An intriguing proposition faced the leadership at George Mason University Indoor Percussion this past offseason.

All eyes focused on the 2019 WGI schedule, the question came up during plans for the upcoming campaign. How feasible would it be to pull off a trip from Fairfax, Virginia to Orlando, Florida, for the WGI Orlando Regional in late February?

When the dust settled, the trip didn’t materialize. But discussions about the potential performance venue yielded a much different journey, one that led creative director Dan Schack and George Mason into a fascinating show design and a bold new identity. 

“Sean Vega was talking about the width of the stadium and that people fill up the sides,” Schack said. “Those are our fringe audience members who never get any time dedicated to them. We wanted to design a show that faced out to those audience members.”

At that point, “fringe” was just a visual idea. In terms of its performance, Mason simply wanted to cater to those in the audience who are rarely catered to — essentially, to perform for those people.

“It was like that simple thought of, ‘What if we designed on a more three-dimensional plane and less of just flat and straightforward?’” Schack added.

From there, that concept of the “fringe,” in Schack’s words, “went in a million directions.” Ultimately, it became “Fringe,” George Mason’s multi-layered 2019 production that has taken audiences — and, in many ways, score sheets — by storm. 

The show itself centers around center snare Sam Fleming — also referred to by his rap name, Joseph Noah — who serves as its main character, a young rap artist looking to gain recognition for his music. 

“‘Fringe’ is a mixtape,” Schack said. “And we are the music video to that mixtape.”

Beyond the narrative being developed in that sense, the deeper message of “Fringe” is driven by a short lyric from “Seigfried” by Frank Ocean from his 2016 album, “Blonde.”

I’d rather live outside. 

“His lyric... it just tied things together,” Schack said. “We’re like, ‘This is the direction we’re going in.’ Honestly, the best shows are the ones that are just designing themselves, and these ideas just came forth, totally naturally, and that’s a good sign.”

George Mason, both in terms of its 2019 show and its identity as an ensemble, would rather live outside the norm. In terms of the music it utilizes and the way it performs and rehearses, Mason’s production represents a broader approach to the activity — inspired, in a way, by Ocean’s lyrics — embodied by the ensemble.

“it’s the resistance to succumb to being pulled into kind of the center of culture, where I just kind of give in, I do my 9-to-5; we’re resisting that and that’s why you see this streetwear, all of this street art on the floor, it’s just about living your life in the space outside. 

“Fringe works on this metaphorical level, spacial level, there are all these different ways we kind of peel that onion.”

Mason’s music selections, in particular, are pretty unique to marching percussion. It’s not exactly common to have an indoor percussion ensemble at any level perform music like that of Frank Ocean, let alone do so with a live rapper. 

“We felt like that (style) hadn’t been done the way that we want to see it, and therefore we sort of sprung it on ourselves,” Schack added. “So, the style of music we chose to use is also related to the idea of ‘Fringe’...this is not orchestral music or something that you would kind of see regularly. This is a song and a style that you haven’t really seen before.”

Of course, there’s some level of risk in taking a shot at something outside the status quo in a competitively judged activity. 

How would adjudicators respond to a type of show they’ve never really seen much, if at all? 

Mason recognized that possibility, but ultimately, didn’t let it be a driving factor in the design process. In all reality, the inverse has happened; this season, judges have, in a way, contributed to the design process, offering ideas along the way to help piece together an even better version of “Fringe.” 

“Along the way we’ve had these little consultations with judges, and it hasn’t been about the number, it’s been about little ideas they had that we incorporate to make our show better,” Schack said. “So, I see the judges that we’ve interacted positively with as people that kind of come with us in this journey.”

But the thing is, those judges, in terms of the numbers that show up in the final results, seem to have taken a liking to this new iteration of George Mason. Since a standout season in 2013 — the ensemble’s first in World Class — in which it took eighth place with a final score of 92.250, Mason is positioned to potentially have its best finish yet as an ensemble. 

After Thursday’s prelims, GMU is once again positioned in eighth, after having earned 12th a year ago, 15th in 2017, and its only other PIW finals appearance having come in 2013. But there’s plenty of room for upward mobility, as just about half a point separates Mason from the top six — which would be truly uncharted territory.

“We’ve done things with this group that they have not done before,” Schack said. “So, I feel good about that in general. So far, the audiences have been super warm and receptive and are getting into it, that makes me believe that will be sort of a similar positive correlation in terms of the judges’ reception of the show.”

According to Schack, it’s been a cooperative and symbiotic culture developed between members and staff that has allowed George Mason to start taking major steps forward as an ensemble.

Another way of working outside-the-box — or, on the fringe, if you will — Mason’s way of doing things isn’t your average teacher-student relationship. 

“When you think of a teacher and a student kind of relationship, it feels like it should be unidirectional,” Schack said. “And that’s not how learning happens.” 

“I don’t see it as me being like, ‘Here’s what you need to know,’ it’s like, ‘How can I be with you on this journey as you sort of learn, grow, change?’” He added. “This is very little about drumming. I’m not sure how much percussion has to do with it, it’s about learning and creating this culture of belief around one common goal, and that common goal is ‘Fringe.’”

No matter how you slice it, 2019 has shaped up as a banner year for George Mason in more ways than one. 

The ensemble has a new identity. There’s no denying that, and Schack openly attested that shows like the one Mason has found success with this season will be the expectation in the years ahead.

“You’re not going to catch this group wearing band uniforms again,” he said.

And if 2019 has been an indicator, while George Mason’s approach and design may be moving to the fringe, its standing in Independent World going forward is much more the opposite. 

“We’re moving in a direction, and the momentum of how this show’s come together is just part of that trajectory,” Schack said. “But you can be sure that Mason is going to be coming out whacky, crazy, challenging, intellectual, fun, funny, like, all of these things. That’s going to be us going forward.”