We haven't visited this topic in a while, but, to anyone in the marching band, and everyone part of the ZipsNation, what pregame plans is the university putting together? We'll be opening the Info before we know it, so I'm assuming our athletic department has spent countless hours, and many sleepless nights, researching, brainstorming and planning the entire game day experience, right?

Pregame band session in the JAR? Military-style, drum-cadence-driven parade from the JAR to the Info?

Anything?

Again, I haven't heard a peep on this subject in a very long time and the silence has me more than a bit concerned.

I know at the very least we will be marching over in that direction starting at Guzzetta Hall. The march through campus is something a lot of schools have gotten to do, but it was obviously impossible with the Rubber Bowl. I haven't heard anything about an OSUesque skull session. It's kind of hard to get details since Mr. Karriker will be coming back next year. I'll see what I can find out for you.

If I can get jalapenos with my nachos @ Infocision I will consider the University's planning to have been a major success.

For football games fans love the military-style marching band. We should definitely change our style to be more military. Save the more artistic pieces for the band concerts. For football games, naturally, go military.

The kick-a$$ drum cadences are possibly the greatest thing that marching bands can pull off to get the crowd jacked. Check out Columbus State's drum cadence during the band entrance:

OSU skull session ramp entrance

I hope our administrators note how jacked the crowd is. It's due to the drum cadence (which is difficult to hear in this clip). It's because they are there to see a bone-crushing football game - they want to be jacked up. Military style. The crowd is absolutely NOT jacked up to hear OSU's band play Pachelbel's Canon in D Major. The skull session consists of the band entering to the drum cadence and then, following the band making their way to their seats, the playing of the OSU fight song. After that the band plays about 20 minutes of whatever. It should be duly noted that the drum-cadence-led entrance and the playing of the fight song is FAR AND AWAY the only exciting part of the show. After the playing of the fight song, many people start to file out of the skull session, or just kinda sit there and look at their watches. The rest of the show is BORING. Sorry, we're not there to hear a band concert, we're there to watch some smash-mouthed football!

I am assuming we are going to do a skull session in the JAR, or in Memorial Hall, before the games at the Info. I REALLY HOPE I'M NOT ASSUMING TOO MUCH. The skull session musical selections should be very adolescent-friendly (fight song, alma matter, popular movie scores?). In the clip above, check out all the blue-uniform-clad kids sitting in the front rows of the bleachers as OSU's band comes marching in. That's a visiting high school band. OSU brings in a few different high school bands each week to sit in on the skull session and to play with their band. WHAT A RECRUITING TOOL!!! Lord have mercy. I guarantee almost every pimply-faced high school band nerd that participates in an OSU skull session now dreams of being a part of that band over the next few years. We need to do the same.

Ever heard of Bands in the Bowl?

Thanks! Guzzetta hall would be a good venue for our own skull session! I'm afraid if we'd start out in the JAR it would be waaaaay too empty. An empty venue would have the opposite effect of what we're looking for. Guzzetta would fill up much more quickly and possibly be a hot ticket. If we'd ever out grow Guzzetta, we could possibly move to Memorial Hall, or E.J. If we outgrow those venues (and it might take a number of years to do that, but these are brand new traditions we're starting) then we could make a move to the JAR.

Could you guys march into Guzzetta like OSU marches into St. John Arena? I've seen that in person a number of times and, I'll tell you what, I am NO OSU fan, but when you're there watching it, even a Wolverine would get jacked for OSU football. It is that emotive! (Hyperbole)

Also, man, I think it's so important to have room for those high schoolers in there. They're soooo impressionable that if they get goosebumps watching the crowd cheer for you guys in a skull session, they're going to want to come to UA and be a part of that!!

Oh, absolutely! And that is awesome when you guys do that! But if we could work those high schoolers into a skull session it would blow their minds! During the band's entrance in those skull sessions you honestly just wanna go hit something (or someone )! They're insane. Usually during high school games everyone takes a restroom break during the halftime show. Too bad, because those band kids put a TON of work into what they do. However, at the skull session, they are the center of attention. It's great stuff.

Have you ever been in Guzzetta Hall? The music area is absolutely falling apart. We have music rehearsal either in the recital hall with all the band members standing in the seats and the director on the stage or in Room 09 where the director stands on the instrument lockers in the front of the room and no percussion because they don't fit. We don't have any kind of facilities to speak of. They can't even have large ensemble concerts in Guzzetta anymore because the groups don't fit on the recital hall stage. Go in there and take a look around. There are about 40 practice rooms for a couple hundred music majors plus who ever else wants to use them. Most of the sound systems in the classrooms either don't or barely work. The elevators never work. Our school owned instruments (especially tubas) are falling apart. They put a fresh coat of paint on the walls this year but that's about the only upgrade they've done in years. We out grew that building, and our funding a long time ago. I was kind of hoping they would put a new room for the band in the stadium like they did at Minnesota. Wishful thinking I guess.

Ha! No, I've never been in Guzzetta Hall. But, for some reason I thought they had just renovated Guzzetta, or added onto it, or something, within the last 2 or 3 years? Obviously, I was totally mistaken! Lol. E.J. Thomas then?

They built an addition for the dance studios. The music department was totally ignored when it came to necessary upgrades and it's falling apart.

Well then maybe the band could run through a couple of pregame dance routines to get the crowd jacked.

hope you are not thinking about the students, because you know the majority of them will be tailgaiting. however, it would be nice to start a new tradition like that.

I'd be cool to have the band march through campus and wake everyone up for the game. Really build up the excitement and make sure the whole day has a special feel to it. Would be almost like a UAkron parade.

You're absolutely right! I'm hoping that those in charge are busy planning the entire game day morning so that the entire day has, as you say, a special feel to it. I pray that those in charge are not simply sitting around just thinking the new stadium will suffice and do all the work for them. We need to make game day a truly eventful DAY. We don't just want to look forward to a football game. We want to look forward to the day. The football game should simply be the climax of a great day.

i kind of hope they get rid of the big inflatable helmet they had at the rubber bowl...i always thought it was a bit cheesy. they gotta keep the fireworks tho, even use more!

Is the team supposed to run on to the field from the new end zone facility?

I like it when teams gather in an end zone & mosh around & hit each other and scream at each other & then, following the team captains, bum rush the 50 yard line through a tunnel of band members & mosh some more! Dang, I've got goosebumps just sitting here. I am so ready for football!!!

They need to have entertainment all over campus, whether it's a parade, bands, food, a pep rally, whatever: Just get people out of their dorm rooms and into the game! We could maybe get a decent band that people would be excited about to have a concert at EJ, followed by a pep rally and then a huge parade through campus with zippy and all his antics. Hey maybe even some free food from our food services here. Then end the festivities maybe 2 hours before so students can make their own traditions (tailgating and whatever else).


The entire campus needs to be PACKED...and not just with UAkron students, but visitors and recruits as well. Charge up the energy and surge the Info.

I don't like the idea of doing the pre-pregame sessions (sorry just can't bring myself to use an OSU name) in the guzz or EJ because it's just a tad to far away from the stadium and everything else going on. I would like to see it start either in the JAR or Memorial. I agree that those might be to big but we could shut down one side and have everyone on the other side while shutting the curtains up top like they do for the womens game. I was in band a number of years and I've said to people before that they should keep the more artsy things for concert band. HOWEVER I would like them to find the fine line so that the band can continue to play songs that aren't easy cheesy arrangements (like that band to the east) play popular stuff yes but just find some way to not play popular and stupid. I also hope that the band has some way of making a cool entrence to the stadium so they don't have to just stand around and mingle like they did outside the gate of the old bowl. and even though not everyone agrees with me on this I think it would be awesome to see the old tire drum come back (even if it's a polymer tire) it's just that the band needs some gimik (sp?) I love them to death but as of now they just kinda melt in with all the other bands and have nothing that really stands out. atleast now that I'm not there to make them the sexiest band in the land

My tradition will be to pop a beer, fire up a grill, toss a football and talk about the game with neighboring Zips fans. As long as the University doesn't F-up my ability to do that, I will be happy.

My guess - They will F it up. And I will be angry.

I only want one tradition. A winning tradition. Everything else is just fluff.

i asked a person at the concessions window at the JAR this year if i could get jalapeno's on my nachos and she informed me that "they dont carry them anymore". I asked why and was told "because they were too hot for people".

True story.

Funny you mention that. I have been to several Ohio University football games over the past few years and they do a pregame thing by their union and then march to the stadium like Ohio State. And very similarly they bring in highschool bands as well but from what i have heard they dont invite them, they just show up. I actually went to their season ending "show/performance" and it was in a sold out theater with about 20 busloads worth of local high school bands all mimicking their every move dancing along. It was astounding. If a terrible football program like OU can build a following with their marching band, it's shocking that we cannot. It just takes the right direction and right approach to it all.

Basically, sorry to say but our band lacks the professionalism and the cohesiveness of the more popular bands like Columbus State, USC, Ohio University,...etc.
It's easy to see when you go to a game and they are not all uniform in every way. A good example was the last game at the Rubber Bowl when the band lined the sideline and half of them were joking around and fooling around on the sideline when such an important ceremony was occuring just 20-30 yards from them.

Can the melted cheese be far behind?

At least the chips sold are round, so you don't need to worry about cutting your mouth on any sharp triangle corners.

Wow. You'll just have to go "Nacho Drag" from now on.

Doors on the bathroom stalls would be a nice tradition to start.....

They have to start the bathroom stall tradition before they add doors.

I still would like something like this flying around campus before/during games...I think it would add to the atmosphere and would be appropriate for Akron.

http://www.rcblimp.com/helium/aeroblimp_30.htm

Though it's a no-brainer to even mention this, it would be fantasic if Goodyear would fly the blimp over the Info on gamedays.

People of Akron: I know we have not heard from Uncle Tonga much recently, but let it be known that, the Polynesian gods willing, this season will commence the beginning of the Poly-Akron tradition. Monster Hands Tonga will lead the troops (and fans are more than invited to join in) in the first performance of the Zips Fighting Haka. You've seen the Hawaii Warriors Haka, the BYU Cougar Haka, well just wait till you see dat Roo Haka!

Does Zippy have a tongue he can stick out? Way out!

One thing I've noticed about the UA band when compared to the UofM band or OSU band is that the UofA band isn't always in character. By this a mean, walking into the RB before the game, they would be standing around with stuff laying on the ground, they weren't in a real line and they were talking to each other. It appears to me that once the UofM band was in the vacinity of the stadium, they were ALWAYS in a straight line, at attention and in character. No milling around, etc. Also, my wife made a good point, drop the sheet music on your instrument, it is distracting. I love the skull session idea and once the band leaves....wherever, they need to be in character the ENTIRE TIME!!!!

I don't see any reason they couldnt... it'd definitely give us some more respectability if we get the goodyear blimp to come out for our home games.

I agree with the character comment, but you also have to realize that there have been days where we get to the Rubber Bowl at 9:00 am for a 2:00 pm game. They would bus us over for a gameday rehearsal and then we had no where to go for a couple hours prior to the game. They'd feed us and then we would sit in the stands for an hour and a half to two hours before we finally went to warm up. The problem with getting rid of the music is asking almost 200 kids to learn a new show and drill for a game in less than a week. Most of the band members have their drill moves written in their music.

Amen, exactly...they need to just be more professional. They are a D1 Marching Band, whoever's in charge needs to get them acting like one. The music on the instruments is a bit small time/high school but that's not as important as just staying in character. They need to know that they are representative of the University just as the phenomenal football stadium we will have as well as the (hopefully) very good football team.

LETS GET EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE AND LETS BE "THE" PLACE FOR OHIO COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

1) EVERY major college marching band has to show up early for games. Heck i know personally that OSU, OU, FSU, FU all are out and ready hours before kickoff for every home game. They play a pregame show somewhere on campus and march to the stadium and are in there pretty early. For homecoming, the band at Ohio U has a morning parade downtown through the streets at 9am (for a 12 or 2pm) start. They march all the way past all the bars and hundreds if not thousands of people are already out at the bars drinking and starting that gameday party. (BTW, that's what we need to do, at least down the ZipStrip, or what's left it.)

2)The music issue is not as important as i said before, but come on it's not that hard. I play/played multiple instruments and if you practice enough you can get most of the notes down. The drills, that's a different story but still you have most major marching bands doing it fine. Not to mention the ones (OU again for example) that do a different show EVERY WEEK and do it without music/personal notes on their instruments AND do very complicated marching drills. Now you are going to tell me that we cannot have band members that can dedicate their time to practicing and preparing for gamedays enough so that they can march 1/5th of what OU does and do it without music? That's just ridiculous.

Yeah, and imagine if the city of Akron celebrated a zips game the way OU fans(mostly students) do. Athens is a little ho hum college town in the middle of nowhere, while Akron is a city of over 200 K. So I guess the question is...Athens? Or Akron? hmm....
[quote name='RootforRoo44' date='Apr 3 2009, 12:57 AM' post='81319']

1) not every major college band has nothing to do for practicly the entire time they're there and with the down time they do have they have a place to duck out of sight

2)what OU does is flush and trash so for them to remember the notes is like asking a 5th grader to remember what the color blue is first of all second the UA band only has three days a week for class. now if the U bumped up the credits and added a few days things would probably be different but to learn one show perfome it then learn another show in another week and keep the old show fresh from last week in order to perform it at some high school band concert thing and then go back to the new show again your gonna need a little help with only three days a week. as far as pregame goes they should have that down.



I think a lot of the standing around issue will be solved once we are on campus and have some places to duck out of sight insted of just standing at attention for hours on end.

Someone who knows what they're talking about! That's pretty much exactly what I was trying to say. Usually when we do pregame the only people who use music are the alternates who are filling in for people who aren't there. We only have three hour and a half rehearsals a week to learn 3 to 4 new songs and drill for all of them.

When it come to having a band that acts professional i choose Athens. Their football team may be terrible but man do they at least look like a big time college football atmosphere.

Sorry, but I think some of the rookie band are soft and a bit coddled. Click here.

We memorized music and had new shows each week (even in my high school band).

There is no point in attacking them because they are 5 times more respected than the "Pride of Ohio". Now i'm a life long Zips fan, both parents are alumni, i haven't missed a home football/basketball game in 6 years and have been to almost every home game since 1990 or so, so trust me i LOVE the Zips. But the truth is i've always been somewhat embarassed of our marching band, no offense to you individual members but the University just doesn't care about the band it seems. I think you guys should be on my side and see that being like the Marching 110 or Columbus State's band or the spirit of Troy would be a GREAT thing.

Take a look at these lists and tell me what they all have in common?

link 1

link 2

link 3



Gotta love Wikipedia too:

Akron Marching Band

Ohio U Marching Band

Ohio State Marching Band

Tennessee Marching Band

etc...




The fact is, Akron has no respect. Nearly every band mentioned on those lists have great football tradition so it shows you how amazing it is that the Ohio Marching 110 has such respect because their football program is garbage!

Also knocking on other bands that are clearly better in most every way will not solve that problem. Akron needs to get with the picture and get some sort of tradition started and fund you guys. It's sad that we have a lack of professionalism as well as a lack of excitement for our Marching band because it truly does translate onto the field. It really can bring the crowd into it more and that's what we need.

Well let's cut the crappy excuses and get back to the way it was for when you were an Akron band member. It seems like the drills were more complicated back then as well.

I dont know if it's the band director or the lack of funding or both but it NEEDS to change!

first of all I am very much on your side in thinking the band needs more support and also think that they need more time to practice. as far as "the rookie band being soft" give them a break they've had an intern director for the past 2 years now and both years they were different people. I agree that the marching band should stray away from classical music seeing as we have three different concert bands for that but like I said before I don't wany them to turn into a group that just plays simply cheesy music all the time (like the band out east) they should be more profesional and again having a place to duck out of sight will help with that so there not just standing around for hours on end. it did upset me that they were goofing off during the rubber bowl closing ceremoney and I don't like how they file (mill) back into the stands. I too have a lot of problems with the way the band is run but I like the drill style they just need to find a way to bring more energey into it (sorry but swinging the horns is a terrible idea that sends the music to hell) again this style of marching is all about finding that fine line between musicality and entertainment.


and please point out how I'm wrong about OU being flush and trash. they dance around (flush) but in doing so play jr high music (trash)

haha so i guess we are basically on the same page.

The only things i have to add is:

Why the heck did they let some director skip town for 2 years? What does that say about the band that they just let someone else run this thing for the last 2 years when we have a guy that obviously does not have the time to put into the band?

Also I think the 110 is the most entertaining band i've ever seen and i've seen many of the best (literally). Their "flush" is awesome, i like seeing a band in unison and energetic that's what they are supposed to be! BTW, I never was in marching band or anything so i'm just a plain old football fan, though i may be a little more studied on the subject than the average fan because i have some college marching band friends/girlfriend. Now about them playing trash, i dont see it or should i say hear it. As an "average fan" i see a band that is LOUD (WAYYYY louder than Akron) and one that plays very well while moving around and exciting the crowd more than our crowd gets excited by you guys.

It's really uncomparable right now, maybe/hopefully things change. They need to.

Wow. It sounds like our band needs an entire change in mindset, or "culture" and that's a problem that runs very deep. It sounds like the band needs a new director to gradually (or not so gradually) instill a different personality amongst the group.


Anyway, band members, please know that no one is picking on the band. I just think that everyone on this board has a passion for the University of Akron and desperately wants to see it represented in a grand fashion. Most of us grew weary of UA's half-baked view of themselves long ago. That's part of our collective frustration - when it comes to UA, oftentimes the small-time mindset is internal - almost as if we ZipsNation fans have bigger dreams for the university than even the university does. (That's why Proenza is a demi-god in our eyes.)


On a different note, I like the idea of bringing back the big tire drum. Purdue has their big drum, maybe we could have ours as well?

Purdue's Big Drum

I think a good illustration may be rock-n-roll. Any trained musician will tell you rock-n-roll is sophomoric, crap music. But when I'm going to a show at Blossom (or at the future Akron Arena), do I care that rock-n-roll is easy to play? No! I want to rock out.

So it is with a marching band. We're at a friggin' football game. We want adrenaline. We don't want Schubert.

As someone who is taking "Bach to Rock" class let me state how true that is. It has given me newfound hatred for all things classical. I appreciated it before, but after watching/listening to a 43 minute long orchestral performance last night followed by lecture and a test i think it's safe to say i hate it all. Rock music is where it's at, i'll take the dumbed down stuff.

and like I've been saying all day they need to find a balance between the two. yes go ahead and play something to rock out to but don't dull it down to the point that the tubas are playing next to nothing. it would almost kill the band to do that because then you have a bunch of tuba/low brass people who basically stand around and do nothing then you have to try to recruit low brass people at which point in time it would be like recruiting wide receivers to a team that just runs. but popular music yes play away.


as far as the director taking two years off I think you will actually like whats going on there root. he is earning his doctorate at Michigan State University and working with there marching band and pep bands there. so when he gets back next year he will have that experience and back ground to bring into this band.

it is hard for me to put my pride to the side and realize that this band doesn't play gold and $hit rainbows but I will do it because I know you all want to see the band succeed but no matter what we do or how bad we get I can at least rely on the fact that we will never be as bad as Can't.

but anyways what new traditions do you guys wanna see

Winning!

Quality tailgating! Period! If the environment is a traditional campus tailgate environment, Infocision will be successful. If people are hassled and the tailgating is micromanaged, it will turn people off and kill attendance.

Do not underestimate how critical the handling of tailgating is to overall attendance. The University gets one chance to make a first impression with the community. If they blow it, it will take years to recover.