Dave Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 I still don’t get it. What’s so hard about taking a bus to one place and having a competition? Just to see who has the best show. The HBCU (Honda) bands do it and they make it work, so why can’t others? I’m still not convinced of some of the things that were said on here (it costing millions of dollars, etc)? Somehow, I don’t think so. How are the HBCU bands able to do it?I also think that some people here just don’t want to see a college marching band competition and I don’t get that either. A college marching band competition would be fascinating and some college marching bands can be as good as drum corps. Taking a bus with a 300+ member group = taking many buses, costing huge amounts of money that will be hard to justify budget-wise to an athletics director that sees you as his PR tool. I'm sure there are more than a few people on here that could enumerate the costs involved but that's beside the point. The HBCU bands are able to do it because they just have a different atmosphere surrounding them, both at games and in terms of their overall perception by fans and the way the school treats them. They tend to be more of a big deal rather than an adjunct of the football team. Hell, most football games at those schools, more people are there to see the two bands face off than the football teams. I recently took a teaching job with a marching band at a magnet high school in Dallas that has a show-style marching band, but no football team; that's something you would find a lot harder to pull off in a lot of other programs (and yes, I know about UT-Arlington). It's just the way it is, your average college marching band is more about being crazy at football games and related trips than about any sort of competition, and the ones that are about that have little interest in the sort of judged situation you have in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En929 Posted September 7, 2008 Author Share Posted September 7, 2008 (edited) Taking a bus with a 300+ member group = taking many buses, costing huge amounts of money that will be hard to justify budget-wise to an athletics director that sees you as his PR tool. I'm sure there are more than a few people on here that could enumerate the costs involved but that's beside the point. The HBCU bands are able to do it because they just have a different atmosphere surrounding them, both at games and in terms of their overall perception by fans and the way the school treats them. They tend to be more of a big deal rather than an adjunct of the football team. Hell, most football games at those schools, more people are there to see the two bands face off than the football teams. I recently took a teaching job with a marching band at a magnet high school in Dallas that has a show-style marching band, but no football team; that's something you would find a lot harder to pull off in a lot of other programs (and yes, I know about UT-Arlington). It's just the way it is, your average college marching band is more about being crazy at football games and related trips than about any sort of competition, and the ones that are about that have little interest in the sort of judged situation you have in mind. I don’t know. I have to respectfully disagree. College bands travel (many do). We took the bus places to perform a lot when I was in college. Now, maybe it may depend on the college (maybe some haven't been a part of a college band that traveled) and now days with gas prices, but it’s just like going to a place to perform like they normally do. And it’s more or less just having a bunch of bands in one place to perform and to see who has the best show or to show off their band. It shouldn’t cost much more than it cost for them to do the travels that they already do. This can be PR too, for their music department. And I will add, I think a lot of people would like to see such a competition if they knew about it. Edited September 7, 2008 by En929 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En929 Posted September 7, 2008 Author Share Posted September 7, 2008 (edited) I'd love to go to this someday...I realize the January date might makes it difficult, but do any corps do recruiting at the event? I think it'd be neat to have some sort of outreach partnership between the two groups (or groups at the event, that is.) Also, thank you for noting that HBCU does NOT stand for "Honda's Band Competition of Universities!" Yes "HBCU" is an acronym for "Historically Black College and University" Edited September 7, 2008 by En929 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyboy252 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 It would not even be fair, Jacksonville state would win hands down. I am sure that we rehearse more than just about every other band in the country and perform a more difficult show. We have a 2 1/2 week band camp and then 1 1/5 hours a day when school starts. this year we are doing Russian classical. it is awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crowncontra Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 I don't know many university marching bands that get their money coming from the music department so having to find donations, funds, etc. to cover all of the costs of traveling to a competition. In most (if not all) cases the Athletic Department is funding most/everything for the band. There are also some BCS schools that have deals through the Athletics for equipment (Nike, Reebok, Adidas, etc.) that is more money. I am not sure of any band director that would turn down that support to send their college band to a competition. Like dorph31 mentioned, many of the kids in college marching band are there for the football and the excitement that comes with that. From just reading your posts EN929, you are pretty adamant on having this happen so go for it. Take a poll among college directors and athletic directors, from BCS schools to HBCU schools. It would take an agreement from both to really be successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUNSNARE07 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 It's a good thing you weren't around back in the days when Syracuse had a good football team and they went to bowl games. The reason I never joined the Syracuse marching band was because I found out that you had to pay your own way to go to the bowl game and I just couldn't afford that (plus the fact that bowl games were during the holiday break and I had to work). It amazed me that a school that rich wouldn't shell out the money for the band to travel. Sunsnare, for your sake, I hope you're not poor or Syracuse's definition of poor, because if it's the same kind of place that it was in the '90s when I went (and I'll bet that it is), you're going to have a tough time there. Syracuse is all about the money, and if you don't have it, you're screwed. Good luck! Actually, things have changed, the last time they went to a bowl game, I think everything was provided and payed for by SU. But now that our football team is where its at, which is pretty much at the bottom of the NCAA (they lost to Akron yesterday!!!) they have pretty much given up on the band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runner_up Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 It would not even be fair, Jacksonville state would win hands down. I am sure that we rehearse more than just about every other band in the country and perform a more difficult show. We have a 2 1/2 week band camp and then 1 1/5 hours a day when school starts. this year we are doing Russian classical. it is awesome! West Chester University of PA Andrew Yozviak, Director (Crossmen Arranger) Mike Britcher, Brass (Asst Caption Head, Reading Bucs) Numerous World & Open Class Alums in the Band and Staff Show: Desert Nights -In the Heat of the Day (Metheny) -Symphony for Brass & Percussion (Alfred Reed) -Oasis (Original Composition) -Caravan 2/3s of the band is music majors Alums include: Thom Hannum, George Hopkins, Tom Augnst, Mike Klesch, "Shorty" Bartholomew, Dan DeLong, Todd Marcocci, Anthony Yaklick, & George Parks There is 1 week of camp and 3 practices during the semester week, after school for 2 1/2 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUNSNARE07 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 They just scheduled a series between USC and Syracuse in 2011 and 2012. Do you know if the band is going to LA your senior year? I'd love to go but I'd hate to see the game seeing as our football team just lost to Akron yesterday and is pretty much the worst team in the NCAA and USC is like what # 3, it would be horrible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En929 Posted September 8, 2008 Author Share Posted September 8, 2008 I’d like to say something about the people who are arguing about Marching band vs. Drum corp. I don't care what you call it!! I came not to argue, but discuss. I like both equally as much. If you ask me, they ARE mostly the same thing. Drum corp. is just marching band with just brass, percussion, and color guard. It’s the way I see it, that’s the way I describe it, and my thought is not going to change at all!!! I don’t understand the people who are fighting or starting trouble over whether to call it drum corp. or Marching band. I don’t think like that and I’m not going to engage in any more discussions like that. It was besides the point of the discussions below (mine was about College Marching Band Competitions and I saw another about BOA vs. DCI –which frankly I think the poster who posted his comment has a very good point; to see 90 Marching units versus only 12. It’s a valid argument and there are a lot of good Marching Bands out there that rivals drum corp. and you CAN see some very good shows out of the 90 that BOA puts on). I go to the ones in my city each year and stay all day! Trust me, there are going to be many more people that come here and want to discuss marching band, because they see it as related to drum corp. (like I do). If one doesn’t want to discuss marching band, then just skip over the thread and go to something else. I genuinely wanted to discuss if there should be a College Marching Band Competition because I think there should be one somewhere and my discussion turned into something else; something pointless (so did the BOA vs. DCI thread). I mean we have high school marching band competitions, there are college bands that travel (like mine did), so why not have many college bands (regional or so) in one spot on one day so that they can have either a competition or exhibition. I think it’s possible. This can be something very cool and as exciting as Drum corp. and something that I would like to see. Hmmm someone suggested that I start one. I just might. Because I think it can be another division of our activity, be it Drum corp. or Marching Band. Anyway, this was my thought on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salad315 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 I’d like to say something about the people who are arguing about Marching band vs. Drum corp. I don't care what you call it!! I came not to argue, but discuss. I like both equally as much. If you ask me, they ARE mostly the same thing. Drum corp. is just marching band with just brass, percussion, and color guard. It’s the way I see it, that’s the way I describe it, and my thought is not going to change at all!!! I don’t understand the people who are fighting or starting trouble over whether to call it drum corp. or Marching band. I don’t think like that and I’m not going to engage in any more discussions like that. It was besides the point of the discussions below (mine was about College Marching Band Competitions and I saw another about BOA vs. DCI –which frankly I think the poster who posted his comment has a very good point; to see 90 Marching units versus only 12. It’s a valid argument and there are a lot of good Marching Bands out there that rivals drum corp. and you CAN see some very good shows out of the 90 that BOA puts on). I go to the ones in my city each year and stay all day! Trust me, there are going to be many more people that come here and want to discuss marching band, because they see it as related to drum corp. (like I do). If one doesn’t want to discuss marching band, then just skip over the thread and go to something else. I genuinely wanted to discuss if there should be a College Marching Band Competition because I think there should be one somewhere and my discussion turned into something else; something pointless (so did the BOA vs. DCI thread). I mean we have high school marching band competitions, there are college bands that travel (like mine did), so why not have many college bands (regional or so) in one spot on one day so that they can have either a competition or exhibition. I think it’s possible. This can be something very cool and as exciting as Drum corp. and something that I would like to see. Hmmm someone suggested that I start one. I just might. Because I think it can be another division of our activity, be it Drum corp. or Marching Band. Anyway, this was my thought on it. And this is a new thread why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts