Disappointed in the Band

[Brevity Frog]

I’ve held off for years but today took the cake.

I don’t like our band. I like their spirit and enthusiasm but not their sound or size or uniforms or performances.

There is no place for an “orchestral” band in college football. The brass section needs to be 50% larger, at least. Keep the flute section if you want. But actually hearing the flute section is ridiculous.

The uniforms are awful. Burn them. Go with a western style uniform.

Our marching isn’t great. Wear white shoes and march well enough to earn the right to wear white shoes.

The straw that broke this camel’s back was the performance today. Blase. Pedestrian. Apathetic. And NOT PATRIOTIC.

What is the matter here? It’s the 20th anniversary of 9/11, our flags are at half mast, there is no other band there. The band could’ve done an extended performance, a moving patriotic tribute to our country, but no, they played some garbage routine to the student section and walked off.

Our band is embarrassing. We need to start over. New leadership, philosophy, uniforms, and sense of purpose.

 

[HFrog1999]

Username doesn’t check out

 

[Westsider]

Oh good grief

 

[Brevity Frog]

Username doesn’t check out

i know. Had to be done.

 

[Brevity Frog]

Pr

Oh good grief

Pretty much what the Cal people by me thought when we played some stupid crap instead of something patriotic.

 

[Opintel]

How do you really feel?

 

[HFrog1999]

My friend’s daughter is in the band. He came over to the West side to see the performance last week and they performed to the East Side.


What’s up with that? I thought they performed to the Home Side

 

[StealthFrog]

How dare you criticize the Pride of TCU

If you can’t appreciate Deep in the Heart of Texas jazzy style or God Bless Texas then you have no clue what a good college band performance is. The only complaint I have is that we need more hand bells…..we are a church school after all.

 

[BrewingFrog]

The points Brevity brings up have been heard before. The TCU Band needs to bump up the brass. The issue is, we simply don't have enough players to do so. We'd have to literally let non-students in, or part-time students, just to fill out the ranks. That's not anything shocking, other Bands do the same thing. TCU so far hasn't seen the need. After all, there's that giant sound system and video screen blaring commercials and "Kiss-Cam" during frequent play stoppages. The Band is pretty danged superfluous in these sad times...

As to musical selection, show design, which side do you play to, etc., these matters are decided by the Band Director and Assistant Director. Both of these people are very likely cloistered musicians with little thought given to the larger issues commanding the day.

 

[Putt4Purple]

I’ve held off for years but today took the cake.

I don’t like our band. I like their spirit and enthusiasm but not their sound or size or uniforms or performances.

There is no place for an “orchestral” band in college football. The brass section needs to be 50% larger, at least. Keep the flute section if you want. But actually hearing the flute section is ridiculous.

The uniforms are awful. Burn them. Go with a western style uniform.

Our marching isn’t great. Wear white shoes and march well enough to earn the right to wear white shoes.

The straw that broke this camel’s back was the performance today. Blase. Pedestrian. Apathetic. And NOT PATRIOTIC.

What is the matter here? It’s the 20th anniversary of 9/11, our flags are at half mast, there is no other band there. The band could’ve done an extended performance, a moving patriotic tribute to our country, but no, they played some garbage routine to the student section and walked off.

Our band is embarrassing. We need to start over. New leadership, philosophy, uniforms, and sense of purpose.

You are not the first person to complain about the band. I have sent off a couple of complaints about this throughout the years with no results being seen.
I've heard the band is under a different budget other than the athletic department which is where it should be. Tight purse strings is why we will never see any band changes. Yes. Sad and pathetic for years to come I'm afraid.

 

[FrogAbroad]

Is there any real need for a marching band?

 

[Peacefrog]

TCU has a marching band? Not many things I could care less about.

 

[PurplFrawg]

The issue is, we simply don't have enough players to do so. We'd have to literally let non-students in, or part-time students, just to fill out the ranks.

Brevity is 100% spot on. And the band has had "cross town agreements" with other schools for ROTC and the marching band. My daughter played in the band when she was enrolled at TCJC, and other friends' kids played when they were enrolled at Wesleyan. We haven't had a marching band (you know, one that plays marches and marches in straight lines) for years...we have a drum corps that wanders all over the field, exploring the nuances of pianissimo. They never fail to disappoint. And yes, I was a music major and played in the band for all 4 years I was there. It was a wonderful experience, but then, it was also a marching band with a director who "got it."

 

[HFrog1999]

I heard we weren’t invited to the PAC because we weren’t willing to make the necessary changes to our band

 

[Big Frog II]

All the above is correct. Take a look at Big 10 bands. They march. I don't blame the band members, but I blame the band director. No marching band should wheel on the side of the stadium a bunch of percussion instruments. The music selection sucks, and why does anyone think a jazzy version of Deep in the Heart of Texas is a good thing? We need to go up and hire a band director from a Big 10 school. One that knows how to march. On a positive note, we do have a new band announcer. Thank the Lord.

 

[namollec]

our flags are at half mast,

"Mast" is at sea.
"half staff" is on land / on a flagpole.

Our flags were at half staff.

 

[HFrog1999]

All the above is correct. Take a look at Big 10 bands. They march. I don't blame the band members, but I blame the band director. No marching band should wheel on the side of the stadium a bunch of percussion instruments. The music selection sucks, and why does anyone think a jazzy version of Deep in the Heart of Texas is a good thing? We need to go up and hire a band director from a Big 10 school. One that knows how to march. On a positive note, we do have a new band announcer. Thank the Lord.

 

[Putt4Purple]

All the above is correct. Take a look at Big 10 bands. They march. I don't blame the band members, but I blame the band director. No marching band should wheel on the side of the stadium a bunch of percussion instruments. The music selection sucks, and why does anyone think a jazzy version of Deep in the Heart of Texas is a good thing? We need to go up and hire a band director from a Big 10 school. One that knows how to march. On a positive note, we do have a new band announcer. Thank the Lord.

Not arguing your points but it's all mute if TCU is not willing to make changes. The school has not wanted to make Budget or Director changes therefore it will not happen! Apparently a very low priority for the school. Sad!

 

[The Artist Formerly Known as PhormerPhrog]

Is there any real need for a marching band?

We should just hire those we dem boyz guys to be our hype men.

 

[The Artist Formerly Known as PhormerPhrog]

I could barely hear the band play the anthem as I entered the stadjium. What's up with that? I could hear them playing but had no clue it was the anthem until the lady who just scanned my tickets got chewed out by a supervisor for letting people in while the anthem was playing. I came to her defense and told the guy I had no idea that's what they were playing. Is there not a field mic?