So most people are bummed that we wonât have a marching band right away. There have been suggestions of funding drives specifically for it, or comprimising by having just a drumline to start⌠But, the school seems pretty adamant that the funding is not there for this at the beginning. Here is a thought I had while at a local Labor Day parade this weekend.
Letâs get the local high schools involved. We want to reach out to the community and we want a marching band. While a high school marching band will not be quite as impressive as a college one, it sure beats nothing. Until we have a band of our own, letâs invite local high school bands to be our band of the week. I realize some bands are in competitions on the weekends, but we are sure to find someone for each of our home games. The added benefit is we are involving the community. This is going to get their parents to come out and watch them and the game and probably grow a few more Niner fans. After performing in one game, they may want to come back through the season for more games. Not to mention, it could get some students to want to attend Charlotte and give us a base for when we do have a band. Plus, involving the community like this could really get the attention of the press and give us something more to push for game days.
This has been mentioned before but itâs still a great idea. Iâve heard people at the University discuss it as well. I think it makes since to let the bands play and even give them a few concession stands to help operate so they can fund raise like groups do for our basketball games.
The other two things would be our pep band in the stadium, just not marching with slightly expanded size or a student run band similar to what UVAs was.
Iâm more in favor of our own big pep band that we slowly build into a real marching band over time. Start with match warmups and t-shirts then work our way to full uniforms and marching sets. Iâm more in favor of this because it leads to our own band traditions. The songs we play at certain moments, for example. Bringing in other bands means weâre going to use THEIRS.
The HS bands would be a great thing, but please give them shirts to wear, we donât need a baby blue band taking up a corner of our stadium. And they HAVE TO be able to play our fight song.
The student formed band would arguably be the best route until the U gets enough funds to start one. I still donât understand how we wonât have a band. I just donât.
[quote=âJ Felt, post:6, topic:25668â]Iâm more in favor of our own big pep band that we slowly build into a real marching band over time. Start with match warmups and t-shirts then work our way to full uniforms and marching sets. Iâm more in favor of this because it leads to our own band traditions. The songs we play at certain moments, for example. Bringing in other bands means weâre going to use THEIRS.
The HS bands would be a great thing, but please give them shirts to wear, we donât need a baby blue band taking up a corner of our stadium. And they HAVE TO be able to play our fight song.
The student formed band would arguably be the best route until the U gets enough funds to start one. I still donât understand how we wonât have a band. I just donât.[/quote]
I like this, starting traditions will be very improtant.
How about âborrowingâ certain sections of local HS marching bands to supplement our band at first.
We still have time to get something together as far as a band between now and 2013. It may take another grass roots effort though.
I would not be surprised to see local high school students involved with if not most of the band early on. Wake Forest does one game every year with local high school bands performing along side their student band so Lambert has seen this personally.
I think it makes sense to take the pep band as your core and add high school band members to at least form a sizable band. They donât even have to march really just be there playing the fight song when we score and some other recognizable songs for entertainment. Obviously you would hope to gradually fade out the high school students but in the mean time you would expose high school students and (more importantly like Felt said) likely their parents to their local university. I think it could be a win win situation for both the high school students and the university.
[quote=âJ Felt, post:6, topic:25668â]Iâm more in favor of our own big pep band that we slowly build into a real marching band over time. Start with match warmups and t-shirts then work our way to full uniforms and marching sets. Iâm more in favor of this because it leads to our own band traditions. The songs we play at certain moments, for example. Bringing in other bands means weâre going to use THEIRS.
The HS bands would be a great thing, but please give them shirts to wear, we donât need a baby blue band taking up a corner of our stadium. And they HAVE TO be able to play our fight song.
The student formed band would arguably be the best route until the U gets enough funds to start one. I still donât understand how we wonât have a band. I just donât.[/quote]
Why not do both? Have our pep band play our fight song. Please do not require the visiting band to play our fight song or you will limit the number of bands to play at our games. Donât put the burden of learning a new song on a band that might otherwise jump at the chance to play. (Bands have their own repertoire and would find it inconvenient to learn another song.)
I think you overestimate the complexity of our fight song. Learning a new song in HS wasnât a big deal.[/quote]
Agreed. We brought in new songs every other week for our band and that was on top of our marching show. Pep band songs like fight songs, smoke on the water, the hey song, play that funky music, etc. are all extremely easy to learn⌠even for sight reading, the night of the game.
I think you overestimate the complexity of our fight song. Learning a new song in HS wasnât a big deal.[/quote]
Agreed. We brought in new songs every other week for our band and that was on top of our marching show. Pep band songs like fight songs, smoke on the water, the hey song, play that funky music, etc. are all extremely easy to learn⌠even for sight reading, the night of the game.[/quote]
And thatâs saying something, considering what a total waste of space the band director was. (at least when I graduated)
Todd Shittington? oh yeah, he went through 4 from my family all the way up till 2 years ago when that bastard left. We went from state championship caliber to nothing in his stint at Northwest.
We should do a scottish band. All they would need are kilts, sporrans, glengarry caps, kilt belt and the proper shoes and hose. They could wear 49er polo shirts in the early Fall and longsleeve 49er shirts in winter.
Youâd only need about 4 bagpipers. Everyone else would play regular instruments.
If we go the high school band route, please choose bands that are large, good, LOUD, and ones that donât play elevator music during the game and at halftime. Iâm at a high school football game every week, and some of the music that these band directors have the kids playing makes me want to puke. They are supposed to play marching band music, not an ensemble medley. Most seem to be choosing music for some kind of dramatic band-off performance instead of music that entertains the fans or fires up the team. Jeez. What Iâm getting at is that the bands need to somehow be screened before they are invited. I donât really care what style, just uptempo, good, and LOUD. Bring it!!!
From what I have been told⌠The main plan right now is to recruit more members for the Pep Band over the next couple years and then start out with a giant pep band in the stands with no marching show.
The main issues with costs come from having to buy marching drums (bass drums, snares, tenors, cymbals and maybe pit instruments) and sousaphones.
Which is a lame excuse because Iâm sure we can find a nearby Univsersity or drum corps that is getting some new gear⌠I bet they would love to sell (maybe even donate) their old gear to us.
[quote=âShaGGy, post:17, topic:25668â]From what I have been told⌠The main plan right now is to recruit more members for the Pep Band over the next couple years and then start out with a giant pep band in the stands with no marching show.
The main issues with costs come from having to buy marching drums (bass drums, snares, tenors, cymbals and maybe pit instruments) and sousaphones.
Which is a lame excuse because Iâm sure we can find a nearby Univsersity or drum corps that is getting some new gear⌠I bet they would love to sell (maybe even donate) their old gear to us.[/quote]
Do you know if theyâre hiring the âMarching Bandâ director now too? I know our current Pep Band director is on his way out.
