band & football:friend or foe

[dcpsujag]

interesting conversation on marching bands and their role in college football.

http://insiights.com/band-and-football-friend-or-foe/

[danefan]

Definitely a Friend.

Love having our new marching band at our games.

And lets face it - those schools that have dominant bands actually bring attendance up at football games. How can that be bad?

[NoDak 4 Ever]

I could take or leave it. Halftime doesn't really do much for me although I like the bands interaction during the game.

[McNeese72]

Bands shouldn't be the main attraction of a college football game but they should add to the atmosphere of the game, imo. A McNeese home game wouldn't be the same without all the rituals involving the band.

Doc

[marenlee]

Can't have college football without the band. Without out it, you have too much "Welcome to the Jungle" or "Enter Sandman" or "insert stadium anthem." Every college game should strive to be what the NFL is not. A generic experience.

[Ivytalk]

The Ivy bands are generally creative and fun-loving, to the extent they exist. Except Cornell's. Especially Columbia's ragtag bunch.

[ST_Lawson]

Well, a huge part of the reason that I'm a Leatherneck fan is because I was in the band for 5 years. For me, it's not really college football without a band...that's just part of the whole experience. It's not the only reason that I go to games...I'd still go to a home game if for some reason the band wasn't able to be there...but it is a big part of the reason.

[Smitty]

WCU's marching band is currently the main show only because the football team is bad. I would still say that it is more of a friend though.

[Go Green]

The Ivy bands are generally creative and fun-loving, to the extent they exist. Especially Columbia's ragtag bunch.

Don't tell that to Columbia's football team. They will vote "foe."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/16149229/columbia-band-mocks-football-team-banned-from-playing

[ElCid]

There would be a band at The Citadel with or without football since they are necessary for the Parades, but it is definitely a plus, or would be if they would just play during the games. They hardly ever play spontaneously anymore in the stands. Back in the day, before the control freaks banned Dixie, it would rouse the Corps prior to that critical 3rd down. Or they would do a rousing CHARGE tune. Or the Hawaii 5-0 theme was great for getting everyone fired up during timeouts. Or a number of other songs that people could enjoy. Now they just play some really stupid tunes nobody cares about. They do not normally do a half time show except once a year at Homecoming. There are other bands or attractions that do half time events. Like one of our drill teams did this past weekend. They do play the Alma Mater at the end of the game. Also, I am not sure the band has traveled at all recently for away games. The last time they traveled for football might have been for the 08 Clemson game. They did a pregame concert together with the Clemson band on campus and they also did a half time show with the Clemson Band. Not sure if they will repeat this Fall.

[Tubakat2014]

Well, a huge part of the reason that I'm a Leatherneck fan is because I was in the band for 5 years. For me, it's not really college football without a band...that's just part of the whole experience. It's not the only reason that I go to games...I'd still go to a home game if for some reason the band wasn't able to be there...but it is a big part of the reason.

You nailed it.

As for me, I would have never been a football fan had I not been in marching band in high school. I knew absolutely nothing about football until I was forced to be at the games as a freshman, and I quickly grew to understand and love the game.

Of course I might be a bit biased, as I am majoring in music education and hoping to be a band director pretty soon. The point remains though- marching band makes football fans out of people who otherwise would never set foot into a stadium.

[GoAgs72]

The UC Davis Aggie Band-uh has always been a major attraction at Aggie football and basketball games and are huge supporters of the teams. The football team comes over to the Band-uh and sings the Alma Mater with the Band-uh and high fives individual Band-uh members. When we had the big rain game with Sac State a few years ago when the game was stopped by lightning, the fans who returned to the stadium after the storm to finish the game were about 50 fans and the Band-uh. Too bad with budget cuts, they can't attend all away games as they used to do.

[BEAR]

This one time at band camp....xbowx

[No_Skill]

Are there any colleges/universities that have football but no band?

[Eagle22]

Are there any colleges/universities that have football but no band?

Wofford is one.

Well, I think they have a high school band show up to play the National Anthem, but that is all they've ever played in all the GSU-Wofford games I've been to in Spartanburg.

[Bisonoline]

I think the game would lose some of the college atmosphere without a band. But I rarely watch them as I am using the facilities at the time.

[citdog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vyhfR9BCbc


ESSENTIAL to what is done down there.

My Dad.....Band '62

[ElCid]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vyhfR9BCbc


ESSENTIAL to what is done down there.

My Dad.....Band '62

I love it! A Shako-cam!

[justintyem]

Nothings better then this........... 5TH Quarter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hlBUfEP1N4

[Laker]

Don't tell that to Columbia's football team. They will vote "foe."

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/16149229/columbia-band-mocks-football-team-banned-from-playing

I'm a big fan at having a band at games. And think how famous the Cal football player running over the Stanford trombone player ended up.

But there is no call for what the Columbia band did. They suck.

[melloware13]

Nothings better then this........... 5TH Quarter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hlBUfEP1N4
Delaware has a similar post game show, just not as well documented.

[Skyhawk71]

Jacksonville State has an awesome band, and so does Tennessee State, next week the #1 question that I will have to answer: "Is TSU bringing the band?" There will be people that buy tickets, just to see the Aristocrat of Bands, and that is fine w me- I'm kind of a fan of the Sophisticated Ladies, myself

[melloware13]

Are there any colleges/universities that have football but no band?
W&M and Richmond only have pep bands, from the CAA.
On the other side, Boston University has a marching band, but no football.

[justintyem]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDNYfSiyODQ

[Pard4Life]

The Ivy bands are generally creative and fun-loving, to the extent they exist. Except Cornell's. Especially Columbia's ragtag bunch.


EVEN PENN'S BAND?!?! COME ON IVY TALK YOU KNOW BETTER!!

[Pard4Life]

Bands are great... college football without the band is not college football.

Except the Marching '97 scum... and Princeton... and Penn... otherwise, it's all good.

[ElCid]

Bands are great... college football without the band is not college football.

Except the Marching '97 scum... and Princeton... and Penn... otherwise, it's all good.

Don't get us started on Princeton's band.xrolleyesx

[ngineer]

Marching bands at football games really add to the atmosphere. And were the bands play during timeouts and play back and forth with the other school's band adds to the competitive atmosphere. Most of the Pl schools have gone to 'pep bands' that play in the stands and/or stand in a semi-circle at halftime to play some songs, which is nice, but not the same. Lehigh's Marching 97 tradition goes way back, and as much as some people make fun of them, I sense an underlying jealousy. Having a band that is run by the students, and virtually all non-music majors, performing various moving formations while playing is impressive and with the band marching down the field while spelling out L E H I G H and the drum major cake walking and then throwing and catching the mace is a great tradition that connects the alums with undergrads.

[Twentysix]

I am partial to the University of Chicago Kazoo performance.

[TigerFen]

I think they're friend to Football. They're especially important for the students that are there. The heat forced the band off the field last week and alot of students took that as they're cue to leave. After that, it felt alot quieter and the game had something taken out of it. I still don't get why Band Uniforms are Wool blend and not Cotton or have a short sleeve and pants version.

[DFW HOYA]

The Ivy bands are generally creative and fun-loving, to the extent they exist. Except Cornell's. Especially Columbia's ragtag bunch.

Ivy bands are awful, though I give Harvard's credit for at least some musical ability. Most Ivy bands (save Cornell, which does it right) are more like bad improv comedy troupes walking around with musical instruments.

They are also increasingly irrelevant. Some years ago, when Georgetown played at Columbia, I wondered what the self proclaimed Cleverest Band In The World was coming up with. Maybe some tribute to Washington DC, or Georgetown, or maybe the Patriot League. Instead, a 10 minute incoherent dialogue on the opening of the U.N. General Assembly that was musically inaudible, given that there were less than 20 marching.

[Go Green]

Don't get us started on Princeton's band.xrolleyesx

I had forgotten about that. Princeton had no idea what it was getting into... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lSkyuyhrqQ

[ElCid]

I had forgotten about that. Princeton had no idea what it was getting into... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lSkyuyhrqQ

There was little fracas on campus between the Princeton band and some cadets. And then the "interesting" halftime show. But all was forgiven after they played Dixie when we went up there the next year. This is the kind of stuff that turns into collegiate lore.

[ST_Lawson]

I think they're friend to Football. They're especially important for the students that are there. The heat forced the band off the field last week and alot of students took that as they're cue to leave. After that, it felt alot quieter and the game had something taken out of it. I still don't get why Band Uniforms are Wool blend and not Cotton or have a short sleeve and pants version.

Uniform design and construction is moving away from using wool mostly (outside of cold weather situations). From a blog post about Western's new marching band uniforms (from 2011) (http://wiu.edu/cofac/enews/blog/?p=406):
"The current uniforms are also outdated in design and technology. There have been many improvements to fabric and construction design since the mid 1990s. The current uniforms are wool, and students can easily get overheated when temperatures get high. New fabric combinations and technology allows for much more breathable uniforms, which are much more comfortable for marching and playing."

And if you look at the fabric options on the website of Stanbury Uniforms (http://www.stanbury.com/downloads/Fabric-Options.pdf) (one of the top band uniform companies), they've got options like XTremeDri (a "tech" fabric that wicks away moisture and breathes really well), and the more traditional polyester, or Dacron/Wool blend (for colder weather).

Western's band this year actually wears skin-tight Under Armour shirts (maybe compression, not sure) underneath their uniforms, which I'm sure is much more comfortable than the standard cotton t-shirts that we wore when I was marching. Modern uniforms are actually pretty comfortable up to probably 90 degrees or so.