To All Marching Bands:

[SUtrp96]

If the crowd don't respond to classic drilling, what makes you think they want to hear a march?

All they want to see is the dance routine.... Most band based their success on the field off of a dance routine.....SMH



I myself was brought up playing marches in drills...... I would like to hear it done.....

St.Mary's and ST.Aug here in New Orleans does it real well...

 

[SLT]

If the crowd don't respond to classic drilling, what makes you think they want to hear a march?
All they want to see is the dance routine.... Most band based their success on the field off of a dance routine.....SMH



I myself was brought up playing marches in drills...... I would like to hear it done.....

St.Mary's and ST.Aug here in New Orleans does it real well...

Mannnnnnnnnnn, you beat me to it. I was gonna post the exact same thing!


Meaning, the drilling shows precision and formations. Marches are ways to showcase that. Ain't nothing wrong with EWF and the rest during drilling, but at least do SOMETHING different!

I don't recall seeing people up and dancing during drilling.

Jared....you are so correct! :tup: :kiss:

 

[BLAQUE PRINCE]

I guess my viewpoint comes from growing up around a diverse set of millitary and corps style bands. I wasn't even hipped to HBCU's until late middle/early high school. What you guys are calling something different was the norm for me.

 

[SLT]

I guess my viewpoint comes from growing up around a diverse set of millitary and corps style bands. I wasn't even hipped to HBCU's until late middle/early high school. What you guys are calling something different was the norm for me.

We're calling it different(marches) because the crowd may see it that way.

Most members probably came from corps style high school bands.

 

[Prof K]

Where did you see me say anything about white bands.

You mentioned Texas A&M!!!!!

You could have an all black millitary band and if I wanted to hear some marches done to millitary drills I would go to see them and have done so before. You are the one that started with the color mess. Some of us need to get off that PURE CRAP about showing we are more than shake your azz or whatever you call it. We do what we do and we need to be proud of it PERIOD.[QUOTE/]

What I am talking about is style. You don't see a corp band highstepping (since the 70's). You don't see a millitary band doing a corps style drill.

I do see Prairie View do corps style designs and they are a show band!!!!

You RARELY see a corp or millitary band playing top 40 on the field. They stick to their style and are proud of it.

So what about the Boston Pops??? They are an orchestra and play popular music!!!!!

But look at us....trying to do a little bit of everyones style to attempt to prove our worth as musicians. We need to stand with the flavor that we added to the Big Ten style as our own and BE PROUD OF IT and fug trying to prove anything to anybody. They sure as heyal aren't trying to prove they can do what we do.

If you knew your history, we did marches as STANDARDS for drills!!! All I'm asking is for a drill written for a march just to be different!!! Not to prove anything, not trying to keep up with millitary or other schools in the big 10, and definately not to change our style but to simply go back and reclaim a style that we once had, thats all!!!

I would hate to go to a Zydeco and the accordian player starts playing polkas all night because he wants to educate the audience on accordian playing skills. People do not pay to come to a football game to be educated about music. They come for entertainement and exceitment. If you can spread new things in a highly entertaining fashion then do so...but if you can't then can it. Who are WE to come ramming Sousa down a football fans throat because WE feel WE should educate them. That is selfish. Just because WE are lovers of all types of music that does not mean the audience is. And marches ARE the norm if you listen to a band thats KNOWN for playing marches. You have the option of going to listen to that style of band. Thats the beauty of the thing. I can see one band and get one style then see another and enjoy another style.

Like I said....I don't knock what a band chooses to do with their style but a band is no less of a band because it doesn't play a march.

You ARE missing the point of this whole thread!!! Nothing beats a failure but a try and you aren't trying to hear me.Why not show that we are more and can do more??? Do you have a problem with doing something different or can you not grasp the idea of doing an occasional march to a drill??? Your'e talking about different genres now which is totally :topic: :topic: :topic: :topic: If you call yourself a marching band your'e supposed to play marches!!!! Not Zydeco bands playing Polkas(Terrible Example).
It would give the drills...the overall show a different flair if a march was played during the drill. I'm not saying to play marches the whole show! Iv'e been at football games when a band played a march for the drill and the audience responded very well with applause.
Exposure is the key!!!!! Let the fans hear something different on the field!!!!!!!!! Bring a little class to your shows by playing an occasional march on the drill. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!!!!!!!!! I NEVER SAID THAT YOU ARE A LESSER BAND IF YOU DONT PLAY A MARCH!!!! I SAID THAT IT WOULD ADD A DIFFERENT ELEMENT TO THE SHOW IF A MARCH IS PLAYED!!!!

 

[BLAQUE PRINCE]

You mentioned Texas A&M!!!!!
...because the are an example of a military band....has nothing to do with their color :shameo you have something against Texas A&M or whites?
I do see Prairie View do corps style designs and they are a show band!!!!
That is PV's STYLE and has been that way for a long time. You don't see PV marching 8 to 5 and then popping out a corps style show just to prove they can do one. When you go to a PV game you know good and dayum well you will see corps type formations.
So what about the Boston Pops??? They are an orchestra and play popular music!!!!!
Boston POPS!!!...once again it is their style and you know what you will get when you go to see them...do not expect for the most part to hear a whole bunch of classical
If you knew your history, we did marches as STANDARDS for drills!!! Naw...really??? I thought military bands just started this last year :shame:
All I'm asking is for a drill written for a march just to be different!!! Not to prove anything, not trying to keep up with millitary or other schools in the big 10, and definately not to change our style but to simply go back and reclaim a style that we once had, thats all!!!
It ISN'T different...its nothing more than being a military band which I have seen plenty of.

You ARE missing the point of this whole thread!!! Nothing beats a failure but a try and you aren't trying to hear me.Why not show that we are more and can do more??? Do you have a problem with doing something different or can you not grasp the idea of doing an occasional march to a drill???
You just contradicted all that is in red above. Who are you showing that the HBCU bands can do more? Has it ever dawned on you that people may come to see the bands for what they normaly do rather than the other styles of bands out there

Your'e talking about different genres now which is totally :topic: :topic: :topic: :topic: If you call yourself a marching band your'e supposed to play marches!!!! Not Zydeco bands playing Polkas(Terrible Example).
I have seen plenty of outstanding marching bands never play a march. So I guess a concert band should not play a concert march since they aren't marching according to your logic :shame: The example has nothing to do with the difference in genre and if you think it does then you have missed the point completely.

It would give the drills...the overall show a different flair if a march was played during the drill. I'm not saying to play marches the whole show! Iv'e been at football games when a band played a march for the drill and the audience responded very well with applause.
Exposure is the key!!!!! Let the fans hear something different on the field!!!!!!!!! Bring a little class to your shows by playing an occasional march on the drill. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!!!!!!!!! I NEVER SAID THAT YOU ARE A LESSER BAND IF YOU DONT PLAY A MARCH!!!! I SAID THAT IT WOULD ADD A DIFFERENT ELEMENT TO THE SHOW IF A MARCH IS PLAYED!!!!

In conclusion all I'm saying is that you aren't showing the crowd anything they haven't seen by playing a march. Until recently that was the dominant perception of a marching band...a big block moving across the field playing Stars and Stripes. Not to mention up until recently Gram did this all the time. If I wanted to hear a march on the field I could enjoy Gram but that doesn't mean everyone needs to do it.

I enjoy all types of bands and what I enjoy most is when they stick to a particular style so I know what band to go see when I want to enjoy a certiain facet of the genre.

 

[dacontinent]

Personally, I really don't care very much about proving anything to the crowd. I am more concerned about proving something to the students in the band. I want the students to have a TOTAL music experience - not just the classic HBCU marching band experience.

Add Latin/Carribbean/Afro-Cuban...Add Broadway/Soundtrack...Add Jazz/Smooth...add opera...add marches...add electronics...add...add..ADD! No, do replace or abandon the things that we already do well. Keep those at the core...but come on and embellish the experience with some things that don't make it over the south side of the tracks in It, Mississippi. Without that type of exposure, the marketability of the student in a different type of environment is going to be extremely limited and we have done those graduates a disservice.

As someone else says: If you always do what you've always done, then you will always have what you always had.

 

[Taylor-Made'90]

I think if we truly want to 'honor' our black marching band roots, then we have to be honest about where those actually lie.

Sure, most early black bands played marches, but that's due to the fact that that's all that was played during that time. The collegiate marching band grew from the traditional military band. So everybody played marches. Therefore, I don't consider that OUR roots at all. :smh:

Our 'roots' came from the influence from our African heritage and our spirituals. The same 'dynamic' that created jazz and the blues, also led to the 'big bad' sound, which is truly the foundation that all of our bands stand on. Former big band leaders (and members) were hired to teach music in schools and thus evolved into the marching bands we have today.... So out 'roots' are found in the change from the tradition to (what was then) considered to be 'contemporary'. But in reality the 'temporary' fell-off and we have what we have today...

I don't think that the lack of playing marches takes away anything from our kids. Yes, they need to be exposed and have an appreciation of the classical 'Sousa' marches, but that doesn't mean that they have to drill or perform off of the tunes. We all learned scales, but we don't play them on the field. Why would playing marches be any different..

What we need, is to find new ways to entertain musically. Maybe we've out-grown the 'standard' instrumentation, and need to create/develop new instruments and incorporate more theatrics into our shows. Maybe just having trumpets, trombones, baritones, mellophones, saxes, clarinets, flutes, tubas and percussion isn't enough anymore.

 

[Prof K]

:lol: Bob and Weave Prof...Bob and Weave!

I'm bobbing and weaving now!!! I'm 'bout to Stick and Move!!!! :lol:

 

[SLT]

I'm bobbing and weaving now!!! I'm 'bout to Stick and Move!!!! :lol:

Go for the TKO!!! :lol:

 

[Legend35]

:tup: Big Brother!!!!

I guess it is about time for me to chime-in...

Yeah, I am old school. I love marches and I love seeing them done with precision drilling. Yes, I love the classic HBCU tunes from back in the day (EWF and all) that most everyone seems to enjoy. Yes, I think trying to do Rap-n-crap on a football field or even in the stands with a hook and nowhere to go is a crying shame for any institution that claims to have a music program. With all of that said, what I would really like to see is variety.

Drill to the classics for a couple of weeks. Then, just when the crowd is used to it, but out a march for a couple. Take it back and forth. Do an updated arrangement of a march and DANCE to it.

Musical presentation with no risk is BORING. In my estimation, that is where most of our bands are heading if we don't shake-up something.

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
:jump: Dancing all over the place
Yeah!!!!!
That's what I'm talking about.
The bigger picture!!!!

 

[SLT]

I thought you were laying low? :shades:

 

[Legend35]

Personally, I really don't care very much about proving anything to the crowd. I am more concerned about proving something to the students in the band. I want the students to have a TOTAL music experience - not just the classic HBCU marching band experience.

Add Latin/Carribbean/Afro-Cuban...Add Broadway/Soundtrack...Add Jazz/Smooth...add opera...add marches...add electronics...add...add..ADD! No, do replace or abandon the things that we already do well. Keep those at the core...but come on and embellish the experience with some things that don't make it over the south side of the tracks in It, Mississippi. Without that type of exposure, the marketability of the student in a different type of environment is going to be extremely limited and we have done those graduates a disservice.

As someone else says: If you always do what you've always done, then you will always have what you always had.

Can I borrow this?

Can I come work for you?

 

[Legend35]

You mentioned Texas A&M!!!!!I do see Prairie View do corps style designs and they are a show band!!!! So what about the Boston Pops??? They are an orchestra and play popular music!!!!! If you knew your history, we did marches as STANDARDS for drills!!! All I'm asking is for a drill written for a march just to be different!!! Not to prove anything, not trying to keep up with millitary or other schools in the big 10, and definately not to change our style but to simply go back and reclaim a style that we once had, thats all!!!

You ARE missing the point of this whole thread!!! Nothing beats a failure but a try and you aren't trying to hear me.Why not show that we are more and can do more??? Do you have a problem with doing something different or can you not grasp the idea of doing an occasional march to a drill??? Your'e talking about different genres now which is totally :topic: :topic: :topic: :topic: If you call yourself a marching band your'e supposed to play marches!!!! Not Zydeco bands playing Polkas(Terrible Example).
It would give the drills...the overall show a different flair if a march was played during the drill. I'm not saying to play marches the whole show! Iv'e been at football games when a band played a march for the drill and the audience responded very well with applause.
Exposure is the key!!!!! Let the fans hear something different on the field!!!!!!!!! Bring a little class to your shows by playing an occasional march on the drill. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!!!!!!!!! I NEVER SAID THAT YOU ARE A LESSER BAND IF YOU DONT PLAY A MARCH!!!! I SAID THAT IT WOULD ADD A DIFFERENT ELEMENT TO THE SHOW IF A MARCH IS PLAYED!!!!

Good!!!!! Good!!!!
OV 1 has taught you well!!! :lmao:

 

[lilC]

GSU doesn't have to attempt to play a march during a drill. They just do it.

Fine, then change my word to butcher. I heard the marches played, they weren't correctly and some people were only half doing it. It isn't limited to GSU but don't do that shat and NOT do it. Laying claim to playing marches during a precision drill and you're not even playing them well or remotely good.......whatever.

 

[Legend35]

I thought you were laying low? :shades:

Naw,....
I'm just very busy on capital hill before a congressional committee!!!
To my big brother dacontinent, Taylor-Made'90 , Prof. K , my big sis. SLT and others that have posted their view points on this thread,.....I am truly enjoying this!!!! I like when we can get together and voice our differences in opinions. Yall making me really think!!!! :tup:

 

[PsiSnake]

The person that started this thread is from Grambling right? Just askin

"Snake"

 

[Legend35]

:nod2:

 

[lilC]

Honestly, if your'e gonna play a march then play it. Play it right. Play it clean. Play it with realistic dynamics (I KNOW the trio at ppp isn't gonna wow the crowd). Get out of the box on your drill and two-step into formations that aren't kaleidoscopic in simplicity. (I AM thinking Texas A&M type drills....NICE, VERY NICE)

 

[dacontinent]

Naw,....
I'm just very busy on capital hill before a congressional committee!!!
To my big brother dacontinent, Taylor-Made'90 , Prof. K , my big sis. SLT and others that have posted their view points on this thread,.....I am truly enjoying this!!!! I like when we can get together and voice our differences in opinions. Yall making me really think!!!! :tup:

That is what these forums should be about.

Now, do you think that we can find a university to hire us all as a band staff. We would be killer!

 

[Legend35]

I wish!!!!! :lol:
That's probably asking too much. I know if ever I'm in a position of a band master,.....I have got to look some of yall up. I know I would love to work with some of yall. :nod2:

 

[Bengal E]

This is so true. You spoke a mouthful there.

dac,

I agree with your comments as well. I only wish I would have been blessed with the musical talents to become a college BD. The creativity would have been awesome!!! For instance, I am not aware of anyone doing a true salute to Ray Charles this fall. I don't mean just spelling RAY on the field for 16 counts, I mean drilling off of his songs, dancing and doing a feature. It would've been great.

Another idea (anybody can have it I can't use it) Why not add strings to the band? Incorporate orchestra members and use them in the stands and arrange parts for them and once in a while maybe bring them on the field? Huh?? just be creative.

Legend, can I be you guys creative director?

 

[dacontinent]

I like where you are trying to go with this...but can the strings in the stands idea. You would have to mic them and that would be a real pain. They didn't even try that in the Superbowl when Whitney Houston sang The Star-Spangled Banner. However, our local high schools have used steel drums, synths, bass, guitar, the treasure trove of Latin percussion.

Tributes:

• Ray Charles
• Duke Ellington
• Count Basie
• The movies of Denzel Washington
• The TV shows of Bill Cosby (I Spy, Fat Albert, Bill Cosby, The Cosby Show, Cosby, A Different World, etc.)
• The soundtracks of Glory, Tuskegee Airmen, The Color Purple, Coming To America, etc.
• Sidney Portier
• Miles Davis
• Cicely Tyson
• Billie Holliday
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Quincy Jones
• Yolanda Adams
• Fred Hammond
• Andre Crouch
• The Williams Brothers
• The Wayans Brothers
• ... ( I could go on for a VERY long time)

You want dancing? Arrange some straight up raggae or batucada. There is just too much out there to keep doing the same stuff.

 

[Legend35]

The arts are in serious trouble if we don't enlighten and expose the next generation of musicians to music history.

This is so true. You spoke a mouthful there.

dac,

I agree with your comments as well. I only wish I would have been blessed with the musical talents to become a college BD. The creativity would have been awesome!!! For instance, I am not aware of anyone doing a true salute to Ray Charles this fall. I don't mean just spelling RAY on the field for 16 counts, I mean drilling off of his songs, dancing and doing a feature. It would've been great.

Another idea (anybody can have it I can't use it) Why not add strings to the band? Incorporate orchestra members and use them in the stands and arrange parts for them and once in a while maybe bring them on the field? Huh?? just be creative.

Legend, can I be you guys creative director?

:tup: Innovator huh???
That thought has crossed my mind constantly. I love strings but, they would not have an effect on a field for halftime. Yeah,....I only see them used if we just absolutely put on a concert on the field and they are mic. Perhaps like a Bayou Classic BOTB's.

 

[Prof K]

:tup: Innovator huh???
That thought has crossed my mind constantly. I love strings but, they would not have an effect on a field for halftime. Yeah,....I only see them used if we just absolutely put on a concert on the field and they are mic. Perhaps like a Bayou Classic BOTB's.

Stop giving southern ideas!!!!! :ebrow: :hat: :hat: :hat: :hat: