Disappointed in the Band

[Dogfrog]

Embarrassing for who?

Seems he’s highly embarrassed because one of the 200 Cal visitors ragged on our band.

 

[What Up Toad]

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.

I know they've had players from TCC come in to be a part of the marching band, but it's never been very many.

 

[What Up Toad]

Here's the deal-io

"The band" just like "the football team" is made up of students. Students who have to practice to even make what little they do presentable. And what princely sum do the students who comprise "the band" get for all the hours the put in? The last Steel knew the amount it was $5,000/year. In other words, virtually nothing. In fact, they should just go ahead and make it nothing since $5,000 off of 60 grand is almost an insult.

So, yes, would it be nice if they could "put in" a whole bunch of more songs and marching formations etc for this one event? Sure. Is it practical, or good for "the band"? Hell no.

Their primary job as Steel sees it is making a lot of noise in the stands and helping to keep the energy u[p etc. they do that very well

This is a relatively recent deal to pay band members too. When I was there, they didn't pay band members anything.

I'd read a while ago that the average school has about 1 band member for every 100 students, so TCU's band should be about 80 people. I believe the band is currently around 200 people, so much more than we "should" have.

Check out SMU's band to get an idea of how fortunate we are to have what we have.

 

[Aircav07]

They have also required any Music Majors that are on any type of music scholarship to be in the marching band for 2-3 years to help with numbers. Can’t create more people coming to a small private school.

Also, the percussion studio is one of the best in the country. So! Many! Kids! That’s part of the reason there are so many “xylophones” on the sidelines.

To the other point of high school marching band kids, if you’ve noticed, corps style is pretty much all high school marching bands do. Since Music Education is the most common degree path, being part of a Corps style band helps in their future band director lives.

 

[steelfrog]

This is a relatively recent deal to pay band members too. When I was there, they didn't pay band members anything.

I'd read a while ago that the average school has about 1 band member for every 100 students, so TCU's band should be about 80 people. I believe the band is currently around 200 people, so much more than we "should" have.

Check out SMU's band to get an idea of how fortunate we are to have what we have.

That band is truly sad.

Especially bad when they play North Texas, and University of North Texas brings their enormous band down; it's worth goin just to watch that half time show dichotomy

 

[Dogfrog]

Guess I always wondered why we don’t just stop marching and just feature the showgirls. Find about 20 of our very best musicians, mike them up on a bandstand somewhere. Stop the piped in music.

 

[TopFrog]

We win a tough game and get a band sucks thread. Haha. This board.

 

[Froginbedford]

Seems he’s highly embarrassed because one of the 200 Cal visitors ragged on our band.

Off topic a bit, but those "200" Cal visitors sure made noise like they were 2,000

 

[Froginbedford]

I know they've had players from TCC come in to be a part of the marching band, but it's never been very many.

Also from UTA....

 

[tyler durden]

Do it right, or give up like Rice, MOB-style. Our uniforms basically look like a high school, really no different than Paschal’s. In fact, sat with a guy who was in the Paschal marching band and he said our band is pathetic. Said a lot of the formations are sloppy, the music is poorly played, etc. I’m no band expert, but I know it seems like a great time to take a piss and grab a beer.

 

[Froginbedford]

That band is truly sad.

Especially bad when they play North Texas, and University of North Texas brings their enormous band down; it's worth goin just to watch that half time show dichotomy

22,000 enrollment at University of North Texas...compared to 10,000 TCU....University of North Texas band should be proportionately larger....

 

[Froginbedford]

Here's the deal-io

"The band" just like "the football team" is made up of students. Students who have to practice to even make what little they do presentable. And what princely sum do the students who comprise "the band" get for all the hours the put in? The last Steel knew the amount it was $5,000/year. In other words, virtually nothing. In fact, they should just go ahead and make it nothing since $5,000 off of 60 grand is almost an insult.

So, yes, would it be nice if they could "put in" a whole bunch of more songs and marching formations etc for this one event? Sure. Is it practical, or good for "the band"? Hell no.

Their primary job as Steel sees it is making a lot of noise in the stands and helping to keep the energy u[p etc. they do that very well

Max Duggan gave the band the game ball yesterday....

 

[Pharm Frog]

22,000 enrollment at University of North Texas...compared to 10,000 TCU....University of North Texas band should be proportionately larger....

Also North Texas is a far superior school when it comes to studying music. Probably in the Top 20 or so in the country and certainly one of the best among public schools.

 

[Pharm Frog]

Max Duggan gave the band the game ball yesterday....

That wasn't intentional. Some of his deep throws ended up in the band.

 

[PurplFrawg]

Especially bad when they play North Texas, and University of North Texas brings their enormous band down; it's worth goin just to watch that half time show dichotomy

Except that University of North Texas has only played in Amon Carter stadjium twice...in 1999 and 2002. Maybe you were thinking of the Aggies?

 

[PurplFrawg]

Also North Texas is a far superior school when it comes to studying music. Probably in the Top 20 or so in the country and certainly one of the best among public schools.

Curt Wilson studied there...then went on to arrange the popular "Deep in the Heart of Texas" clap..clap..clap

 

[steelfrog]

Except that University of North Texas has only played in Amon Carter stadjium twice...in 1999 and 2002. Maybe you were thinking of the Aggies?

Follow along would ya!

We are talking now about the undeniable pathetic-ness of the SMU band, which is prolly half the size even of TCU's band; and University of North Texas played there yesterday and a couple years ago, so one could witness the embarrassing disparity

 

[SoonerFrogs]

Where’s Sam?

 

[Planks]

The TCU band is always going to be limited due to the size of the band. Schools like Texas get to have actual tryouts for their band, so they get a band as large as they want, with the best players, and with the instrumentation (Brass) they want. TCU is stuck with a small band composed of whoever happens to shows up.

The size of TCU’s band is negatively affected by a number of factors:

1. Enrollment. TCU has an enrollment smaller than most all other P5 school

2. Greek Life. TCU has a extremely high participation in Greek life (40-50%). Which is good as it allows more students to participate in Greek life, but there is virtually no membership overlap between Greek life and Band, which means there is now that there is now 50% less of the student body that would potentially choose to join the band

3. Private high schools. TCU has a high percentage of students who went to private high schools that didn’t have marching bands. So those students are less likely to join marching band in college.

 

[What Up Toad]

Do it right, or give up like Rice, MOB-style. Our uniforms basically look like a high school, really no different than Paschal’s. In fact, sat with a guy who was in the Paschal marching band and he said our band is pathetic. Said a lot of the formations are sloppy, the music is poorly played, etc. I’m no band expert, but I know it seems like a great time to take a piss and grab a beer.

High school marching bands spend about 12-20 hours a week practicing, depending on how good the program is.

Our band practices about 6 hours a week, and is comprised of music majors who are forced to participate (but don't want to be there) and essentially high school caliber musicians who treat the marching band as a pseudo fraternity/sorority.

Ohio State's band requires that everyone audition for the band, and expects them to practice 20-30 hours a week. It'd be nice if you could find 200 kids who were willing to take up essentially a part time job to be in the marching band, but I don't think that's a reasonable expectation.