Northern Illinois Football

[lastknight]

It's too bad many directors don't take the events that provide 99.9% of the public exposure for their groups a little more seriously. Much of the disdain for marching band can be directly attributed to lame, corny, and half-###ed efforts at football and basketball games.

Seems foolish to blow it in front of a crowd easily 2 to 10 times larger than your biggest concert crowd.

[ranintothedoor]

I can speak for one group that would probably overwhelmingly vote for football games WITHOUT marching bands...we're called BAND DIRECTORS.

I think what he's saying is, as band directors, we tend to lose some of the music education focus of our jobs when we have to deal with the difficult and sometimes thankless administrative task of running a marching band. True, it's a great opportunity for advocacy when you have a a large, semi-captive audience... but it sickens the heart sometimes to think that no matter how hard your kids work or how awesome your show is, there's always going to be NIU players, fellow students, football fans and school administrators who don't appreciate or even despise what you do because it's not masculine enough for their tastes.

We got into music ed to make a difference in our kids' lives and share our love for the power of music... marching band can be a powerful tool for life lessons and self-discipline, but teaching the more artistic side of music is much easier in a concert band setting.

[Kevin Doherty]

Ran,

Well said. Right on the mark IMO.

Going back to earlier comments, I was in the Band at a major college football school. Our practices often coincided, side by side. If our practices ran a little longer than theirs they would often come by to cheer us on. A number of them said we worked harder than they.

Kevin

[Jeff Ream]

Most fans wouldn't care or notice the lack of a band. MOST. Not all. Cheerleaders are a different story.

maybe where you are. not in many places

[Kevin Doherty]

Jeff,

That's sad, and I feel bad if any musician/teacher feels underappreciated and that their musicians are abused. However, one has to wonder how so many major Universities maintain huge marching bands, e.g SEC, Big Ten, PAC 10, etc. if there is no interest and support. Perhaps smaller schools face a different probem, but some don't, witness Jacksonville State, AL which consistently produces a better marching band and Drum Corps players than they do winning football teams and NFL players.

BTW, the University I went to was not big by any standards, but we have many National Championships under our belts. The band was not that great by DC standards and had a very tight budget, but we were respected.

The bad behaviors at NIU possibly should be dealt with as a crime, maybe only at the misdemeanor level including administrators, but it shouldn't,be avoided (I know this not a new story, but we don't often get NI news in Texas unless there is a disaster and likewise from NI.

Jeff. still working on your barrel, but don't see it coming below $9,000. Wood and Coopers are not cheap.

Kevin

[Michael Boo]

I got my masters in music composition from Northern Illinois University. I never went to a football game and sometimes wondered if I missed out on part of the experience of going to a large university. (Due to its proximity to Chicago, NIU was even larger than Illinois State University. Also, my undergrad college had no sports programs because we were all music educators-in-training, the only such institution in the country.)

However, I'm beginning to feel I missed out on nothing, which is a shame. A college student/alumnus should be able to feel that they would be proud of any facet of their institution. Yet, I can't say I'm proud of that facet of my alma mater and it colors my perspective a bit. It's too easy imagining myself on the field being plowed into by one of the football players. And it's a shame because most the football players would never consider doing something so stupid, and yet it's happened to the program twice. One would think word would pass down that one doesn't do that sort of thing. Perhaps the playbook needs to be updated.

[WPendergrass]

It's too bad many directors don't take the events that provide 99.9% of the public exposure for their groups a little more seriously. Much of the disdain for marching band can be directly attributed to lame, corny, and half-###ed efforts at football and basketball games.

I would positive this 100 times if I could.

[Michael Boo]

It's too bad many directors don't take the events that provide 99.9% of the public exposure for their groups a little more seriously. Much of the disdain for marching band can be directly attributed to lame, corny, and half-###ed efforts at football and basketball games.

Perhaps much of it can be, but it's also in a sense blaming the victim.

I'd prefer that band directors relished every performing opportunity and football coaches taught their members that the band is there to support the team. Both band and team should be honored to be in the presence of the other.

[Rifuarian]

Perhaps much of it can be, but it's also in a sense blaming the victim.

I'd prefer that band directors relished every performing opportunity and football coaches taught their members that the band is there to support the team. Both band and team should be honored to be in the presence of the other.

Some directors truly are the victims of impossible situations. I've seen it before and it really is tragic. More often, however, directors will make themselves into victims. Too many directors who are otherwise good teachers will put on a woe-is-me act whenever football or basketball pep band comes up. Their students pick up on their director's attitude, and act totally disinterested and sometimes even disrespectful at the games. The result is a lot of unnecessary ill-will.

It really isn't about not spending enough time in preparation. It's more about wanting to be there, getting into the game, and showing some spirit and energy . . . whether you really care about football or not. An energetic, attentive band is far more effective than cheerleaders at getting a crowd into a game, and most good football coaches recognize this. The most intelligent band director I know - who directs a BOA semifinalist level marching program, and a renowned concert program - maintains that the two most important songs his band plays are 1) the SSB, and 2) the school fight song. He gets great support from the football program . . . the coach even brings some players along to the state marching competition each year. Obviously that's not going to happen at every school, but it would happen at for more schools if us marching band folks didn't relish playing the victim.

[Jeff Ream]

Jeff,

That's sad, and I feel bad if any musician/teacher feels underappreciated and that their musicians are abused. However, one has to wonder how so many major Universities maintain huge marching bands, e.g SEC, Big Ten, PAC 10, etc. if there is no interest and support. Perhaps smaller schools face a different probem, but some don't, witness Jacksonville State, AL which consistently produces a better marching band and Drum Corps players than they do winning football teams and NFL players.

BTW, the University I went to was not big by any standards, but we have many National Championships under our belts. The band was not that great by DC standards and had a very tight budget, but we were respected.

The bad behaviors at NIU possibly should be dealt with as a crime, maybe only at the misdemeanor level including administrators, but it shouldn't,be avoided (I know this not a new story, but we don't often get NI news in Texas unless there is a disaster and likewise from NI.

Jeff. still working on your barrel, but don't see it coming below $9,000. Wood and Coopers are not cheap.

Kevin

Universities have thousands to draw from, and in many cases, sports departments pay for the marching band.

at the High School level though...look around. What's the first thing to get cut? Arts. Regardless of all of the studies that show kids in music generally do better, they cut those. I Mean God Forbid football be cut!

Music teachers can be after thoughts, and often under appreciated. They get scheduled last after all the other classes get scheduled, often times at football games, the bands ignored because people want food or to socialize.