The Importance Of… Not Isolating Your Drummer
The collegiate a cappella world is one of great complexity. Amidst all that there is to take in, The Importance Of… highlights what is truly important, and elements of a cappella that may otherwise be overlooked.
In this edition, we look at the importance of… not isolating your drummer.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a group take the stage in an arc or rows or staggered formation. There’s a soloist standing up front. And then—well, then there’s that other girl off to the side, mic in hand, independent from the rest of the formation. As the song goes on, the physical space between her and the rest of the group only becomes more pronounced, and her spastic motion only draws more eyes to her.
On a rare occasion, the vocal percussionist is legitimately a featured part of a song, and having this group member stand aside from the others makes sense to highlight that fact. In most cases, though, the percussion is just another piece of the puzzle. You don’t isolate your sopranos or your basses. Such distinctions are just visually distracting, and ultimately don’t add a thing to the visual presentation. While a drummer may not be able to do all of the choreography, or might have a bit more motion than the rest of the group on a ballad, the fact remains that these differences are less significant distractions than having the drummer stand apart altogether. Maybe this a pet peeve, but I find it important enough for a brief rant. Don’t isolate your drummer.