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Post by sweetheart1 on Sept 28, 2010 11:06:59 GMT -5
Folks honestly, it was Golden Delights coral uniforms. They were too bright and blinded the players. Our deepest and most sincere apologies... ;D All jokes aside, being an actual product of Aggie football (not just a fan) its so hard watching the team lose. It doesnt even matter how many times it happens, it never gets any easier. I find that each week I still start the game out with the "lets rally behind the boys" mentality and am very outspoken about supporting the team to band members/staff. Others who dont have a father and brother (and many play uncles) that were aggie football players don't share my sentiment. But also the band head in me feels like while there is a battle on the field, there is also one going on in the stands that (to a band member) is just as important. There are times when we don't pay as much attention as we could or should, typically caught up in the heat of our own battle. I think the issue for the band becomes mixed messages. For example, one minute its "sshhhhhhhhhhhh the team cant hear!!!" then when we are winning its "play band play...play something...get us hype!!" So over the years I guess we have just said, oh well. Serious question though... I watch football on television. Those stadiums seem pretty dang loud to me...sometimes deafening levels of background noise. Big college ball bands are just blasting. Pro ball fans of thousands can be louder than bands sometimes. Why the "be quiet" rules in black college football? And does that impact players ability to be effective at other levels of play? (like if they go pro)
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Post by Bornthrilla on Sept 28, 2010 11:54:27 GMT -5
Sweetheart, I think what the BGMM and most HBCU bands lack is a situational playlist.
When you watch major college football on TV those bands are playing all throughout the game, but they only perform short snippets of music and those snippets are triggered by certain plays on the field.
For instance, if the home team gets a first down, then the band will play something real quick to celebrate that. If the defense faces a big 3rd down stop, then the band will have another little snippet ready.
In black college football, our bands try to play entire songs during the game with often don't coincide with the action on the field. Thus it is not really helping the team and can even be a distraction.
When the band is sitting in the stands, I believe their main job should be to assist the team and highlight their play on the field - not "battle" with the opposing band. Save that for the 5th quarter.
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Post by sweetheart1 on Sept 28, 2010 13:38:33 GMT -5
"For instance, if the home team gets a first down, then the band will play something real quick to celebrate that. If the defense faces a big 3rd down stop, then the band will have another little snippet ready."
Make sense to me! I actually think that is pretty cool. Unfortunately, the only way you will see that shift to HBCU football/bands (MEAC, SWAC, CIAA) is if everyone decides to do it or it becomes rules. What I mean is lets say A&T develops the "snippet" approach. The moment NCCU (bad example, lol) starts playing full songs or challenging the band, here we go...rules out of the window, because in our world of competition not playing back (even if its because you are into the game) is a sign of weakness and ultimately a loss. I do think schools that have a pretty consistent winning record do more of what you are talking about. I know that Southern and Jackson State do what you are speaking of and have actually developed a 0 (zero) quarter. They battle right before and right after the games. Point taken, but it will be a task to get programs to make that adjustment to a deep tradition. Good observation thrilla!
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Post by captaggie on Sept 29, 2010 19:51:19 GMT -5
Appreciate the clarity on this longstanding issue Thrilla.
BCU is good about playing snippets.
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Post by Bornthrilla on Sept 29, 2010 20:22:58 GMT -5
When Florida and Alabama play this weekend, just pay attention to the bands.
Florida is a perfect example because they have about five or six classic snippets that the crowd responds to.
You'll hear the "Go ...... Ga-tors" snippet, the theme from Jaws, their school fight song, and much, much more. No snippet will be more than a few seconds long and never will you hear the band playing when the ball is snapped. They band is as focused on the action on the field as the players are. They do not miss a single beat .. no pun intended.
All it would take for A&T to duplicate this is for Dr. Ruff to have a quick meeting with Coach Lee and work out a short playlist.
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Post by Brandmasta on Sept 30, 2010 2:51:22 GMT -5
We noticed that when we played App State several years ago in Boone. Their drummers had little snippets that could be played in between plays while our drummers (for the most part) only had cadences that took some time to develop or play through. I always like the concept of having a few short pieces to play in certain situations (like critical 1st downs, for instance).
Of course, we dont want to get repetitive and play the same stuff every 1st down either. That would get real boring real quick
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Post by aggiejazz on Sept 30, 2010 6:44:15 GMT -5
Man, we are talkin' bout the band....not the game....the band!!!! In all honesty, it is about the band in HBCU football, that why HBCU teams can't beat schools who are not a HBCU.
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Post by Brandmasta on Sept 30, 2010 6:58:48 GMT -5
Man, we are talkin' bout the band....not the game....the band!!!! In all honesty, it is about the band in HBCU football, that why HBCU teams can't beat schools who are not a HBCU. So we are blaming our bad coaching and piss poor execution on the band now too? I've heard it all now! lol ;D
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Post by DECKS on Sept 30, 2010 9:51:53 GMT -5
From Bonnita Best @ The Triangle Tribune www.triangletribune.com/index.php?src=news&srctype=detail&category=Sports&refno=4269"The Eagles/Aggie game was everything expected - crowd-wise. The atmosphere was electric, and the live Eagle flying over the stadium was priceless. But - and there's always a but - CC is writing a letter to the MEAC office. They need to enforce the same rule as the CIAA and SWAC about bands playing during the game. Those two conferences don't allow it and neither should the MEAC. NCCU and N.C. A&T bands didn't shut up the entire game. The playing had nothing to do with what was going on in the game. Heck, many of 'em probably didn't even know what the score was; it was all about them.
CC overhead someone say, "If it was up to me, I'd have a band-free game at least once during the season. Let them play on that Sunday since they think everybody comes to see them anyway." Band-free. Yeah, CC would vote for that."
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Post by captaggie on Sept 30, 2010 11:28:15 GMT -5
I've seen warnings issued to bands at MEAC games. I believe the officiating crew was inept.
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Post by Tee-Sharp on Sept 30, 2010 11:34:48 GMT -5
The football team tries to beat the other team, the band tries to show out the other band and many people come just to be seen wearing their outfits. That’s tradition and that’s just the way it is at black college football games. A band free black college game? If that happens one would probably think he was attending a funeral, especially at Aggie Stadium. The HBCU fans sit on their hands most of the game waiting for the team to “do something”. HBCU fans don’t jump, cheer and scream throughout the game. We don’t even attempt to drown out the opposing team’s offense unless the PA announcer or cheerleaders beg us to make some noise. Should the HBCU band be held to the same standards as major college bands when the HBCU fans aren’t like their major college counterparts either?
By the way, I agree that the bands shouldn’t be playing after the huddle. The football game is more important. I'm just saying that we already know many of you just don’t like the bands, but try not to get ridiculous with your anti-HBCU band sentiment.
A band free black college game?! LOL. What school did "CC" attend anyway?
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Post by Blankman on Sept 30, 2010 11:39:29 GMT -5
Well I got a solution... Why don't we just tell the band not to play at anymore games and not do anymore Halftimes.. That will solve all of our problems and the Football team will go on a Magnificent winning streak I mean the band already is under appreciated anyway. To lack of Scholarships and being housed in a Freaking Motorsports complex?!? So how bout the people in Dowdy just tell the band to cancel the season so we don't have to worry about the alumni and Football team WHINING about us playing in the stands
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Post by SixtiesAggie on Sept 30, 2010 11:48:37 GMT -5
The swac rules are posted in the Private Forum under "A&T band costing us a crucial drive". I was not particularly disturbed by either band. They may play too long. A&T's band might want to develop some short peppy type "snippets" (as someone suggested) to get the fans hyped and cheering. I've suggested in the past that the band develop a good fight song that's not too long to be used at basketball and football games to arouse the fans. At BB games, by the time they get started into their music the team is back on the floor.
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Post by krazykev on Sept 30, 2010 12:04:19 GMT -5
Well I got a solution... Why don't we just tell the band not to play at anymore games and not do anymore Halftimes.. That will solve all of our problems and the Football team will go on a Magnificent winning streak I mean the band already is under appreciated anyway. To lack of Scholarships and being housed in a Freaking Motorsports complex?!? So how bout the people in Dowdy just tell the band to cancel the season so we don't have to worry about the alumni and Football team WHINING about us playing in the stands You are not getting what some people are complaining about. I played football and also was apart of the Band so, I like both. The band should play more snippets or play low when the team breaks the huddle. We are all Aggies and we do want the team to win and not get any penalties for anything. I think the issue is that in the past the Band watched the game and tried to pump the Crowd/Team up. The Band also kicked tail when it came to other bands too. Also there were a lot of former athletes in band back in the day and I think that has changed but, I could be wrong. Now, as far as that scholarship issue with the Band. You all need to let that go because, we did not have scholarships in the past. We were perfectly find with that...I think when give out all these scholarships to march in the band then you have kids that are in just for that and not cause they love it. By the way Swac bands have always done that and no one complains. Southern was doing that when I was school even before the rules changed. They little snippets to get the defense and offense going. You also need people on the staff that has a knowledge of the game and knows when to play and not to play like we did in the past.
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Post by Blankman on Sept 30, 2010 14:04:12 GMT -5
Well I got a solution... Why don't we just tell the band not to play at anymore games and not do anymore Halftimes.. That will solve all of our problems and the Football team will go on a Magnificent winning streak I mean the band already is under appreciated anyway. To lack of Scholarships and being housed in a Freaking Motorsports complex?!? So how bout the people in Dowdy just tell the band to cancel the season so we don't have to worry about the alumni and Football team WHINING about us playing in the stands You are not getting what some people are complaining about. I played football and also was apart of the Band so, I like both. The band should play more snippets or play low when the team breaks the huddle. We are all Aggies and we do want the team to win and not get any penalties for anything. I think the issue is that in the past the Band watched the game and tried to pump the Crowd/Team up. The Band also kicked tail when it came to other bands too. Also there were a lot of former athletes in band back in the day and I think that has changed but, I could be wrong. Now, as far as that scholarship issue with the Band. You all need to let that go because, we did not have scholarships in the past. We were perfectly find with that...I think when give out all these scholarships to march in the band then you have kids that are in just for that and not cause they love it. By the way Swac bands have always done that and no one complains. Southern was doing that when I was school even before the rules changed. They little snippets to get the defense and offense going. You also need people on the staff that has a knowledge of the game and knows when to play and not to play like we did in the past. I see what you are saying bro.. Yeah I was a former athlete back in high school <Pac 6 All Conference Wrestler ;D> and I played Football for 3 years in HS. I'm one of the biggest supporters of the football team but its hard to support a team when they are losing and when the band is getting put on blast. I just feel that if the team was winning then this whole situation wouldn't be a problem.. But Kev you are right about the scholarship issue because I came to A&T because I've always wanted to march in the Machine, money or not. Thats why I truly value the term LOYALTY. But its just I feel the band will never be the size some want it to be because money is a big issue and that's why we don't get the best of the best when it comes to musicians. But I do appreciate everyone who does not receive anything and march because they love this program
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