#Uprising

Fannin Musical Productions

Utilizing visual references to street protest such as the raised fist, stenciled street art, and the bandana over the face as protection against smoke bombs, #Uprising is a timely tale of rebellion against an overbearing authority. Contrasting the defiant music of English hard rockers Muse with a timeless melody by Stephen Foster, #Uprising is a contemporary, sophisticated, exciting program that students love performing.

First performed by the 2016 Ohio County Marching Band of Hartford, KY.

This show requires copyright clearance to perform.

Set Design

Featuring an optional backfield pit placement, the set design for #Uprising is eye-catching and intriguing. Audiences and judges will automatically lean-in, curious to see more.

Several large public announcement towers such as those used by authoritarian regimes punctuate the set design. Heavily weighted base and ladder rungs allow them to be climbed during the final ‘uprising,’ and flashing beacon lights on top make them natural focal points for features.

Across the front sideline, an ‘electric fence’ closes in the ensemble and emphasizes their . Wires made of dark colored rope are pulled taught by the weighted uprights and ladder rungs on the back allow for a dramatic final scene in our show.

Costuming and Flag Design

#Uprising develops its own visual iconography through color and symbolism. The arrow gives a dynamic sense of motion, the red connects our rebellion to revolutionary movements of the past, and the lime marks it as a fully modern phenomenon at the same time.

Preshow Effects

As the Preshow begins in the pit, prerecorded narration sets the mood through ominous announcements from the PA system spouting totalitarian slogans: ‘Cooperate and Obey… Dissent is treason, conformity is security… There is nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide…’

Sound design available from Vision Through Music Productions.

After setting up the props, the musicians sit on the ground around the stage in various angry poses while the guard paces, hoods and masks up, looking angrily at the crowd through the fence. Finally, the musicians rise to their feet, fist in the air.

Opener Effects—Based on Apocalypse Please

After the pounding piano motif is laid down by the pit, the melody is introduced by a soloist [sketched here as a mellophone, the soloist could be adjusted to suit your strengths and needs]. A single guard member stalks angrily through the crowd and begins to spin as the soloist begins. Meanwhile, the rest of the ensemble punches the sky in time with the piano motif.

As the melodic line is taken up by the rest of the low brass, the guard soloist moves across the field, being joined on the flag phrase by other guard members—all symbolizing the spread of the rebellion.

Just before the first arrival point, after the entire ensemble has joined into the music and drill, the PA system attempts to stem the tide of revolution: Citizens are reminded of General Order 101: mass demonstrations are prohibited!’

…and in response—and defiance—the drill condenses into a ‘mass demonstration’ for the first hit of the show, and the first full silk guard moment.

After the impact moment, the pit introduces the secondary melodic motif beneath the next voice over. ‘Subversive elements have infiltrated our ranks! For the duration of the emergency, gatherings of three or more are forbidden!’

Horns ripple scatter out of the impact form, landing in suspicious poses. After the announcement the hornline condenses into posed groups of three and begin to pass the melodic figure across the stage.

Finally the melodic figure becomes more unison, and in response the hornline into a unified form, finishing with a flourish and bringing their arms up into the raised fist .

‘Disperse! You are ordered to disperse! Compliance officers will be dispatched!’

The form breaks apart in response to ‘disperse’ in the voiceover as pounding piano motif returns. The remainder of the opener consists of a slow process of layering in sections which move as separate drill elements [those not playing occasionally giving the fist raised salute] until the music reaches a final arrival point/impact for the Opener… and the drill reaches a form referencing our repeating visual motif of the arrow.

After a timed pause, pit resumes on the secondary melody while siren sound effects fill the air and lights warning lights flash from atop the towers.

PA: ‘By Special Order 227 a curfew is now in effect… for your protection…’—repeatedly

The form disintegrates as the entire ensemble scrambles nervously, occasionally looking up as though fearful of retaliation or being watched, finally landing in various nervous poses. Two figures remain un- frightened in where the arrow form had been: a musical soloist [sketched here as a mellophone, but could be reassigned as needed] and a guard soloist. As the musician plays a tense, sad melody, the guard member puts a comforting hand on his shoulder and gives the fist-raised salute.

Ballad Effects—based on Slumber My Darling

As the flashing lights gradually dim and the repeating PA announcement fades, the melodic line of the ballad begins with a soloist [could be the same as the end of the opener, could be different] to whom the eye is drawn by a dance soloist, hood down and mask down. She gradually moves throughout the form, pulling other performers to their feet encouragingly as they enter the musical phrase, and introducing the ballad silk.

As horn voices layer in, new guard members join the flag phrase. Finally, the horn form condenses around the original, inspirational soloist who is lifted into the air for the major musical and visual impact point of the ballad…. Literalizing the theme of the show while the rest of the guard fills the field with color.

The musical impact builds to a release, followed by a Grand Pause in which the entire ensemble returns to the raised fist salute. Then, ominous chords in the pit and a new PA announcement prepare us for the final confrontation: ‘A curfew remains in effect! Defiance will not be tolerated! Use of force has been authorized!’

Closer Effects—Knights of Cydonia

As the PA continues to blare on about a curfew and the lights flash on the towers, a single snare drum begins the closer with a ‘war drum’ seeming call to rebellion. The rest of the ensemble quickly restages to draw attention to one of the PA towers where a single guard member [hood up] climbs the tower.

The soloist grabs a megaphone triumphantly, seeming to silence the PA mid-sentence.

The soloist uses the megaphone to begin a vocal-percussion chant [interwoven with the continuing snare drum and growing drumline adding in with him] based on ‘STAND UP!’—another connection to the show theme and title. While this develops musically, the ensemble restages around the three PA towers which other guard members climb and begin to throw the megaphones down to other performers.

The performers who catch the megaphones join into the percussion feature as the drumline comes forward, again based on ‘STAND UP!’ The megaphone vocals intertwine with the drumline and the rest of the hornline performs related visuals. The rest of the color guard layers out to transition to the Closer silk. If desired, this would be the perfect moment in the show for rifles or other weapons.

As the hornline enters to begin the Closer proper, the drumline pulls back and we have a moment of straightforward musical and visual development. Drill eventually opens up into a single unified form in which the entire ensemble comes together to sing the defiant chorus of Knights of Cydonia.

Then, a final full-ensemble visual and musical push to the end—lots of contrary motion drill and the entire guard on the bright red, closer flag—eventually driving the entire group front field to directly behind the fence, playing through it while some of the megaphone-marchers climb ladders hidden on the back of the fence posts. Former rifles could even climb through the fence to spin flag on the opposite side.

As the final notes ring out—‘STAND UP!’ from the entire ensemble.

Created with Pyware 3D®