We only have three tubas."
"Our guard is young."
"We lost half our trumpet section."
"We don't have enough percussionists to pull off that show."
I understand the frustration. Every director wants the instrumentation chart of their dreams. Every designer would love unlimited talent, unlimited rehearsal time, and unlimited resources.
Unfortunately, that's not the band standing on the field.
The most successful programs I've worked with aren't necessarily the largest, most experienced, or best funded. They're the ones that embrace who they are and design accordingly.
Start With Your Strengths
When I begin designing a show, I spend far more time looking at strengths than weaknesses.
What section consistently performs at a high level?
Who are the student leaders?
What musical voices carry the most confidence?
What visual skills does the ensemble already possess?
Those answers tell me much more than a roster ever could.
If I have a phenomenal clarinet section, I want moments that allow them to shine.
If I have a guard with strong performers but limited numbers, I want to maximize their impact rather than expose their size.
If I have a mature low brass section, I may build entire musical moments around that sound.
The audience doesn't know what you're missing.
They only know what you're presenting.
Difficulty Is Not the Goal
This may be controversial in some circles, but I'll say it anyway:
A clean, achievable production will outperform an overly ambitious one almost every time.
Directors often feel pressure to choose difficult literature, advanced drill, or complex visual packages because they believe that's what competitive success requires.
In reality, achievement matters.
Judges reward excellence. Audiences respond to confidence.
I've seen bands perform relatively simple material with tremendous effect because they executed it at a high level. I've also seen talented groups struggle under the weight of a design that asked more than they could realistically achieve.
The goal isn't to design the hardest show.
The goal is to design the best show for that ensemble.
Every Design Decision Has a Cost
One of the questions I ask myself constantly is:
"Can this group realistically achieve this by October?"
Not by next year.
Not in a perfect world.
Not with ten additional rehearsals.
This year.
With these students.
With this schedule.
Every difficult visual demand, every exposed musical entrance, every prop, every costume change, and every effect comes with a cost.
The more demands we place on students, the less rehearsal time we have to perfect those demands.
Sometimes the strongest design choice is restraint.
Lean Into What Makes Your Program Unique
One of my favorite things about working with different programs is discovering what makes each one special.
Some schools have incredible traditions.
Some have outstanding leadership.
Some have a uniquely expressive guard program.
Some have a sound that feels unmistakably theirs.
Those characteristics should influence design.
Too often, directors compare themselves to the state champion down the road or a nationally recognized program they admire.
There's nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from successful groups, but your identity should never become a copy of someone else's.
The most memorable productions feel authentic to the performers presenting them.
Success Looks Different Everywhere
I think this is the most important point.
Success isn't always measured by trophies.
Sometimes success is increasing confidence.
Sometimes it's improving performance quality.
Sometimes it's retaining students.
Sometimes it's helping a young ensemble discover what they're capable of becoming.
The best designers understand that every program exists in a different place along its journey.
A successful show for one band may look completely different from a successful show for another.
That's okay.
In fact, that's what makes this activity so rewarding.