jwscv87 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 It's not too much to ask that all the networks that broacast college football games give every marching band a minute or two at halftime. These bands put in too many hours of practice during the week to just be totally passed over. It's insulting. Everybody that's currently in a college marching band should send an email or letter to CBS and ESPN and ask for such consideration. If they're bombarded with requests, maybe they'll listen and start showing a few minutes of the halftime shows........... Why the sense of entitlement? Is the reward for all the hours of practice you refer to the opportunity to perform for the live audience? In my opinion the marching band half time shows are about the live experience of attending a ball game. In that context they add tremendous value. In the context of a live broadcast they add little value in my opinion. I am a marching bans alum, drum corps alum, and life long fan. However, I am also a life long football fan and in the context of my time viewing football I would rather hear about what is going on in other games and conferences around the country versus seeing the band at halftime. The exception being the major bowl games. At that point in the year there really isn't much else happening so I would appreciate the bands (although I think that puts me in the minority). They used to show most or all of the band shows during the traditional New Years Day games (Rose, Orange, Cotton, Sugar). I don't recall when that stopped Perhaps late 80s or early 90s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catan Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Once again on the topic of college marching bands.... Western Carolina University! Wow they are incredible. Loud sound, awesome licks, nice drill, and clean marching! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Probably the best exposure college bands still get to this day..... The only exceptions I have noted for the last few years is Texas A&M once a year , and also Ohio State doing " Script Ohio" at a bowl game. Texas A&M's band has its own TV show.... on public TV in their area. It's called "The Texas Aggie Band Show." "And now, formed at the north end of Kyle Field... the nationally famous Fightin' Texas Aggie Band!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrownThunder Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 college bands enthusiasms and presence isn't really conveyed over tv anyways. the aura the band really emanates is for the sole purpose of adding to the buzz already generated around the game and the crowd, not for tv audiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChwyNiblet Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 college bands enthusiasms and presence isn't really conveyed over tv anyways. the aura the band really emanates is for the sole purpose of adding to the buzz already generated around the game and the crowd, not for tv audiences. There is something to be said when the band does get on the field and you're there in person. Brings me back to the days when I was in the West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band. Getting on the field, the audience having absolutely no enthusiasm for us because our highly competitive Division II football was loosing quite badly (was seldom any different). As soon as the band played the first note though, the audience know it was about to get real. Because down in eastern pennsylvania, halftime IS game time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Nothing contradictory. I said HALFTIME performances were lame, and that they wouldn't do much for nurturing the pursuit of music education by young people. But pregame perfromances and performances in the stands both drive enthusiasm in the crowd. HALFTIME performances do not drive enthusiasm, from my experience. Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there. Probably the best a college marching band has to show is in the pre-game, typically the run-on or whatever you call it when the band makes its entrance. That's where you get script Ohio and The Victors and On Wisconsin and all that. Ironically, it seems to me that what translates the worst is a drum corps style college marching band. Just seems really boring and out of context. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catan Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there. Probably the best a college marching band has to show is in the pre-game, typically the run-on or whatever you call it when the band makes its entrance. That's where you get script Ohio and The Victors and On Wisconsin and all that. Ironically, it seems to me that what translates the worst is a drum corps style college marching band. Just seems really boring and out of context. I respectfully disagree; WCU, RCC, and JSU all have fantastic marching bands that could be labeled as "corps style", and IMO all are extremely entertaining and have well-polished shows. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there. Probably the best a college marching band has to show is in the pre-game, typically the run-on or whatever you call it when the band makes its entrance. That's where you get script Ohio and The Victors and On Wisconsin and all that. Ironically, it seems to me that what translates the worst is a drum corps style college marching band. Just seems really boring and out of context. Well first thought is apples and oranges as 300+ member bands like Penn State and Ohio State have a distinct style and the smaller corps type bands have theirs. As for the corps style bands it's how well they bring off the show that determines to me how well I like the show. Being more of a corps fan having a band so huge that block formations are a big part of the drill doesn't thrill me. And (cue evil laugh) I can remember 50 person DC horns lines that can out power the big bands. Attended Indiana Univ of PA (IUP) when Charles (aka Son of A. R.) Casavant was there and trying to mark his mark in the drill arena. Charlie dind't want his band over 150 members as they "got in the way of his drill". People who knew corps really enjoyed his show and the 300+ band fans just didn't "get" what this little band was trying to do. As for Horse Chestnut... ooops West Chester MB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I said HALFTIME performances were lame, and that they wouldn't do much for nurturing the pursuit of music education by young people. IUP has a well known music program and so a lot of different type of music majors were in the band during my time there. (many many moons ago...). Each instrument had section leaders who were responsible for making their people were ready. IM (non-music major) O it did apply if the leader was going into music ed. Also had students instructing the drill which could apply to a later teaching job also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 All I'm trying to say is, I've come to appreciate college marching bands for what they are and what they're for and what they do, and I (of course) love drum corps in the drum corps context (summer, crowd is there for the corps, not a football game, etc.). I appreciate that they're quite different from each other. I don't think one is better than the other. I think they both fit in the context of their audiences. Marching bands are not clean, and they overblow, and they park and blow, etc. etc. etc. Yeah, so what? It's not a band competition. They're there to thrill a football crowd, and they do a good job. When we start critiquing what a marching band does through the lens of what we expect in a drum corps contest...... it's just apples and oranges. You can't compare. That's why, in my opinion, a drum corps style show at a college football setting is out of place. Even though, I'm sure, they perform very, very well. WAY back in the dark ages, in 1973, Gail Royer and his corps performed at Michigan Stadium. The Michigan Marching Band director, William Revelli (or maybe it was George Cavender at that time), watched the performance intently, and afterward, said to Gail something along the lines of...... that was very nice, but it's not for us. For the longest time I didn't understand that comment and felt it was quite snobby. But now I think I do understand. Santa Clara Vanguard is awesome. And in Michigan Stadium at a football game, the crowd wouldn't know what to think of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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