At the last competition, in the unit I'm in, we had 6 other groups in our division. We would have got 3rd place (an awesome feat considering a whole ton of factors that I could name)! But we had a 6 point time penalty...and now we got 7th place. Excluding all penalties in each group, we would have got 3rd.

However, my unit is still proud of our achievements, and we'll fix those time-issues. Just one more competition to go!!

You don't say how your group preps for a contest. With our group we actually have a designated "tech" rehearsal where we practice getting on and off of the floor. We use stop watches, and we make certain that EVERYONE know where the time lines and boundary lines are. We practice vertical and horizontal timelines. We also make sure that we practice according to the flow charts provided by the contest packet. We have discovered that the floor can contribute one minute to one and a half minutes to your time. We also practice getting the floor on and off. That includes practicing how to unfold it. Can you shed some light on what specific time penalties you had?

Ha, ya, we never really practiced setting up all too much. Maybe once. I will recommend that to my instructor.

We don't have our own tarp, but we do have pillars (props) and amplification to set up. (The amplification was the culprit because this was our first competition with miking the vibes, marimba, and xylophone. Before it had only just been amplifying the synth keyboard.) I'm sure our problem will get fixed by our last competition.

Thank you for your concerns.

Well if is sound system issues, you Must have a tech rehearsal. When we use mics we color code both ends of the mic cord and the mic. Also you can have the mic an cable in a loose roll laying on the mallet instrument as you roll in. Also have only ONE designated person to plug into the amp. People will bring their respective cord to that person. Speaker wires can be kept with the speakers, loosely coiled, already plugged into the speaker. Then they simply take the wire to the sound person. The extension cord for your power can cost you seconds if you do not have it properly coiled before you go into the gym. Also in a tech rehearsal you can predetermine what level your main and channel volumes should be set to. Write that information down, and preset the volume levels when you are setting up to roll into your venue. All of these things will save you time in the end.

Oh. Ya, we have all the cords and outlets labeled and stuff.

Great, thank you!

I am the audio tech for Infinity World Percussion
(PIW). A huge factor will be learning the proper way to coil/wrap a cable so that it unwraps flat and perfect. Nothing will slow you down like a knot in your cable or a mess of cables all tied up together. Youtube has some great demo videos of the "Over Under" technique. Your cables will last longer, look better, and make your life easier if the kids learn this technique.

color coding is a time saver as well. You cant practice setting up enough. I still see world lines that get out there and something didnt happen right.

Best of luck and enjoy yourself

Dale