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Band Camp
Aug 4, 2019 21:04:50 GMT -5
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Post by marchingband1969 on Aug 4, 2019 21:04:50 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. I can't speak about scholarship budgets for Bethune Cookman or the other schools but I do know the BGMM has limited scholarship dollars. And without more financial support for scholarships, our numbers will not go up. By the way, despite the size of our band, the BGMM had consistently been rated one of the top bands in the nation.
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Post by Jesse Jackson's Side eye on Aug 5, 2019 0:02:56 GMT -5
#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 . Haymer is now the new Band Director at Texas Southern University #HaymerTime
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Band Camp
Aug 5, 2019 7:36:34 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by ohsixrain on Aug 5, 2019 7:36:34 GMT -5
#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. I can't speak about scholarship budgets for Bethune Cookman or the other schools but I do know the BGMM has limited scholarship dollars. And without more financial support for scholarships, our numbers will not go up. By the way, despite the size of our band, the BGMM had consistently been rated one of the top bands in the nation. I agree about us being one of the top bands but, doesn't it make you wonder what we could be with scollys...?
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KidHeartless
Official BDF member
AGGIE FRIGGIN PRIDE!
Posts: 1,815
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Post by KidHeartless on Aug 5, 2019 12:33:55 GMT -5
Getting athletes/bandsmen that can come in on some kind of academic scholarship is going to be key with the limited budgets we have.
Its working for Dr. Thomas at Hampton...whose band will be sitting over 200 this season for the first time in a longgggggggggggggggggggggggg time.
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Post by marchingband1969 on Aug 5, 2019 12:37:24 GMT -5
I can't speak about scholarship budgets for Bethune Cookman or the other schools but I do know the BGMM has limited scholarship dollars. And without more financial support for scholarships, our numbers will not go up. By the way, despite the size of our band, the BGMM had consistently been rated one of the top bands in the nation. I agree about us being one of the top bands but, doesn't it make you wonder what we could be with scollys...? No, I don't wonder. I guess I've been around HBCUs and the BGMM in particular for so long, I just accept that we will always have limited scholarships... until our alumni step up and start getting serious about donating to the band! And I'm okay with that. Hey, I love the A&T Band but I think the University should provide scholarships to the best and the brightest students we can find first. And if they march in the band, great. Honestly, I believe our alumni could really do a lot to increase our scholarships. Most band students are not expecting a full ride...just enough to offset some of their tuition, pay for books and maybe a meal plan.
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neal
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by neal on Aug 5, 2019 17:17:46 GMT -5
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 . Haymer is now the new Band Director at Texas Southern University #HaymerTime He is an assistant though. TXSU made the official announcement on their instagram. Gibson is still the head director. I wonder how much say so he will have with that program before moving on.
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KidHeartless
Official BDF member
AGGIE FRIGGIN PRIDE!
Posts: 1,815
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Post by KidHeartless on Aug 6, 2019 8:28:45 GMT -5
He better keep his hands off the money..............that is all
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Post by blessedaggie84 on Aug 6, 2019 9:30:28 GMT -5
Would have loved to see him (Haymer) as an assistant with A&T's band.
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Post by marchingband1969 on Aug 6, 2019 10:46:24 GMT -5
Would have loved to see him (Haymer) as an assistant with A&T's band. Nah, I don't think so...not with his baggage. Give him some time to let the dust settle on his transgressions. Plus, there are plenty of talented music directors out here, many with A&T or MEAC ties, that would love to work with our band...if we had the money. So we don't need to rehabilitate a SWAC director.
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Post by blessedaggie84 on Aug 6, 2019 12:31:27 GMT -5
Would have loved to see him (Haymer) as an assistant with A&T's band. Nah, I don't think so...not with his baggage. Give him some time to let the dust settle on his transgressions. Plus, there are plenty of talented music directors out here, many with A&T or MEAC ties, that would love to work with our band...if we had the money. So we don't need to rehabilitate a SWAC director. I just believe that he would have done wonders with these kids and could easily help grow and develop our band into something even better then it is now. I wouldn't let him touch money at all but as an educator of music and that passion he has...A&T would be a monster in the MEAC. I will reserve my judgement and see how he does at TxSU over the next couple years. Here's to a wonderful season for the kids in the BGMM today.
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Post by marchingband1969 on Aug 6, 2019 14:58:33 GMT -5
A&T "would" be a monster in the MEAC. ?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 15:00:57 GMT -5
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 . Haymer is now the new Band Director at Texas Southern University #HaymerTime I thought he was the assistant Band Director? Either way, do not be surprised if money for the Ocean of Soul begins to look funny.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 15:04:06 GMT -5
Nah, I don't think so...not with his baggage. Give him some time to let the dust settle on his transgressions. Plus, there are plenty of talented music directors out here, many with A&T or MEAC ties, that would love to work with our band...if we had the money. So we don't need to rehabilitate a SWAC director. I just believe that he would have done wonders with these kids and could easily help grow and develop our band into something even better then it is now. I wouldn't let him touch money at all but as an educator of music and that passion he has...A&T would be a monster in the MEAC. I will reserve my judgement and see how he does at TxSU over the next couple years. Here's to a wonderful season for the kids in the BGMM today. He's too untrustworthy and unethical to be anywhere near the Marching Machine.
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Post by Jesse Jackson's Side eye on Aug 7, 2019 1:40:38 GMT -5
Haymer is now the new Band Director at Texas Southern University #HaymerTime I thought he was the assistant Band Director? Either way, do not be surprised if money for the Ocean of Soul begins to look funny. Yes, his position is that of Assistant Band Director, I stand corrected
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Post by marchingband1969 on Aug 8, 2019 10:53:29 GMT -5
I'll say again, we don't need no drama anywhere on our campus. If our band was mediocre and we couldn't find local talent, then maybe we could considering hiring him in a backroom position. But our band has been the darlings of the MEAC for years and why bring in someone that has that type of baggage. Maybe if he was a beloved Aggie and had some history with our program we "might" reach out to help him but hey, this guys was born and bread in the SWAC. Let them throw him an olive branch.
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