Here's how it happened - in 2005 a couple of things happened.  First, a friend persuaded me to let him use a show I had written for a band in another state.  I was very skeptical, but he convinced me that it was a better alternative for him and his students than the other stock shows available.  I gave him the drill files, and he changed the instrumentation and spacing, using his own copy of PyJava. I charged him a little less than half the going rate for stock marching band drill and it ended up working very nicely.  It still looked and sounded good; he saved A LOT of money, and the kids had a very positive experience.  The band also won and placed in a few shows.

Second, a very able band director who student taught with me a few years back called and asked for help fixing a stock show he had purchased.  Between ordering the drill and teaching it, he had recruited a half dozen more kids, (good thing) but the drill wasn't available as data he could edit (bad bad bad).  He was also right in the middle of drum and flag camp and didn't have time to rechart the show.  The company he had chosen wouldn't refund or exchange his drill (even worse). They had the money and he was stuck. When I fixed the problem (for free, cause he's my buddy), I got to look at the stock drill. It was even more disapointing than bad service he had received.  It seems to me that when drill is paid for by parents cooking bratwurst or kids selling candy, the drill writer should do his best to serve the needs of the band. 

So, I looked at the files on my hard drive and decided to make them available.  They're going to cost about half the going rate of other stock marching band drill, because that's what I think stock drill design is worth.  The understanding is that the school who buys the drill designs has to rework the inherent staging problems. That school will also have exclusive rights in their area. You'll never get a show that was originally performed in your area.

I'm putting them out there as PDF files because it's easier for the band directors.   Am I worried about someone ripping off my ideas?  Not much.  I have two main reasons.

First, totally original drill is pretty hard to find.  Some moves I use I've learned studying battles between the Romans and Carthegenians.  I once wrote a civil war show where the opening move was based on the battle plans drawn up by the town's own civil war general.  I've watched the old films of Ohio and Michigan from the 40's and have grown up on a steady diet of drum corps.  I learned creativity first hand from John Brazale and Michael Cesario.  Discipline, cleaning and organization I learned from Steve Suslik and Richard Clary (yes he once had amazing marching bands.)  Philosophy I gleaned from Tim Salzman and Don Peterson.  I'm always "ripping off" my best teachers.

Second, my bands win A LOT, and they grow.  One reason they do is that my drill provides amazing opportunities for musical experience.  That happens because I don't just write nifty moves.  I write nifty moves that do cool things like create antiphonal brass moments and highlight important musical ideas.  Sometimes I even write visual motifs that reflect the motivic development of the musical composition.  I ripped off that idea from Garfield '88 by Zingale.  He was amazing. 

Every band director out there learned four part chorale writing, but none of us write like Bach, and very few of us write like Ann McGinty.  Sharing drill ideas won't hurt the activity and I think it will probably be better for everyone in the long run.