OpenMarch’s Journey to The Midwest Clinic

Getting to the Midwest Clinic was something we had been working toward for a LONG time, even if it didn’t always feel that way in the moment.

We had attended conferences before and tabled at smaller events, such as local indoor circuits or other music educator conferences like VMEA and DMEA, but Midwest felt like a COMPLETELY different beast. There was tons of preparation leading up to it, and a whole lotta nerves. We had never done anything this big before and none of us have ever attended this Midwest before. With all of this in consideration, leading up to the Midwest Clinic we continued to refine our booth setup, figuring out how we wanted to present OpenMarch, and learning from past events what worked and what didn’t. Even with all of that, we still went in knowing there would be things we couldn’t fully prepare for. At the end of the day, you truly don’t know what Midwest is like until you’re there.

We came as prepared as we could be, but flexible.

Once we were all set up and the doors opened, the pace honestly never slowed down.

Throughout the weekend, we had conversations with band directors, educators, designers, and students from across the marching arts. Many were discovering OpenMarch for the very first time. Others had been quietly using it for their past outdoor season or upcoming indoor season! Hearing how differently each program used the platform was eye-opening, and hearing everyone’s feedback on the program was amazing to hear (even if you said our program had bugs that needed fixing!).

One story, in particular, stayed with us. A band director shared how their program had to rewrite nearly half of their show mid-season. Using OpenMarch, they were able to pivot quickly, rework their drill, and keep moving forward. That same program went on to earn a gold medal and win the visual caption in their circuit. Stories like that are what motivates us to continue pushing forward and make this the best drill writing tool possible, and keep it accessible. All of you reminded us why a tool like OpenMarch matters.

A phrase we heard repeatedly over the course of the week was: “The community needs something like this.” Hearing that sentiment echoed by so many different people, from all different programs, was incredibly grounding. It was never about features or comparisons. It was about accessibility of OpenMarch, flexibility, and feeling supported rather than limited by resources.

The Team

Everyone’s role at Midwest ended up being a little bit of everything. We spent most of the weekend bouncing between live demos, long booth conversations, meeting people who were using OpenMarch for the first time, and reconnecting with others who had been using it for a while. A lot of directors walked us through changes they made to their shows, which was amazing to hear that they could easily and quickly achieve with OpenMarch. We have a YouTube video in the works about our travels but we honestly BARELY had time to stop and record content, not because we didn’t want to, but because the booth was busy almost the entire time. We could not go 5 minutes without meeting someone, what a great problem to have!

This trip also would not have been possible without the whole OpenMarch team that came to Midwest: Alex, Olivia, Aleksi (me), and Mark. We were also incredibly thankful to have Carter with us. He’s a close friend and the Caroline High School band director, and he not only attended the clinic but helped us with booth setup and teardown as well!

By the time we were heading home, we were all SO tired, but in the best way possible. We all felt inspired, encouraged, and genuinely grateful for the marching arts community. The conversations we had, the stories people shared, and the trust directors placed in us all reinforced something the OpenMarch team has believed in for a long time. OpenMarch is SO much more than just free drill writing software. It’s part of a larger ecosystem built around collaboration, creativity, and helping programs solve real problems.

To everyone who stopped by the booth, shared their experience, asked a question, or even just said hello, THANK YOU! Midwest was a reminder of why we started this journey in the first place, and it pushed us to keep building with intention, humility, and the community at the center of everything we do.

Till next year :)