Why can't SWAC bands get the numbers game right?


THEESwacProphet

THEE SWACs Neighborhood Prophet
2018 Southern University (280 members total) - Distorted Sound, Sound like any other band in the swac, tempo issues, arrangements have lost that "it" factor...
2017 Alcorn (260 total members) - Sloppy execution, horrible phrasing, no trumpets, just loud
2015 JSU ( 310 total members) - Tempo issues, boring field shows, non existent trumpets, not our best arrangements that year, and bad trumpet hangovers..
2012 ASU ( 300 plus members) - Sloppy tubas, depended on being loud and that's it, halftimes were a nightmare compared to recent years.

PVs been the only band to get the big band thing down over the last few years since they've surpassed 250 plus members this year and last compared to others. It seems like in the examples I highlighted, these groups took a step back when the numbers gave us this hype and expectation because of the year prior or what they do with smaller numbers and then sadly the disappointment with the numbers comes when our bands aren't what we thought they would pan out to be. The southern comments are all from what my ears actually heard live last night, just an FYI before any juke says I'm smacking the human jukebox. Seriously though, Why cant we get this right?
 
Because we still follow bandheadism vs teaching fundamentals first and then adding volume. Jsu does have better tone quality and attacks and phrasing lately. Aamu has way better tone quality than everyone but Jsu. No swac band has tonal center except pv, jsu, aamu and uapb on some phrases in what they play. Is what it is. It isn't the students. It's directors. THEY want bandheadism but aren't stressing fundamentals maybe until wind ensemble.
 
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2018 Southern University (280 members total) - Distorted Sound, Sound like any other band in the swac, tempo issues, arrangements have lost that "it" factor...
2017 Alcorn (260 total members) - Sloppy execution, horrible phrasing, no trumpets, just loud
2015 JSU ( 310 total members) - Tempo issues, boring field shows, non existent trumpets, not our best arrangements that year, and bad trumpet hangovers..
2012 ASU ( 300 plus members) - Sloppy tubas, depended on being loud and that's it, halftimes were a nightmare compared to recent years.

PVs been the only band to get the big band thing down over the last few years since they've surpassed 250 plus members this year and last compared to others. It seems like in the examples I highlighted, these groups took a step back when the numbers gave us this hype and expectation because of the year prior or what they do with smaller numbers and then sadly the disappointment with the numbers comes when our bands aren't what we thought they would pan out to be. The southern comments are all from what my ears actually heard live last night, just an FYI before any juke says I'm smacking the human jukebox. Seriously though, Why cant we get this right?

It’s a legit question. I think most of the bands listed haven’t given it enough time honestly. For example Doc’s biggest band was the 86 band at about 220. He didn’t like it due to the challenges a larger band presents so he cut back to 175-180 after 2 or 3 games. Even FAMU in their large days had some tempo issues and I think that’s due to the set up of the band allowing everyone to see the conductor. I like the sound The Jukebox has this year with the larger numbers especially on the non-rap tunes. The arrangements will get better as the season goes on especially once the real tunes start getting played.

Gotta give it time and can’t just write it off after one season or in Dr. Greggs case a couple of games.
 
2018 Southern University (280 members total) - Distorted Sound, Sound like any other band in the swac, tempo issues, arrangements have lost that "it" factor...

I said the same & they thought I was hating.
The old SU is gone. The brass tubas & added woodwinds have them sounding like every other band.
 

This is distorted and sounds like every other SWAC band????? My musical ears must be hearing something completely different than you. Like I've said plenty of times before, worry about your own bands, the Jukebox is in good hands. The sound quality is great and the tuba change gives the band a much darker sound. I wish I would spend time giving this much thought to another school's band. lol
 
The tempo issues were only at the battle of the bands and was most likely due to how the band was set up and lack of visibility with the conductor.
 
Because we still follow bandheadism vs teaching fundamentals first and then adding volume. Jsu does have better tone quality and attacks and phrasing lately. Aamu has way better tone quality than everyone but Jsu. No swac band has tonal center except pv, jsu, aamu and uapb on some phrases in what they play. Is what it is. It isn't the students. It's directors. THEY want bandheadism but aren't stressing fundamentals maybe until wind ensemble.
It's nice to hear refreshing honesty from a neutral party.
 

This is distorted and sounds like every other SWAC band????? My musical ears must be hearing something completely different than you. Like I've said plenty of times before, worry about your own bands, the Jukebox is in good hands. The sound quality is great and the tuba change gives the band a much darker sound. I wish I would spend time giving this much thought to another school's band. lol

This is distorted and sounds like every other SWAC band????? My musical ears must be hearing something completely different than you. Like I've said plenty of times before, worry about your own bands, the Jukebox is in good hands. The sound quality is great and the tuba change gives the band a much darker sound. I wish I would spend time giving this much thought to another school's band. lol

This is distorted and sounds like every other SWAC band????? My musical ears must be hearing something completely different than you. Like I've said plenty of times before, worry about your own bands, the Jukebox is in good hands. The sound quality is great and the tuba change gives the band a much darker sound. I wish I would spend time giving this much thought to another school's band. lol


I was actually at the game, and yes they had some tempo issues at the botb and sometimes during the game. It was cleaned up somewhat in the 5th. My problem with southern this year, and I was sitting beside some southern fans who said the same.., if you closed your eyes and listened to southern band and these arrangements It don't sound like the southern sound that Haymer, Jackson, and Greg's set In the stands at all. Y'all are cleaner outside, but when you all crank trumpets, mellos, trumbones are drowning the lower brass to the point it sounds unbalanced and distorted. I'm not that impressed with arrangements so far this year for a group this size you expect way more, but ill give southern a pass till October when they'll see real competition.
 
I was at the game, and the jukes sound fine EVERYBODY will always have something to say..that's the nature of the beast. But to say unbalance is a joke.. The only unbalance band I have heard is TXSU and people were so quick to say how loud they were etc.. SU does not sound like any band in the SWAC..

The people that make comments are the same people that said the same thing about haymer, now that he is gone, they are saying the same about Taylor. Just leave it alone, as I said in another post, it seems to be the same ole people, IF YOU DONT LIKE THEM, WHY ARE YOU WATCHING CLIPS AND POSTING ABOUT THEM.
 
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I was at the game, and the jukes sound fine EVERYBODY will always have something to say..that's the nature of the beast. But to say unbalance is a joke.. The only unbalance band I have heard is TXSU and people were so quick to say how loud they were etc.. SU does not sound like any band in the SWAC..

The people that make comments are the same people that said the same thing about haymer, now that he is gone, they are saying the same about Taylor. Just leave it alone, as I said in another post, it seems to be the same ole people, IF YOU DONT LIKE THEM, WHY ARE YOU WATCHING CLIPS AND POSTING ABOUT THEM.

Ummm the gym battle is what I am referencing when I am talking about the sound and the balance due to the acoustics. This does not have anything to do with A hate or dislike. That's a typical delusional southern response when truths are starting to be admitted by your own fan base. Don't believe me go ask your fellow southern fans and look at comments made under the southern media pages. I'll be happy to post receipts and evidence for you I guess by your logic southern hating on its on band then. I put my own band up there too so get out your feelings..
 
TxSU clearly is NOT the only unbalanced band in the swac. Only AAMU within their own sound MOSTLY comes close to "balance" if you want to go there. Well, prairie view and JSU have more balance in their sound more often than the others do. Southern was balanced a bit in that gospel song but then they were only playing a soli part and when they opened up it wasn't balanced it was a wall of volume. Now don't be sensitive and think I'm saying they are bad or they suck. Taking the musicality and pairing it WITH what they are playing is just not something swac directors care about (except pv, aamu and jsu). There are some trombone gimmicks here and there from most bands and some terrorist dynamics. The fundamentals I'm talking about come from warm-ups other than j through o and some scales. "We don't have time" ...you have lies. anyway, balance would literally contribute to some sort of tonal center and that didn't happen even in the soli section. Not everyone listening is mesmerized by "they rarely attempt this...oh mpw they're loud after doing it". If we're gonna talk honestly about music above the usual level then do it and don't cry when we do. CAN swac bands play way more balanced and add tone quality? Absolutely. Did you hear TnSt last year? They did it and then some and still managed to be very entertaining. Prairie View, kawntry as they are, would have a sound that is unmatched if they worked on tone quality for a good two weeks between their btones, trumpets and mellos. Their sound would be richer on the field and much less intonation and rough tonguing with different accents within those sections. There would be no band in the swac to match them and only bcu in the meac but bcu cannot "outplay" Prairie View.
 

This is distorted and sounds like every other SWAC band????? My musical ears must be hearing something completely different than you. Like I've said plenty of times before, worry about your own bands, the Jukebox is in good hands. The sound quality is great and the tuba change gives the band a much darker sound. I wish I would spend time giving this much thought to another school's band. lol

What in the dysfunctional hell is going on here number1? In as much as I respect The Juke, why did the band director go ALL the way over to AAMU's side when The Jukes were playing? What's the point, if any? smh
 
I was actually at the game, and yes they had some tempo issues at the botb and sometimes during the game. It was cleaned up somewhat in the 5th. My problem with southern this year, and I was sitting beside some southern fans who said the same.., if you closed your eyes and listened to southern band and these arrangements It don't sound like the southern sound that Haymer, Jackson, and Greg's set In the stands at all. Y'all are cleaner outside, but when you all crank trumpets, mellos, trumbones are drowning the lower brass to the point it sounds unbalanced and distorted. I'm not that impressed with arrangements so far this year for a group this size you expect way more, but ill give southern a pass till October when they'll see real competition.

First, last time I checked, trombones are a lower brass instrument. Also, ain't no way in the world you are listening to the 2018 band and saying the mellos are drowning out the tubas and euphoniums. The trumpets typically have the melody, so you kind of want them to be the dominant section of the band. I'm not going to get into balance and blend with you, but SU sound is just right for me. I guess different folks have different preferences.

When Jackson first took over after Greggs, folks first said that SU didn't sound like the old Greggs bands(like Mr.Jackson wasn't on staff for darn near 14 years before becoming the head director). When Haymer took over, folks said that SU didn't sound like the Jackson bands (like Haymer wasn't on staff for 8 years under Jackson(. Now with Taylor, folks are saying SU don't sound like the Haymer bands( like he wasn't on staff the past 4 years). I've seen these same asinine comments everytime we've changed directors. How the hell arrangement don't sound like SU when Taylor and Simmons (who wrote 90% of the new songs between 2014-2017) were on staff the past 4 years under Haymer? Please tell me how that statement about arrangements makes any sense? Just because they are a Southern fan doesn't mean they know about music and know what they are talking about.
 
What in the dysfunctional hell is going on here number1? In as much as I respect The Juke, why did the band director go ALL the way over to AAMU's side when The Jukes were playing? What's the point, if any? smh
Just having fun, folks are so uptight these days. lol
 
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I was at the game, and the jukes sound fine EVERYBODY will always have something to say..that's the nature of the beast. But to say unbalance is a joke.. The only unbalance band I have heard is TXSU and people were so quick to say how loud they were etc.. SU does not sound like any band in the SWAC..

The people that make comments are the same people that said the same thing about haymer, now that he is gone, they are saying the same about Taylor. Just leave it alone, as I said in another post, it seems to be the same ole people, IF YOU DONT LIKE THEM, WHY ARE YOU WATCHING CLIPS AND POSTING ABOUT THEM.


Exactly, I promise you I can count on one hand the number of clips I've watched of other bands. lol

Everyone wants to scrutinize every facet of our band, but ignore the many faults of their own bands. Let's see how "musical" JSU is when they march into Mumford and set up in that corner.
 
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Exactly, I promise you I can count on one hand the number of clips I've watched of other bands. lol

Everyone wants to scrutinize every facet of our band, but ignore the many faults of their own bands. Let's see how "musical" JSU is when they march into Mumford and set up in that corner.

Fine tune your sensory apparatus for the quintessence of contemporary sounds! This will be a Music Appreciation class, please sign up for 3 semester credit hours. Southern, this will be "In Service Training" for your Band Directors, please inform your Band Directors to bring their note pads, cell phones, cameras and/or iPads to take notes on the Sonic Boom's superior melodiousness.
 
Fine tune your sensory apparatus for the quintessence of contemporary sounds! This will be a Music Appreciation class, please sign up for 3 semester credit hours. Southern, this will be "In Service Training" for your Band Directors, please inform your Band Directors to bring their note pads, cell phones, cameras and/or iPads to take notes on the Sonic Boom's superior melodiousness.

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Southern fans have a hard time with constructive criticism lol. They the most sensitive fan base when it comes to their band, which I’m sure everyone understands because we all love our bands. But damn, folks can’t even give an opinion without them gettin all flustered and shit lmao.

I’m trying to see who doesn’t give their opinions on their’s and everyone else’s band. I thought the whole purpose of band was entertainment, in which comes criticism of course whether constructive or negative. Just because y’all think your band is perfect or number one doesn’t necessarily mean everyone else views it the same. That include us JSU folks and Thee Boom. I’m sure y’all got opinions on the Boom that we probably wouldn’t agree with. The shit is what it is lol.
 
Just having fun, folks are so uptight these days. lol

Fire prevention vs fire fighting. Which is more intelligent?

That didn't look like "fun" but rather looked like taunting. I guess that's why security was near him on his walk back to his side of the stadium? ::thumbsdown::
 
Southern fans have a hard time with constructive criticism lol. They the most sensitive fan base when it comes to their band, which I’m sure everyone understands because we all love our bands. But damn, folks can’t even give an opinion without them gettin all flustered and shit lmao.

I’m trying to see who doesn’t give their opinions on their’s and everyone else’s band. I thought the whole purpose of band was entertainment, in which comes criticism of course whether constructive or negative. Just because y’all think your band is perfect or number one doesn’t necessarily mean everyone else views it the same. That include us JSU folks and Thee Boom. I’m sure y’all got opinions on the Boom that we probably wouldn’t agree with. The shit is what it is lol.

I wouldn’t say we sensitive. We just don’t appreciate unqualified outsiders two cents about THJ! It’s kind of like someone without a law degree giving advice to a lawyer!! Southern continues to smash these bands.
 
I wouldn’t say we sensitive. We just don’t appreciate unqualified outsiders two cents about THJ! It’s kind of like someone without a law degree giving advice to a lawyer!! Southern continues to smash these bands.

Do you understand how idiotic you sound? Lol. It’s band folks talking about band shit. With your logic, you ain’t able to critique a band unless you’re a band director, which I doubt most of y’all are. Y’all the most imaginary minded people I ever seen bruh. Lmao
 
Do you understand how idiotic you sound? Lol. It’s band folks talking about band shit. With your logic, you ain’t able to critique a band unless you’re a band director, which I doubt most of y’all are. Y’all the most imaginary minded people I ever seen bruh. Lmao

lol it was a joke.
 
Fire prevention vs fire fighting. Which is more intelligent?

That didn't look like "fun" but rather looked like taunting. I guess that's why security was near him on his walk back to his side of the stadium? ::thumbsdown::
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Southern fans have a hard time with constructive criticism lol. They the most sensitive fan base when it comes to their band, which I’m sure everyone understands because we all love our bands. But damn, folks can’t even give an opinion without them gettin all flustered and shit lmao.

I’m trying to see who doesn’t give their opinions on their’s and everyone else’s band. I thought the whole purpose of band was entertainment, in which comes criticism of course whether constructive or negative. Just because y’all think your band is perfect or number one doesn’t necessarily mean everyone else views it the same. That include us JSU folks and Thee Boom. I’m sure y’all got opinions on the Boom that we probably wouldn’t agree with. The shit is what it is lol.
So answering some comments is considered sensitive? I'm still waiting on someone to explain how woodwinds (which we've had a large number of since 2006) suddenly make us sound like "every other band" or how changing to brass tubas (knowing nearly all of you criticized the old fiberglass sound) is somehow a bad thing. Since we're having a musical discussion, I'm really trying to understand these statements.
 
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