To All Marching Bands:


Prof K

Prof K

Active Member
Why don't marching bands play marches during the precision drill anymore??? Call me old fashoned but I LIKE TO HEAR MARCHES!!!!! During this season, I've seen some bands but not all. None played a march during the precision drill. :shame: When a band plays a march for the drill it adds a different element to the show that some people look for, besides my self. To me it raises my respect level when a band plays a march to a drill. Why have we gotten away from our musical marching band roots??? Why do we drill to the same drill songs like In The Stone, Let's Groove, Love Is the Key, Before I Let Go, and others. I LOVE EWF and oldies as much as the next guy but why not an occasional march?? If we call our selves MARCHING BANDS WHY DONT WE MARCH TO MARCHES?????
 
FAMU does that well. :tup:


BTW...Legend is going to enjoy responding to this! This is right up his alley! :wavey:
 



In all honesty if I wanted to hear a march on the field I would go listen to one of the very good millitary bands around the area where I grew up or I would go to a Texas A&M game.

I'm not knockin the idea if thats what your band does but personaly I feel like there are already bands that do that. You aren't really displaying another level but displaying another style which honestly the majority of the audience will not appreciate.

I like to hear a march too but I think it is selfish to do that for the enjoyment of just a handful of audience members that can appreciate it.
 
SLT said:
FAMU does that well. :tup:
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Yeah, they do but they only play half the march(Storm and Sunshine). I guess half is better than no march at all!!!!

SLT said:
BTW...Legend is going to enjoy responding to this! This is right up his alley! :wavey:
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This is right up my alley too!!!!
 
Prof K said:
Yeah, they do but they only play half the march(Storm and Sunshine). I guess half is better than no march at all!!!!

This is right up my alley too!!!!
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They are still playing Storm and Sunshine?

They were playing that when I was there. :shh:
 
BLAQUE PRINCE said:
In all honesty if I wanted to hear a march on the field I would go listen to one of the very good millitary bands around the area where I grew up or I would go to a Texas A&M game.

I'm not knockin the idea if thats what your band does but personaly I feel like there are already bands that do that. You aren't really displaying another level but displaying another style which honestly the majority of the audience will not appreciate.

I like to hear a march too but I think it is selfish to do that for the enjoyment of just a handful of audience members that can appreciate it.
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I don't think thats selfish at all!!!!! Why should I have to go to a white college game to hear a decent march on the field when we have some of the most talented musicians already in our HBCUs??? Music is colorless!!!! Music and marches go beyond the color barrier!!!!!!!!!! Playing a march on the field DOES raise the musicianship of the overall show. We are declaring that we are MUSICIANS, not just a shake your azz band like some bands do even before they get on the field!!!! We expose the audience to music that they are not used to hearing off a blaring radio station playing the latest rap/r&b tune. We are supposed to expose young and old to marches because they are classic and they are outside the "norm". Why say that they wouldn't appreciate it if it doesn't get any croud response??? I've been in stadiums where the r&b didn't get any croud response. Silence isn't always negative. Just give it a chance, you might be pleasenly suprised!!!
 
Prof K said:
I don't think thats selfish at all!!!!! Why should I have to go to a white college game to hear a decent march on the field when we have some of the most talented musicians already in our HBCUs??? Playing a march on the field DOES raise the musicianship of the overall show. We are declaring that we are MUSICIANS, not just a shake your azz band like some bands do even before they get on the field!!!! We expose the audience to music that they are not used to hearing off a blaring radio station playing the latest rap/r&b tune. We are supposed to expose young and old to marches because they are classic and they are outside the "norm". Why say that they wouldn't appreciate it if it doesn't get any croud response??? always negative.
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:tup:
 
SLT said:
They are still playing Storm and Sunshine?

They were playing that when I was there. :shh:
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Yes they are still playing Stom and Sunshine but I haven't seen them do it for a drill in a while, but I dont see FAMU everyday either. You went to FAM?
 
Prof K said:
Yes they are still playing Stom and Sunshine but I haven't seen them do it for a drill in a while, but I dont see FAMU everyday either. You went to FAM?
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I graduated and played in the band at JSU/'81-'84.

I just remember them playing In The Storm and Sunshine while drilling when we played them in Tallahassee . They did a good job. :tup:
 
SLT said:
I graduated and played in the band at JSU/'81-'84.

I just remember them playing In The Storm and Sunshine while drilling. They did a good job. :tup:
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They do a good job but I cant name anybody else as of recently. Can you?
 
Prof K said:
I don't think thats selfish at all!!!!! Why should I have to go to a white college game to hear a decent march on the field when we have some of the most talented musicians already in our HBCUs??? Music is colorless!!!! Music and marches go beyond the color barrier!!!!!!!!!! Playing a march on the field DOES raise the musicianship of the overall show. We are declaring that we are MUSICIANS, not just a shake your azz band like some bands do even before they get on the field!!!! We expose the audience to music that they are not used to hearing off a blaring radio station playing the latest rap/r&b tune. We are supposed to expose young and old to marches because they are classic and they are outside the "norm". Why say that they wouldn't appreciate it if it doesn't get any croud response??? I've been in stadiums where the r&b didn't get any croud response. Silence isn't always negative. Just give it a chance, you might be pleasenly suprised!!!
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:jump: :jump: :jump: :bowdown: Looks like you said the things that concerns me. :tup: You know I'm old skool.
You know, sometimes we think too much alike. What are we a regular Ellington & strayhorne(sp)????

I thought we were in the business of educating the people. I thought we were to expose them to things they wouldn't get outside college. A drill to a march is a requirement for marching bands and as for me and my house,... I will play just as many drills as Jackson State plays. :nod: :tup:
I tell you ,...we keep this crap up and I really feel for the next generation. The arts are in serious trouble if we don't enlighten and expose the next generation of musicians to music history.
 



Legend35 said:
:wavey: You know me too well. ;)

Secret Service whispering,..."legend is moving"
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Big Brother is still watching huh??? Well, for the moment the heat is off me, as long as I keep behaving and stop hanging around certain people!!!
 
Prof K said:
Big Brother is still watching huh??? Well, for the moment the heat is off me, as long as I keep behaving and stop hanging around certain people!!!
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:lol: Bob and Weave Prof...Bob and Weave!
 
Prof K said:
I don't think thats selfish at all!!!!! Why should I have to go to a white college game to hear a decent march on the field when we have some of the most talented musicians already in our HBCUs??? Music is colorless!!!! Music and marches go beyond the color barrier!!!!!!!!!! Playing a march on the field DOES raise the musicianship of the overall show. We are declaring that we are MUSICIANS, not just a shake your azz band like some bands do even before they get on the field!!!! We expose the audience to music that they are not used to hearing off a blaring radio station playing the latest rap/r&b tune. We are supposed to expose young and old to marches because they are classic and they are outside the "norm". Why say that they wouldn't appreciate it if it doesn't get any croud response??? I've been in stadiums where the r&b didn't get any croud response. Silence isn't always negative. Just give it a chance, you might be pleasenly suprised!!!
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Where did you see me say anything about white bands. I said millitary. 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. :rolleyes: 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.

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

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. :rolleyes: 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.
 
Grambling attempts to play marches during drills. I've seen tape of FAMU do it. I don't think it's necessary. I DO think if it's something you're really gonna BLOW THE BRAKES OFF OF then do it. But if not, don't make me yawn at the game, geez. Now if I see a band play The Melody Shop on a drill, or Rolling Thunder or Lassus Trombone (sheeeed to play Lassus Trombone I'd march again. High F's E'RYFRIGGINWHERE!!!!!) then I'd be impressed but if it isn't the first two....blah. :vomit:
 
The one thing that I do miss that all Swac bands use to do was playing marches as warm up music prior to the game starting(while the teams where warming up and fans coming into the stadium). The stadium would be filled with all the classics and the atmosphere was just wonderful.
 
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.
 
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