First, loudness is one of the dynamic extremes used when effectively communicating the emotion of the music being played. In marching band, it critical a lot of times to ensure a majority, if not all, of its audience can actually hear what is being played. Facilities like the Superdome simply suck you up. Sure you can mic the band to help resolve that. However, miced marching band just diminishes the quality of the sound for me, it cheapens it to me. Give me that natural woodwind and bass sound over miced any day, except for a solo from time to time.
I don't believe in a loud only band either. Dynamics and emotion in your music is critical as is a mixture of up tempo and ballad; ole school and current charts; etc...
However, I think this is turning into a GSU vs SU conversation and I'm not trying to go there. You are a "World Famed" and I'm a "Jukebox". Certainly, you are going to prefer the way GSU does things over SU and I'm sure it is obvious I'm going to prefer SU's method better than GSU's. So, don't let us get side tracked on that. I'm simply asking all of us to maintain a musician?s decorum when we post and not a street, negative, attacking disposition with one another. As musicians, we are, or at should be, far better than that. Our mere nature is to act in harmony, even when it isn't traditional we act in modes like fusion which turns out to still be in harmony. Even when a number of us are going in different directions or found in the middle of a chase, it is still in harmony with everyone supporting its part strongly and effectively and thereby enhancing the subject (harmony) of the moment.
Peace...
