Zips DM

A little bird told me that the turf will start May 1st, and the scoreboard is slated to start on June 1st.

Anybody notice the improvements that are being made to the Jackson Track and Field Complex?Looks like a bunch of new aluminum bleachers and a nice new brick entryway.

I hope you aren't referring to me. I have plenty of workable suggestions.... but I see no need to post them here, as I can take them driectly to the band leadership.If you want to hear some of them.... I will work on a post.

...And with only one being on the East stands.... everyone at home watching on TV will get to see it.

No arguments here.

Last time we tried to organize something ourselves (playing at an Akron hockey game) we were told that everything like that had to go through Mr. J... so bug him, as I would love to go to a Bluejackets game.P.S. I guarantee he will say no.

interfx, the band only got that big of a reaction because they were AT navy... and they saluted the armed services... Talk about pandering to the audience. But, whatever works.I love the style though, a bit dated by today's standards, but quality nonetheless.

Aw, you caught me!... those are all good ideas. However I would favor not changing our repertoire for pre-game sans the away fight song, as It would make it possible for us to MEMORIZE MUSIC!!! Our sound would increase if we were more confident, and our visuals would look 5 to 10 times better... approximately.But playing to the whole stadium?.... brilliant.

I'm digging the thread name change.and you are right about the 95% vs the 5%.... in my opinion it is about:2% who have no business being on the field (the problem with being an open ensemble)18% music majors who are doing band because they are required to... and no other reason (not all music majors are in this category)40% who are doing marching band to have fun, and make friends, and play music.39.5% who bleed blue and gold and are the type who genuinely care and who think of nothing other than marching band..5% are the weirdos who spend 5-6-7 or more years devoting their time and effort into making this band great...(we're not there yet)But just so all of you know, those who care about the band are committed to bettering our contribution to game days. We are in no way content with our current status, and we are continuing to hone our style, "character," and band identity. My only hope is that with a new stadium, and some stability with our permanent director returning from his doctoral work, the band can provide for the audience without sacrificing any of our musical integrity, or any of the traditions that have arisen over the years.Okay lets break it down...What parts of Pre-game do you like?What parts of Pre-game you hate?Any suggestions for an entrance in the INFO? (as we probably can't do the same entrance we did at the rubber bowl)Any other comments about Pre-game in general?Also... don't suggest that we get rid of our music on the field... because you will only be preaching to the choir (The director wants music, the band members don't)Other than that....Let 'er rip!

Okay everybody.... calm down. I never knew that non-band people cared about the band this much!Honestly though, I am not making excuses, and though more $$ would help us band members feel more "big time," we can do much better with what we have. We are trying, or at least a large number of us are trying. Believe me, as a band member I would love to do a little trimming of the fat in our band, I would rather field 50 hard-corps Bad A$$es than 500 slackers. But the audience (as I understand it) demands a larger band.As far as playing what the audience likes....we try.Now this may be stretching it for some of you, but can we get some suggestions of music or show themes?Here are the ground rules: 1. Don't just say "PUMP UP MUSIC" or something... I want song titles.2. If you want us to play these songs for halftime, the tempo must be between 100 and 180 beats per minute (we can double or half-time march if necessary) Here is a metronome to help you find the BPM3. The melody cannot be a riffing electric guitar, as there are no marching band instruments capable of reproducing those sounds.4. The owner of the rights to the song must give us permission to arrange/perform the work.5. If you can't whistle the melody we can't play it (many rap songs)6. Every person in the audience must love the song. ;-)Other than that... go to town, if it is plausible, you may just hear your song next season...P.S. If all you want is a loop of the Jock Jams CD, or are so selfish as to only want to hear your own favorite "music", bring some headphones and an Ipod and stay out of this conversation, as we are trying to be constructive here, and you are not helping. We all know what our problems are, but how can we fix them? Any suggestions?... or just more complaints.P.P.S. If you really need the band to PUMP you up, maybe you should find a good anti-depressant or something.P.P.P.S. Sorry if I am coming off as a confrontational, but some of the pointed remarks on this thread seem like an attack on not only the lazy band members... but those (like me, and many others) who give their all to this band, those who: march on broken toes and torn ligaments, have vomited and and gone right back to playing, have broken fingers from spinning the mace, or have emptied their horns of blood after a performance. And, suggesting that we scrap the whole band program, and start anew is not only attacking those individuals, but the generations of Akron Marching Band members and directors who have contributed to the building of this program, and I will NOT stand for that, and I hope that some of the members of this board agree with me on this point.

Scott, you are right about the flags, and I personally would get rid of 'em and all of the woodwinds... but its not my decision.P.S. For any HS seniors (who probably don't want to join Akron's band after reading this thread) The annual band "Spirit Night" (HS recruiting even) is Monday, April 13 in Guzzetta Hall Room 09 at 7:00.

...Yeah!!! So cut us some friggin slack!!! But seriously, we in the band are trying, we are proud of what we have done.However, we are not content with our performance level, nor will we ever be, hence the constant attempts at improvement, and the comments on this board do help us (as long as they are constructive) so keep 'em coming... and remember people, "baby steps."

I only use Can't's band in comparison because it is such a blatant contrast. I would assert that Akron's band is better than plenty of other bands in many ways, but those aspects which make Ohio's Pride "better" are less obvious to the average fan. I understand that the goal of a band is to entertain the audience, but it is also the duty of any good ensemble to protect the art form and advance the sophistication of the audience. Much like football has officials and rules to protect THE GAME, music and band have numerous unwritten rules; many of which are being broken by some "popular" marching bands.Yes Akron's band isn't perfect, and we are not one of the popular bands... but we have enough pride, dignity, and love for the art of music to maintain a higher performance standard, albeit an unattainable one. Sure we could play easier music.... and sure we could play it extremely loudly... and sure we could hump the air and dance while we play...But that ruins the challenge for us, and it ultimately sells the audience short. We respect the audience too much to give you that type of performance.From my perspective; turning into a "showy" "popular" band would be giving up, like the American League allowing steroids so that their games can be more entertaining, or like the football team renouncing the rules in order to win. It is a slippery slope if we choose to lower our standards...which is why we refuse to do so. So if you guys don't respect the band for it's entertainment, at least give us a nod for our devotion to the art, and our values.

Uakronkid is right; the problem is that peoples’ tastes when it comes to a band are different…vastly. Football is easy; nobody cares if a team uses a west-coast offence, as long as they rack up the wins. But a band’s performance is much more subjective. The band attempts to be stoic and “in character” and somebody complains that they are being stiff or too boring, they cut loose a bit, and people complain that they are not behaving like a college band. They play pop music, and the older audience members all have strokes. They play the classics and the current students boo the director…(I remember a WE-WANT-GALEN cheer 2 years ago)Whether you realize it or not, the band is playing FOR you, and isn’t it the thought that counts? They are not horrible, in fact Akron’s band has consistently trounced Can't’s band for as long as I can remember (which is more that we can say for the football team) and if you look at their repertoire over the past 10 years, you’ll see that they are trying everything, performing various styles in an attempt to please the audience.Like any successful organization, the band assesses itself continuously every year, and is actively seeking improvement. Building a successful tradition is an arduous task, whether it is a football dynasty or a marching band. These things take time…. like YEARS. Believe me, the band kids understand how important this next season is to our university as a new chapter in our history, and they will do their best. So let’s stay positive folks. P.S. Personally I am excited to hear how the band sounds in the INFO.

Some videos to ponder:1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD2pDkPqQcU"%5d%20http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD2pDkPqQcU%5b/url%5d2%20%20%20%20%5burl="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RMqRwjiT" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RMqRwjiTUw3 We're trying people.... but if you want a 200 person band, we cant kick peoples' asses too much, and if you want a good band we'll have 50 people..... so which is it?

Right now I know of no dedicated band space in the new stadium complex. So if we're getting anything (even just some storage space).... its going to be a surprise.

Amen brotha!

I can't recall where.... but I remember reading the name "Hilltoppers"

Not for free it couldn't

Thanks guys... your praise means a lot. I'll pass it on.

It's 11:36.... and

You heard right, Mr. Karriker will be returning from Michigan State with his Doctorate... though he could get a better job with a doctorate...Let's hope he stays.

Yes, the album has all of the traditional tunes.Oh, and we have these things called "compact disks" now.....

Oh, and one more thing (sorry to keep interfering with your complaining)The folks at the Patriot Bowl asked us if we could do a patriotic show. So rather than playing America the Beautiful and Stars and Stripes... we thought we'd play something more pleasing to the audience.We do really try to entertain you folks. It’s just hard to please all of the people all of the time.

Talk's cheap folks... what do you want to hear?We in the band are open to suggestions, and if an idea is feesable, and has enough interest...we'll do it....And don't just say "play better music"P.S. For all of those old band members that think we walk all the time.... try adjusting your bi-focals and taking a look at pre-game. I think you'll find that the tradition of chair-step at Akron is still around...sans the convulsive horn swing.P.P.S. Learn the words to your fight song people...or maybe even the alma mater. P.P.P.S. The whole playing toward the away side at the Army game was dictated by the event coordinaters at brown's stadium. It wasn't us snubbing our "fans."P.P.P.P.S. Just FYI last year we were 156, and this year we are 181 (the drumline is marching make-shift uniforms, as we didn't have enough) The number of Sousaphones(Tubas) is exactly the same as last year, and we are marching with 104ish freshmen. And we have a new director this year, Mr. Michael Beard...so introduce yourself, and remember: If you don't have anything nice to say....