BGMM performance at Disney BOTB 10/9

[919aggie]

[919aggie]

Battle in the stands

[VA's Finest]

Was in attendance this afternoon, and I have the upmost respect for the BGMM and the sacrifices the staff and kids make for their university.

On the same note, I left the stadium completely frustrated at how the afternoon played out.

All bands marched individually into their sections of stadium to begin the event. The order was DSU, WSSU, ASU, followed by the BGMM. I assume BCU was just a no-show (understandbly with the situation around the hurricane). Even if BCU had been attendance i would have thought T would take house but now undoubtedly they would have.


All bands are in the stands and the MC and DJ do there thing to engage crowd and create atmosphere while DSU prepares to take field stage right. Bands performed in same order they entered the stadium. After their performance they exited the field stage left, to presumably get drinks and then went outside stadium back to their respective sections in stadium.

After T's performance, and after just filing back into their section, DSU begin to file into a section on the field. ASU as assume most SWAC bands would do strapped up and cranked some selection towards the crowd. Now WSSU files back onto field.
Again ASU just cranked some selection, our beloved BGMM plays back with Whitty Hutton "I'm your Baby tonight, Towards the field. As you can see from videos this was a baseball stadium with fans seated to T's left. So now sound doesn't hit fans at all. In the mean time ASU is filing to field, and it's funny because while DSU and WSSU are in a block formation, ASU has taken the standard N.O. style/SWAC crank posture we've seen on countless SWAC/ Mardi Gras clips.

T, I guess since they just got organized in the stands had no desire to join the other 3 bands on field. My heart hurt. Because now even DSU, and WSSU, sound as loud if not louder than T. Now I know imma hear from those about well what did theyvl sound like, arrangements, intonation, dynamics, and that's all fine and good. However the field shows were over and and now it's time to take gloves off and gone through your book.

DSU and WSSU were fine but just didn't have the size, ASU was essentially calling out T, and we play back 'Gangsta Aggies'. SMH. Now there were some Aggies all over the building but that selection don't really hit unless you got a butt load of Aggies for crowd participation.
Mind you while all other dance teams are front and center for crowd to see, GD is tight almost shoulder to shoulder in the stands.


I wanted so bad just to yell 1 time T get on thr field and crank on these bamas, but my wife would have been upset.

Perception is reality and for T to have # wise largest band in attendance but sound wise being on a 2nd place to ASU simply because your positioning just hurt to experience. To their credit T made an effort to turn towards crowd, moved the director stand and emphasized play this way. But why not just move to the field and go literally toe to toe with a SWAC band.

I guess we just aren't a battle type band. When they played Whitty Hutton I literally felt like I was watching "Drumline" when Devin said something like "man A&T going out like some punks". ASU was giving us the "turn thr volume up" gesture but we just refused to respond.

Again I support the BGMM and everything they represent, shoot I took the family to Orlando in beginning of October. 1 of my $18.91s goes to the BGMM. I just wanted us to have a lil dog in us today on neutral ground with ASU and give them the business. We were almost a little to bougie, crank up and leave no doubt it Just seemed like we were ready to go home, and if that's the case then why even attend. "You play to win the game.

Again I'm all in for the BGMM

[Maxell]

That's Dr. Ruff's personality. He's not a battle director, he's a performance director. In some venues, that works. In others, it doesn't. I've gotten used to it after all these years.

[919aggie]

Oct 9, 2022 21:01:53 GMT -5 Maxell said:

That's Dr. Ruff's personality. He's not a battle director, he's a performance director. In some venues, that works. In others, it doesn't. I've gotten used to it after all these years.

Lol I still haven’t gotten used to it yet! We pulled a Bethune…Last year it seemed as if we were “turning the corner” in the stands. I didn’t even mind “I’m your baby” but cmon now “Gangsta Aggies”?!?!

[919aggie]

[919aggie]

[tony]

Song selection can kill your performance almost as much as execution. I thought Alcorn, Winston, and DSU all sounded horrible but the crowd still ate it up. Perception is reality.

But that's an interesting question. Two bands play bad arrangements of Neck. Then Alcorn comes with Hoe Check. Our Neck / Hay is our only spirit type song that comes close. Do you play it even though it's been done to death or go with a good song that you know just got outshined before you played a note? Maybe the answer is take the L and get to arranging another spirit song.

That said, I'd rather get embarrassed in the stands in Florida in front of those three bands than in Fayetteville or Charlotte front of Central, NSU, Alabama State, KSU, Benedict and a bunch of local high schools. We're already at a disadvantage because brass wise we're a LOT smaller than we look. There have been some recent changes in Durham and if we don't send a clear message on the field AND in the stands we're going to have a problem in a few years.

[aggie75]

I would love to know why those song selections were chosen. I would also like to hear a little less from band announcers.

[919aggie]

Oct 10, 2022 13:33:34 GMT -5 tony said:

Song selection can kill your performance almost as much as execution. I thought Alcorn, Winston, and DSU all sounded horrible but the crowd still ate it up. Perception is reality.

But that's an interesting question. Two bands play bad arrangements of Neck. Then Alcorn comes with Hoe Check. Our Neck / Hay is our only spirit type song that comes close. Do you play it even though it's been done to death or go with a good song that you know just got outshined before you played a note? Maybe the answer is take the L and get to arranging another spirit song.

That said, I'd rather get embarrassed in the stands in Florida in front of those three bands than in Fayetteville or Charlotte front of Central, NSU, Alabama State, KSU, Benedict and a bunch of local high schools. We're already at a disadvantage because brass wise we're a LOT smaller than we look. There have been some recent changes in Durham and if we don't send a clear message on the field AND in the stands we're going to have a problem in a few years.

Don't forget about that battle that we have in Charlotte Nov 6th. Overall we will look equal to NSU, AAMU, and ASU...BUT they all have larger brass sections. Lets hope the song selection is on point. I can here it now "We came to yall house and embarrassed you" lol!

[Freeze]

This maybe a completely separate point, but I had the privilege of attending the PVA&M vs. Southern game just this past Saturday. And when I tell you that Southern's band CRANKED the ENTIRE game I absolutely mean it!!! LOL. I can see how people completely associate HBCU football with band culture....especially in the SWAC.

Having said that...it made the game atmosphere MUCH more enjoyable. LOL. And it was actually a pretty good game until the second half and Southern pulled away. But my goodness was Southern's band OUTSTANDING. Particularly in the stands. I came away from that game wishing that A&T would crank like that in the stands too. Oh....and PVA&M wasn't bad either. Just nowhere as good as Southern.

[919aggie]

Oct 10, 2022 19:57:54 GMT -5 Freeze said:

This maybe a completely separate point, but I had the privilege of attending the PVA&M vs. Southern game just this past Saturday. And when I tell you that Southern's band CRANKED the ENTIRE game I absolutely mean it!!! LOL. I can see how people completely associate HBCU football with band culture....especially in the SWAC.

Having said that...it made the game atmosphere MUCH more enjoyable. LOL. And it was actually a pretty good game until the second half and Southern pulled away. But my goodness was Southern's band OUTSTANDING. Particularly in the stands. I came away from that game wishing that A&T would crank like that in the stands too. Oh....and PVA&M wasn't bad either. Just nowhere as good as Southern.

That's where instrumentation matters. Seems like we can never get over the hump when it comes to more brass. This year we have like 20+ tubas and they sound really good, but then we might turn around next year and have 12...lol

SN: I also heard that PVAMU band students were arguing with their own student body due to them praising Southern! lol

[tony]

Oct 10, 2022 21:03:17 GMT -5 919aggie said:

Oct 10, 2022 19:57:54 GMT -5 Freeze said:

This maybe a completely separate point, but I had the privilege of attending the PVA&M vs. Southern game just this past Saturday. And when I tell you that Southern's band CRANKED the ENTIRE game I absolutely mean it!!! LOL. I can see how people completely associate HBCU football with band culture....especially in the SWAC.

Having said that...it made the game atmosphere MUCH more enjoyable. LOL. And it was actually a pretty good game until the second half and Southern pulled away. But my goodness was Southern's band OUTSTANDING. Particularly in the stands. I came away from that game wishing that A&T would crank like that in the stands too. Oh....and PVA&M wasn't bad either. Just nowhere as good as Southern.

That's where instrumentation matters. Seems like we can never get over the hump when it comes to more brass. This year we have like 20+ tubas and they sound really good, but then we might turn around next year and have 12...lol

SN: I also heard that PVAMU band students were arguing with their own student body due to them praising Southern! lol

Nope, not buying that at all. Cranking is about an approach, not numbers. Southern's 30 piece pep band will crank on you just as quick as the full band. If you threw in another 40 woodwinds (like us) they'd still crank. FAMU's pep band back in the day used to crank at the MEAC tournament just as much as the full band. Some bands do it well - this year's Alabama State, some do it poorly - old school Alabama state but it's all and only about execution.

We're perfectly capable of cranking - www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrXWR6oMk28

We just choose not to most of the time for some reason I don't understand.

[VA's Finest]

Oct 11, 2022 5:51:06 GMT -5 tony said:

Oct 10, 2022 21:03:17 GMT -5 919aggie said:

That's where instrumentation matters. Seems like we can never get over the hump when it comes to more brass. This year we have like 20+ tubas and they sound really good, but then we might turn around next year and have 12...lol

SN: I also heard that PVAMU band students were arguing with their own student body due to them praising Southern! lol

Nope, not buying that at all. Cranking is about an approach, not numbers. Southern's 30 piece pep band will crank on you just as quick as the full band. If you threw in another 40 woodwinds (like us) they'd still crank. FAMU's pep band back in the day used to crank at the MEAC tournament just as much as the full band. Some bands do it well - this year's Alabama State, some do it poorly - old school Alabama state but it's all and only about execution.

We're perfectly capable of cranking - www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrXWR6oMk28

We just choose not to most of the time for some reason I don't understand.

Exactly, you can both select a song and arrange said song to your strengths that will allow you to "crank".

I literally could have stayed home and watched "Drumline" to encapsulate what happened on Saturday. From the getting cranked on, with a response of "Flight of the Bumblebee" (Whitney Houston). To the getting called out by ASU and no response was the "A&T going out like some punks" clip.

The BGMM is AWESOME, but it's OK for the whole band to be versatile not just GD. You can have great articulation and dynamics while playing "Flight of the Bumblebee" but then as we always hear during halftime performance "Marching Machine flip the switch" and "crank" "Nobody does it better." These 2 things don't have to be mutually exclusive just as a confident and good head football coach, but that's another discussion. Lol.

It was just real frustrating watching T sitting on their hands. Maybe we should just stick to the Honda BOTB where the emphasis is on the field performance.

Ironically the Nov. 6 show is in the Bojangles arena (mini Honda) should be right up our alley.

I think I might even go, lol.

[Maxell]

Oct 11, 2022 5:51:06 GMT -5 tony said:

We just choose not to most of the time for some reason I don't understand.

What's not to understand? It's the director's choice, just like in Drumline the movie. He doesn't believe that it is important to "crank" on anyone at any time. Get used to it. One year I cussed the whole season! LOL