For their 2012 competitive show, Portage Central is pleased to present “Marvel Madness,” which is derived from four different compositions depicting Super Heroes: “Batman” (Elfman), “The Incredits” (from The Incredibles, Giachinno), “Red Cape Tango” (Daugherty), and “Spiderman” (arr. Bublé).
“Marvel Madness” was a title that seemed to tie these four works together in a bond connecting the various super heroes and the music styles associated with each character. The music is sophisticated and intense and meant to illustrate four distinctly different styles of music per the individual characters and movie scores. It can also be viewed in a general sense as a collaboration of superhero characters and personalities. (Patrick Flynn)
Under the direction of Patrick W. and Rennee L. Flynn, the Portage Central High School Marching Band has 125 members, comprised of: 2 Field Commanders, 34 Woodwinds, 45 Brass, 15 Field Percussion, 12 Sideline Percussion, and 17 Color Guard.
With 47 combined years of teaching, The Flynns find that 3-hour rehearsal blocks, along with a policy of “Quiet Intensity = Quality Product,” are key to effective rehearsals. The band starts Fall Rehearsals in Mid-to-Late August with a band camp that consists of 3-hour blocks per day; during the school year, this gets reduced to one night per week. In addition to evening rehearsals, the co-curricular program also rehearses daily during class. As part of their 9 week schedule, Portage Central will be competing at Kenowa Hills’ Knight Time Classic (9/29), Grandville and Lakeshore (both on 10/06), and East Kentwood (10/20).
In their show this year, large and small podiums will be used by students throughout the show to provide levels and visual variety. Patrick Flynn assured us that “Red Cape Tango” has a special surprise musically interwoven, and that several more surprises will appear throughout the course of the season.
When asked how a competition show is designed, we were told that “It is a team effort.”
We start bouncing music ideas, composers, themes off each other after the season, and through the holidays. We get together the end of January and put our ideas on the table and see where we are heading. We get together in February and see if we have changed our focus and it is amazing how things change. We also have to look at music that we can obtain copyright approval at a reasonable cost and ALWAYS look at something that we can do in a unique approach that no one else has attempted.
Portage Central’s Staff includes:
- Dave Watt, Visual Design/Color Guard Choreography
- Ibe Sodawalla, Music Arrangements
- Ryan Jonker, Percussion Arrangements
- Allison Patrick, Associate Director/Woodwind Caption Head
- Michael Unsworth, Brass Caption Head
- Kyle Gulau, Percussion Caption Head
- Danielle Clarke, Front Ensemble Caption Head
- Kellen King & Amanda Jehnsen, Percussion
- Val Glasscock & Ben Hayward, Brass
- Renae Ostrander & Valerie Bedard, Color Guard