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Band Camp
Jul 30, 2019 6:56:29 GMT -5
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Post by aggie2039 on Jul 30, 2019 6:56:29 GMT -5
When does Band Camp start?
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Post by ohsixrain on Jul 30, 2019 9:28:03 GMT -5
Started yesterday...
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Band Camp
Jul 30, 2019 10:40:59 GMT -5
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Post by marchingband1969 on Jul 30, 2019 10:40:59 GMT -5
And ends the last week in August with a performance in Greenville SC. Just in time to perform at the Elon game.
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Band Camp
Jul 30, 2019 11:23:56 GMT -5
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Post by captaggie on Jul 30, 2019 11:23:56 GMT -5
Location/date for Greenville performance?
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KidHeartless
Official BDF member
AGGIE FRIGGIN PRIDE!
Posts: 1,815
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Post by KidHeartless on Jul 30, 2019 13:43:23 GMT -5
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Post by Aggie One on Jul 30, 2019 14:33:52 GMT -5
How many kids have shown up for camp this year?
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Post by ohsixrain on Jul 30, 2019 14:55:55 GMT -5
The numbers took a hit this year.
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Post by Aggie One on Jul 30, 2019 15:11:26 GMT -5
How bad?
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Band Camp
Jul 30, 2019 15:33:38 GMT -5
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Post by aggie2039 on Jul 30, 2019 15:33:38 GMT -5
The numbers took a hit this year. Why do you think the numbers took a hit?
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Band Camp
Jul 30, 2019 18:25:02 GMT -5
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Post by ohsixrain on Jul 30, 2019 18:25:02 GMT -5
Well, for one, I was there when they reported. But, if you want to grow the band, you'd expect it to be bigger than the previous year and from what I saw that's not the case. Lastly, the same little snake continues to come back to bite every so often. What I'm referring to is...schollys! When you are competing for top band students and your competitors can offer full rides, you are at a major disadvantage. Now, our staff lives on a double edged sword because, they take lemons and make lemonade. So, the administration isn't able to tell by the visual optics that the band program needs scollys to be competitive. They are competitive with what they have. So, in the end, if we cannot offer a kid that's an exceptional player but, doesn't have the resources to be in school...what are your choices? That kid will wound up at another school. That's the harsh reality of it all...at least until the admin can find some money for scholarships.
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Post by marchingband1969 on Aug 3, 2019 14:51:46 GMT -5
Well, for one, I was there when they reported. But, if you want to grow the band, you'd expect it to be bigger than the previous year and from what I saw that's not the case. Lastly, the same little snake continues to come back to bite every so often. What I'm referring to is...schollys! When you are competing for top band students and your competitors can offer full rides, you are at a major disadvantage. Now, our staff lives on a double edged sword because, they take lemons and make lemonade. So, the administration isn't able to tell by the visual optics that the band program needs scollys to be competitive. They are competitive with what they have. So, in the end, if we cannot offer a kid that's an exceptional player but, doesn't have the resources to be in school...what are your choices? That kid will wound up at another school. That's the harsh reality of it all...at least until the admin can find some money for scholarships. There are 3 things that will always keep the BGMM "around" the same size number of band members every year: 1. Lack of Band Scholarships... We just have limited dollars to fund band member scholarships. So we hope our band students gets financial aid or academic scholarships or some other funding outside of the band and be willing to come play in the band for free. Now let me go on record...I'm not mad at the University because I understand. What limited scholarship funds the University has should go first to top level students majoring in Engineering, Physics or some other technical degree. And I'm fully in favor of that! Plus, the University has stepped up every year with new uniforms, instruments and funds for the band to travel to most away games. 2. Admission Requirements... Hey you got to have the academics just to get into A&T today! That cuts down of the pool of available students interested in the band. And when you consider that a lot of our students are majoring in technical fields, that shrinks the number of students even more. The days of "Pookie" showing up just to march in the band for a few years is gone. No academics, no marching. 3. Hard Work... I've attended the Army's Basic Training at Ft. Bragg and A&T's Band Camp and Band Camp has longer hours! Marching in the BGMM is tough duty and requires long hours and dedication. So not everyone is cut out to be in the BGMM. We can't do much about #2 and #3 but we sure as hell can do something about number #1... Lack of Band Scholarships! If more people would make a donation to the band, we could offer more band scholarships. If every BGMM fand donating $5.00 each month, the price of a Big Mac and Coke, we could offer book scholarships to every band student. Or we could sit in the stands and wonder why the band isn't larger!
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Post by ohsixrain on Aug 3, 2019 15:35:55 GMT -5
No argument from me...but, I will say there will be at least another 50-60 students on campus this semester that can play an instrument in the band but, they have to work. But, you can't be in the band and work. So...money isn't always the answer to everything but, it sure as hell helps.
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919aggie
Official BDF member
Posts: 2,499
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Band Camp
Aug 4, 2019 1:40:57 GMT -5
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Post by 919aggie on Aug 4, 2019 1:40:57 GMT -5
Well, for one, I was there when they reported. But, if you want to grow the band, you'd expect it to be bigger than the previous year and from what I saw that's not the case. Lastly, the same little snake continues to come back to bite every so often. What I'm referring to is...schollys! When you are competing for top band students and your competitors can offer full rides, you are at a major disadvantage. Now, our staff lives on a double edged sword because, they take lemons and make lemonade. So, the administration isn't able to tell by the visual optics that the band program needs scollys to be competitive. They are competitive with what they have. So, in the end, if we cannot offer a kid that's an exceptional player but, doesn't have the resources to be in school...what are your choices? That kid will wound up at another school. That's the harsh reality of it all...at least until the admin can find some money for scholarships. There are 3 things that will always keep the BGMM "around" the same size number of band members every year: 1. Lack of Band Scholarships... We just have limited dollars to fund band member scholarships. So we hope our band students gets financial aid or academic scholarships or some other funding outside of the band and be willing to come play in the band for free. Now let me go on record...I'm not mad at the University because I understand. What limited scholarship funds the University has should go first to top level students majoring in Engineering, Physics or some other technical degree. And I'm fully in favor of that! Plus, the University has stepped up every year with new uniforms, instruments and funds for the band to travel to most away games. 2. Admission Requirements... Hey you got to have the academics just to get into A&T today! That cuts down of the pool of available students interested in the band. And when you consider that a lot of our students are majoring in technical fields, that shrinks the number of students even more. The days of "Pookie" showing up just to march in the band for a few years is gone. No academics, no marching. 3. Hard Work... I've attended the Army's Basic Training at Ft. Bragg and A&T's Band Camp and Band Camp has longer hours! Marching in the BGMM is tough duty and requires long hours and dedication. So not everyone is cut out to be in the BGMM. We can't do much about #2 and #3 but we sure as hell can do something about number #1... Lack of Band Scholarships! If more people would make a donation to the band, we could offer more band scholarships. If every BGMM fand donating $5.00 each month, the price of a Big Mac and Coke, we could offer book scholarships to every band student. Or we could sit in the stands and wonder why the band isn't larger! #1 makes me think about Bethune..They consistently have a large band even though their school is broke. I don’t get it...Same with Southern U and Jackson..Their schools aren’t well off either but they have large bands. When I think about #2..I think about famu. I would say we are pretty close academically but they have had large bands before..and by doing the “eye test” it seemed like they were slightly bigger than us this past season. It’s just sad to hear the announcer use the “largest hbcu” line while sitting across from a band like Bethune with 4K students enrolled in the school.
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Post by oldschool on Aug 4, 2019 3:00:07 GMT -5
There are 3 things that will always keep the BGMM "around" the same size number of band members every year: 1. Lack of Band Scholarships... We just have limited dollars to fund band member scholarships. So we hope our band students gets financial aid or academic scholarships or some other funding outside of the band and be willing to come play in the band for free. Now let me go on record...I'm not mad at the University because I understand. What limited scholarship funds the University has should go first to top level students majoring in Engineering, Physics or some other technical degree. And I'm fully in favor of that! Plus, the University has stepped up every year with new uniforms, instruments and funds for the band to travel to most away games. 2. Admission Requirements... Hey you got to have the academics just to get into A&T today! That cuts down of the pool of available students interested in the band. And when you consider that a lot of our students are majoring in technical fields, that shrinks the number of students even more. The days of "Pookie" showing up just to march in the band for a few years is gone. No academics, no marching. 3. Hard Work... I've attended the Army's Basic Training at Ft. Bragg and A&T's Band Camp and Band Camp has longer hours! Marching in the BGMM is tough duty and requires long hours and dedication. So not everyone is cut out to be in the BGMM. We can't do much about #2 and #3 but we sure as hell can do something about number #1... Lack of Band Scholarships! If more people would make a donation to the band, we could offer more band scholarships. If every BGMM fand donating $5.00 each month, the price of a Big Mac and Coke, we could offer book scholarships to every band student. Or we could sit in the stands and wonder why the band isn't larger! #1 makes me think about Bethune..They consistently have a large band even though their school is broke. I don’t get it...Same with Southern U and Jackson..Their schools aren’t well off either but they have large bands. When I think about #2..I think about famu. I would say we are pretty close academically but they have had large bands before..and by doing the “eye test” it seemed like they were slightly bigger than us this past season. It’s just sad to hear the announcer use the “largest hbcu” line while sitting across from a band like Bethune with 4K students enrolled in the school. BIGGER is not always better ,Southern's band director was just fired recently for accepting payments for band performances and pocketing the money,S.C.State band was huge several years ago but look at them now ,and don't get me started on FAMU .I would love nothing better than to see the BGMM be this huge monster ,but I would prefer we do it the right way .Every one of those young men and women deserve to be on partial if not full scholarships ,and that means us ,me ,and everybody who wants to see them grow ,contribute to make that a reality .
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Post by ohsixrain on Aug 4, 2019 16:03:41 GMT -5
Well, I'll say this...it's no doubt we could be at a minimum 250 strong IF we could bring back the upperclassmen along with the freshman year after year. The band's retention rate is very low as it relates to upperclassmen.
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