919aggie
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Post by 919aggie on Oct 11, 2022 11:52:44 GMT -5
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=VrXWR6oMk28We just choose not to most of the time for some reason I don't understand. I guess it depends on the definition of "cranking"... I think of a full "damn that was loud" in your face sound. Just last season, it seemed as if we were finally getting some aggression back. But this year...IDK what to say. Thank god that the tubas are strong. It's weird because our field shows have been great, but those stand clips... Let's not even get on song selection. It wouldn't even surprise me if we went to the charlotte botb and played 'Flight of The Bumblebee." I only attributed it to instrumentation, because that is what the current BGMM has shown me. (More instruments = Better sound) SN: Many MEAC bands/fans see the SWAC bands as "Loud and out of tune." Almost like a pretentiousness that I personally don't agree with.
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Freeze
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Post by Freeze on Oct 11, 2022 12:39:19 GMT -5
For my experience at the PVA&M vs. Southern game, it wasn't so much about the loudness...it was about the frequency. Southern's band and many SWAC bands, play as though they are the main attraction and folks paid to come see them...because most of them did. Lol.
They played a lot in the first half and almost the ENTIRE second. And it was fun. Their music book was DEEP and varied. I loved every last minute of it and once again wished only that my alma mater would entertain the crowd as frequently as Southern's did.
Even though the second half quickly got out of hand on the gridiron, this was easily one of the most memorable and enjoyable HBCU games I've been to...and it was because of the band.
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tony
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Post by tony on Oct 11, 2022 13:24:28 GMT -5
For my experience at the PVA&M vs. Southern game, it wasn't so much about the loudness...it was about the frequency. Southern's band and many SWAC bands, play as though they are the main attraction and folks paid to come see them...because most of them did. Lol. They played a lot in the first half and almost the ENTIRE second. And it was fun. Their music book was DEEP and varied. I loved every last minute of it and once again wished only that my alma mater would entertain the crowd as frequently as Southern's did. Even though the second half quickly got out of hand on the gridiron, this was easily one of the most memorable and enjoyable HBCU games I've been to...and it was because of the band. We sit on our hands in the stands because of the MEAC rules. Oh, wait a minute... I still don't see a reason not to crank if we have the ball, or if we're up by a lot. The football team appreciates it, the crowd appreciates it, the coach will appreciate setting the mood for the players as long as the penalty (if it even happens) doesn't hurt them.
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tony
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Post by tony on Oct 11, 2022 13:29:22 GMT -5
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=VrXWR6oMk28We just choose not to most of the time for some reason I don't understand. I guess it depends on the definition of "cranking"... I think of a full "damn that was loud" in your face sound. Just last season, it seemed as if we were finally getting some aggression back. But this year...IDK what to say. Thank god that the tubas are strong. It's weird because our field shows have been great, but those stand clips... Let's not even get on song selection. It wouldn't even surprise me if we went to the charlotte botb and played 'Flight of The Bumblebee." I only attributed it to instrumentation, because that is what the current BGMM has shown me. (More instruments = Better sound) SN: Many MEAC bands/fans see the SWAC bands as "Loud and out of tune." Almost like a pretentiousness that I personally don't agree with. "Just like clothes don't make the man, numbers don't make the band!" - John Hodge Sigh...
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VA's Finest
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Post by VA's Finest on Oct 11, 2022 14:29:11 GMT -5
Imma take some flack about this but sometimes I just wish T would be just a lil hood and shut the building down...
But i guess i can always keep hope alive.
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Post by marchingband1969 on Oct 11, 2022 14:31:09 GMT -5
For my experience at the PVA&M vs. Southern game, it wasn't so much about the loudness...it was about the frequency. Southern's band and many SWAC bands, play as though they are the main attraction and folks paid to come see them...because most of them did. Lol. They played a lot in the first half and almost the ENTIRE second. And it was fun. Their music book was DEEP and varied. I loved every last minute of it and once again wished only that my alma mater would entertain the crowd as frequently as Southern's did. Even though the second half quickly got out of hand on the gridiron, this was easily one of the most memorable and enjoyable HBCU games I've been to...and it was because of the band. "Southern's band and many SWAC bands, play as though they are the main attraction and folks paid to come see them." That's true! To a lot of SWAC fans the football game is just an excuse to show up for the band to perform. Here's a test... name me two current Golden Delights. In the SWAC, I've seen grown men arguing about which dancer was the best or what was going to happen after a dancer graduated.
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919aggie
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Post by 919aggie on Oct 11, 2022 16:31:18 GMT -5
Imma take some flack about this but sometimes I just wish T would be just a lil hood and shut the building down... But i guess i can always keep hope alive. Im gona take some flack with you then...EVERY single band in the MEAC was boring to me in the stands! I did consider us an outlier as we were the ones that use to bring a little "aggression"..but every time we get on a big stage..we turn into Atlanta A&T in the stands. Southern has the exact same problem with scholarships as we do, but can you tell? Someone called me earlier commenting on how Alcorn blew us out of the stadium! lol
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919aggie
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Post by 919aggie on Oct 11, 2022 16:33:24 GMT -5
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919aggie
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Posts: 2,499
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Post by 919aggie on Oct 11, 2022 16:36:47 GMT -5
For my experience at the PVA&M vs. Southern game, it wasn't so much about the loudness...it was about the frequency. Southern's band and many SWAC bands, play as though they are the main attraction and folks paid to come see them...because most of them did. Lol. They played a lot in the first half and almost the ENTIRE second. And it was fun. Their music book was DEEP and varied. I loved every last minute of it and once again wished only that my alma mater would entertain the crowd as frequently as Southern's did. Even though the second half quickly got out of hand on the gridiron, this was easily one of the most memorable and enjoyable HBCU games I've been to...and it was because of the band. "Southern's band and many SWAC bands, play as though they are the main attraction and folks paid to come see them." That's true! To a lot of SWAC fans the football game is just an excuse to show up for the band to perform. Here's a test... name me two current Golden Delights. In the SWAC, I've seen grown men arguing about which dancer was the best or what was going to happen after a dancer graduated. We are only respected in the band world for Golden Delight, Cold Steel, and our Field Shows.
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919aggie
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Post by 919aggie on Oct 11, 2022 19:02:24 GMT -5
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Post by Blackfoot on Oct 12, 2022 2:35:50 GMT -5
Geez.
So does this mean there's a good chance that even Edward Waters is gonna head up 95 this week and abuse the Machine too?? Oh well, we can take solace in the fact that we're still the largest HBCU and well on our way to being R1....
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919aggie
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Post by 919aggie on Oct 12, 2022 20:30:45 GMT -5
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919aggie
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Post by 919aggie on Oct 12, 2022 23:25:46 GMT -5
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919aggie
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Post by 919aggie on Oct 13, 2022 0:12:20 GMT -5
Don't sound too bad.
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tony
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Post by tony on Oct 14, 2022 22:12:39 GMT -5
So I just took a closer look at the video marching in. Looks like the Clarinets are the biggest section in the band. Trumpets, Trombones, Sousaphones, and Saxes are all pretty much tied for second. We have almost as twice as many piccolos as Euphoniums and Mellos. That is NOT doing us any favors when we see any band our size that executes reasonably well. That's putting it mildly.
Just For comparison, We have 7 Mellos, NCCU has 6. We have 8 Euphos, so does Central.
Nothing to be done this season, but with numbers like ours balance is completely in our control. A good woodwind player can become a good brass player in a semester - I've seen it done plenty of times. How many woodwinds do we plan on having pick up a second instrument during concert season? 4 more Euphos and Mellos and we'd be easily back to the sound we're used to.
None of the local high schools I've seen have this problem - so why do we? My best guess is better funded schools are buying up the brass players, and we get what's left. I know scholarships are hard to come by for us, but we do have some. Have we considered prioritizing them for good woodwinds that are willing to learn a second instrument and play wherever they fit best?
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