ShadowFrog
Moderators
Seems controversy has simmered down the past few years. Thoughts?
Players report this week, time for the annual....Band thread
- Thread starter ShadowFrog
- Start date
I bet they play Deep in the Heart of Texas.
Tumbleweed
Active Member
Remember in the good old days when you could play anything you wanted? Now it takes two - three months to obtain permission just to play a song ........
West Coast Johnny
Full Member
Can one of you millionaires put up some money for band scholarships please? We need more tubas and brass to keep up with the band arms race.
Limp Lizard
Full Member
Although it is nice to have a good band for football games I am fine with the music department concentrating their expenditures in other areas. In fact I am against cannibalizing choral, piano, orchestral and vocal instruction just to look good on game day.
BleedNPurple
Active Member
We can do a UT and load up on alums.
The only music complaint I have is about the music the athletic department blares out of the speakers. They do not need to have music, dance music, rap music, reporters, advertisements, etc. playing at all times. Allow the band to play music (take the band off of the speakers though).
Also... can we get a "Go...Frogs" cheer going sometime? The cheerleaders need to do some actual cheer leading, and get the fans engaged.
Also... can we get a "Go...Frogs" cheer going sometime? The cheerleaders need to do some actual cheer leading, and get the fans engaged.
WIN
Active Member
Just pipe in extra brass on the PA system. Just need a good mixer.
Big Frog II
Active Member
The band has been getting larger. I do wish they would get more brass. That would make them sound louder. Also, let's march. I don't want to look like the area high school bands that have "themes" and play music no one has heard of. It may win band competitions, but it reeks.
Tumbleweed
Active Member
In 1962, TCU Band Director Jim Jacobson* took two bus loads to Austin. That's around 100 to 105 kids. Off loaded the bus and started to run thru the show for half time. The arrogant UT fans walked by and said things like,... is that the TCU band....? Sure is small, etc.... How are we going to hear that dinky sized band?..... ..Hell, we were small and Jim felt the wind go away from his band. He gathered everyone ......'Bring it in people. He quietly said, 'you heard those people making fun of us and I know how you must feel. So, this is what we're going to do. We're going to do the exact routine for half time now, except half of you are going to play for the run thru, the other half act like your playing.' Dear Lord we did sound like a Jr High band, really bad. We bought into Jim's idea on the practice run-thru and got even more hoot and hollers from fans going into the stadium.
At half time we're about to go on and Jim said to us, 'Now people...blow, blow like you've never blown before. We'll show them just how good TCU band is.' With Spinning-Flat-Jack base drums spinning away, TCU started its half time show. Talk about feeling 15 feet off the ground we've never felt so empowered,.... so proud to be a Frog.
Before we knew it, the program finished. In those days we were known for intricate marching programs. Very difficult to count steps, walk backwards, and side way in straight lines, know field location and play at the same time. .......
When we walked off the field, they gave the TCU Band a standing ovation, those arrogant UT fans. .......The great Longhorn band had to wait until the crowd settled down before they could go on. (how about that)
So, that's the story of how the little TCU Horned Frog Band got the best of Texas that day. And that is exactly the way it happened.
Side Note: the texas band in those days was about 165-180 members. Texas had a base drum so big it had its own cart to move it around.
*the best band director TCU ever had
At half time we're about to go on and Jim said to us, 'Now people...blow, blow like you've never blown before. We'll show them just how good TCU band is.' With Spinning-Flat-Jack base drums spinning away, TCU started its half time show. Talk about feeling 15 feet off the ground we've never felt so empowered,.... so proud to be a Frog.
Before we knew it, the program finished. In those days we were known for intricate marching programs. Very difficult to count steps, walk backwards, and side way in straight lines, know field location and play at the same time. .......
When we walked off the field, they gave the TCU Band a standing ovation, those arrogant UT fans. .......The great Longhorn band had to wait until the crowd settled down before they could go on. (how about that)
So, that's the story of how the little TCU Horned Frog Band got the best of Texas that day. And that is exactly the way it happened.
Side Note: the texas band in those days was about 165-180 members. Texas had a base drum so big it had its own cart to move it around.
*the best band director TCU ever had
BrewingFrog
Was I supposed to type something here?
TCU simply doesn't have enough Music Majors to fill out a Band, and what it has of those don't necessarily play brass instruments. To march a TCU Band of, say, 175-200 and make it brass heavy, there would be a need to bring in ringers. Junior College kids, H.S. kids, whatever: Audition, and if you can cut it, make rehearsals, and do your part, get paid a fee.
Would TCU do such a thing? Probably not. It costs money, which they don't like to spend if they don't have to. Besides, "We already have a Band!" they would say. Now, if a bunch of people were to write checks...
Would TCU do such a thing? Probably not. It costs money, which they don't like to spend if they don't have to. Besides, "We already have a Band!" they would say. Now, if a bunch of people were to write checks...
researchfrog
Active Member
I thought we already let TCC students march with our band? They did back when I was a student in the late '90s.
What Up Toad
Active Member
I believe they actually started doing that. Not ringers, but they were paying non-music education majors stipends.
Deep Purple
Full Member
Only a small portion of those who play in any college marching band are music majors. That vast majority of players in any college band are students majoring in other fields who happen to also play an instrument.
They join the band for a lot of reasons. Some just like putting on a good performance of marching and playing. Others like the camraderie and the road trips. There are even a handful who get what are called "performance-based scholarships" for playing in the band. But few of them are actually music majors.
Paradoxotaur
Full Member
That's my approach as well.
BrewingFrog
Was I supposed to type something here?
Um, I was in the Band, and gladly had one of those "performance-based scholarships" way back in the day as I toiled away at an unrelated study track. And yes, these kids do make up a good percentage of the Band. However, my recollection is that the majority of the Band was Music students of one sort or another.
Pharm Frog
Full Member
The band is never better then when it's playing music for the Showgirls. They should do more of that IMO and maybe focus exclusively on that. I've never heard a single complaint about the band during a Showgirls routine.
