Fran Haring Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 TCU is one of the better college bands you'll see (full pit, contemporary drill), so they're definitely worth a look for those of you interested. I agree..... the Rose parade and game were the first time I had seen them, and they looked and sounded terrific. Gotta love them cranking up "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" going past the parade reviewing stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplattSCV Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I was actually a bit surprised to see Wisconsin's band at the bowl considering their past issues. For some reason I thought they were suspended from travelling due to the hazing/drinking problems. The whole town of Madison is famous for legen...wait for it...dary drinking escapades. They definitely have a good time up there. As for college bands that sound OK, I always though that OU was pretty good. I went to Texas A&M (was not in the band) and when we played OU they sounded better than most. We also played North Texas a couple of times who obviously had a smokin drumline. Pretty much everyone in the line at that time (early 90's) was either mraching with or had already aged out from somewhere. Lots of Devils with a smattering of Vanguard, Scouts, VK, Sky Ryders and Regiment. Paul Rennick was teaching there or at least was in grad school there at the time as well. The band itself was less than you would expect from a school with as good of a music program as they have. But, that is really not what marching band in college is about. It's supposed to be fun more than anything else. I have not watched a marching band with a critical eye since I left high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstar82 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Anyone recognize who that is in my avatar? Full disclosure - my daughter's in the Wisconsin band. As an aside, they had the time of their lives out in Pasadena, went for the whole week, performed at Disneyland, Santa Monica Peer, ESPN Zone in downtown LA. Anyway, yes, the marching style ("stop at the top") has a HUGE influence on how they sound. As a drum corps guy and the parent of a kid marching in a band that can't be more opposite of drum corps style, it's a conflicting situation. But I've come to appreciate what they do. They are there to entertain a football crowd, 99.9 percent of whom wouldn't know someone was playing Malaguena if they did. So, they - like the Cavaliers (?) - are all about the visual. They are definitely old school - no color guard, no pit. Maybe 8 clarinets, 8 saxes, and that's it. The rest brass, heavily trombones and trumpets. Their marching style (IMO) prevents them from sounding as good as they could, but they happily sacrifice sound for visual. And it works for them. They march when they play. No park and blows. They have a loyal following. Mike Lecrone has been their director since the late 1960's (!). In this setting I found TCU's band, in the context in which they were performing (football crowd), to be very boring. But I am so totally biased, I know.... Oh, and that suspension - that was 2 seasons ago. They suspended themselves, basically, for one game following misbehavior at the Michigan game. They went to a bowl game that season, last year, and now this season. When Wisconsin's football program was in the dumps for much of the 70's through the mid 90's, it was the band that the crowd came for. You've maybe heard of the "5th quarter"? That was born when the football team was horrible, the band took the field after the game and performed for another half hour. They still do this. FYI, Mike Lecrone did the commentary on the DCI "Best in the Midwest" video in 1975. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrassClef Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 (edited) This was something put together to honor Mr. Parks. It has a special meaning for us in the group and we had a blast doing it. Also, anyone recognize this tune? Edited January 3, 2011 by BrassClef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minimaster Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Don't know how many of you caught the Rose Bowl game, but TCU got on TV at halftime with a rendition of Malaguena near equal to the 2003 Cadets version. And by that I mean was pretty much arranged based entirely off of the Cadets' version right down to the call/answer between the battery and horns. Even if it was indirect DCI exposure I thought it was cool to see. TCU is one of the better college bands you'll see (full pit, contemporary drill), so they're definitely worth a look for those of you interested. We first did Malaguena as the second half of our 2004 100th anniversary show. Here's a great video of the National Anthem from yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4fZMOeOgzk&NR=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHdork Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 <Also, anyone recognize this tune? http://www.youtube.c...zyVDNoPToE&NR=1 > As soon as I heard the singer, I turned it off...sorry - and no...I didn't recognize it. But I never listen to commercial radio - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrassClef Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 <Also, anyone recognize this tune? http://www.youtube.c...zyVDNoPToE&NR=1 > As soon as I heard the singer, I turned it off...sorry - and no...I didn't recognize it. But I never listen to commercial radio - Shame, you should be a bit more open minded, as it's this: (but arranged for band) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 TCU looked and sounded pretty good to me. Must be a lot of Drum Corps influence there. Malaqeuna still reminds me of 88' Madison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeverMarched Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I did see the TCU band and what a refreshing sight and sound. What is up with the jump-step and high step bands among the high profile college bands? That aweful side-to-side swagger? Have the doctors of music not been out of their bandrooms in the past 40 years? Did you all get your PHds and get stuck in the 50s? (1950s, that is) Maybe watched the movie "Drumline" 10 years ago? Wow--bad uniforms, bad musicical selection and bad marching and really bad playing. U of M, Wisconson, OSU, Ilinois, Notre Dame and all the southern college bands. Yuk! Now tonight, I get to watch OSU and see the crowd go wild over the script OHIO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warsawstory Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Yuk! Now tonight, I get to watch OSU and see the crowd go wild over the script OHIO. I wonder how the crowd response differed between the TCU and Wisconsin marching bands. I am a huge drum corps fan but really don't think "corps style" college marching bands get the crowd going as crazy as the bands you seem to disdain. I accept these so called out of date marching bands for what they do. They make the crowds go wild. Not my particular cup of tea but I do get caught up in the energy. In short - Drum Corps - Fan freakin tastic "drum corps" style college marching bands - meh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.