Marching Band ideas

[Zips DM]

I've noticed a lot of dislike of the marching band's repertoire, so let’s open discussion on the topic. Post suggestions for songs, or cheers, or halftime shows; any suggestions about the band that you want. Please try to stay positive. If there is a decent response to this post I will personally present the suggestions to the Director of Athletic Bands here at Akron, and maybe we will use your ideas next year.

[gozips19]

some stuff i like is the walt disney song and the dance the band will do from time to time...some stuff i don't like is that the band has a bad habit of playing songs that aren't with the flow of the game for example playing happy songs when the team is down or busting into song just after a int... stuff like that cut down on that and i think the band does a pretty good job with the songs we all know and love like the fight song and the eat em up song .... things like that never get old and build a legacy for future students to build onthanks for the post

[Sloopy]

They should all drink the kool aid and die

[zippyrifle32]

ignore sloopy, he's perpetually pms'ing anyways, the fight song and eat'em are are great, except i think the fight song is a bit over played. the biggest thing that makes me cringe is having rough cuts. i know the director is trying to play as much as he can (i'm thinking about b-ball season), then he has to cut for the game. usually those cuts are rough, with many people ending at different times, or slowly fade as band members realize they shouldn't be plain. i think just working on that alone would make the band sound better than most people realize. as far as song selection, gozips is right...the song tempo needs to match the momentum of the game at hand.

[Buckzip]

Put the fight song back to the ending it used to have. The trumpets finish on high notes which make it sound much nicer and flushier.Also, get rid of the eat um up crap. That is JR High school stuff. Major college bands do not play that crap.Play more flushy songs. A couple years back when UA played Hampton(I think).There were a couple other bands from the HBC league. All of them completely outplayed our band. We need to spice it up more. The band isn't exciting to listen to. IMHO

[Blue & Gold]

Pregame: I think the fight song is great! One of the best in the nation. But IMHO the "Eat'em Up, Eat'em Up, Go Zips, Go" has to go! It's hokey. And so very few people actually chant the trite and cumbersome "Eat'em up..." that it's downright embarassing.Mid-game: how about adding The Raiders of the Lost Ark score?! It's great & who doesn't get pumped up (and laugh at the same time) when they hear The Raiders score?!?! Maybe I'm showing my age?! Just an idea. Also - keep playing The Imperial March for the Defense - it's fantastic!!!

[Zipmeister]

What the band could use is a signature song and routine like (forgive me) OSU's script Ohio. I suggest a script kangaroo and at the end a tuba player (I can't spell sousaphone) marches across the top of the pouch and zips it up (by bandmembers in two lines bending together as the tuba guy walks by. They may have to increase the size of the band to present a good likeness of a kangaroo (500 may do it).

[zipsbandman]

As a former member of the band, I admit that there is lots of room for improvement. The fight song is way overplayed. We have the best fight song in the MAC. Don't ruin it guys. The halftime selections are downright abysmal at times, but some charts really hit the spot. Do away with those classical tunes and ballads. It's a football game for crying out loud. I love our pregame though with the high step. Keep that up. Hands down the worst band in all of college football is none other than Suprise Suprise But I'd say that the Akron band is in the top half of the MAC. There are a lot of talented musicians.

[UA Fan]

What would really do wonders for the marching band would be to have a nice sports bands endowment and pay a scholarship/stipend to the band members and majorettes. Award a couple of full rides to the most outstanding members and we could attract a lot of good student musicians/marchers like (cough, cough) OU.Theme from Rocky would be good for pregame or the 2 Live Crew thing...some good old stadium rock. If you keep trying different material something may catch on and become a theme / rally song like Hang On Sloopy did at tOSU. And/or commission a composer to create another Zips song to go along with Blue & Gold.I hope when we get the new stadium on campus the band will march up across Buchtel Mall from Guzetta, shortly before pregame, playing some kind of cool theme song or even just a rockin drum cadence...there's nothing better to stoke the crowd than the anticipation of hearing the drums beating in the distance and getting louder as the band approaches the stadium.

[Quickzips]

What would really do wonders for the marching band would be to have a nice sports bands endowment and pay a scholarship/stipend to the band members and majorettes.  Award a couple of full rides to the most outstanding members and we could attract a lot of good student musicians/marchers like (cough, cough) OU.

I would definitley go back to Marching Band (I was a member) if something like that were done. Unfortunatley what they have now (I think it is like $200 at the end of the semester) is utterly worthless. For one when you buy all of your mandatory equipment (shirts, hats, gloves, shoes, etc.) you pay almost all of that back out. Second off when you consider the time investment that you have to put into it that $200 comes out to only a couple cents per hour for the whole semester. Putting a substantial award (large scale scholarships) on the line would not only boost attendance but it would keep people motivated to actually try during rehersals and put on a good performance instead of just screwing around like usual.A few other things. Some of which have already been mentioned. Song selection can often be a joke. Cut the classical bs and play stuff that BELONGS at a football game. I know a few of the wonderfully out of touch music majors will moan and complain about not being able to play w/ the Cleveland Orchestra Trombone Section <yawn> or something like that again but come on. Is that really going to keep fans attention?If you guys are going to continue doing horn moves and whatnot in the stands either EVERYONE DOES THEM OR NOONE DOES THEM. From watching this year for the first time I can't even begin to tell you how halfassed it looks when a couple of people are doing horn moves in the stands while the rest of the band sits there looking like they have no desire to be there, let along put an effort into it.Lose Eat 'em up, keep Lets go Zips. Eat 'em up comes out too muddled during the cheer at the end and never comes out sounding right. Always sounds more like "Ed m p, ed m p go zits go." or something like that. Lets go Zips on the other hand is very clear and is pretty good if not overused. If you watch other games on the TV you will notice a lot of bands using it.Instead of having a huge repertoire of stand tunes, 50% or so of which will never be used or will sound horrible if it is used, cut it down to maybe 10-12 songs at most. Make sure those 10-12 songs (Blue and Gold, Lets Go Zips, Imperial March, Another one Bites the Dust, etc., etc.) are solid and crisp and are given even attention every game. And for the love of god please stop playing Zipadeedoda. I don't care if there is some big wig donor who likes the song it sucks and just reaks of mediocrity.Just to throw a halftime show theme idea out there how about a Queen Show (Bohemian Rhapsody, Another one Bites the Dust, Fat Bottomed Girls, etc., etc.) You can't go wrong with stadium rock

[Zips DM]

Thanks guys, these are good ideas, keep 'em coming.

[sgm405]

The band needs ENERGY....high steps, solid horn swings, up-tempo, fun songs. I love watching good marching bands, but usually ignore Akron's halftime shows. MORE ENERGY...

[zipper]

Putting a substantial award (large scale scholarships) on the line would not only boost attendance but it would keep people motivated to actually try during rehersals and put on a good performance instead of just screwing around like usual.

I thought the athletic department had to pay the band to be there at games. Yes, folks, this is true. So now you want to pay the individual students, and pay the band?As far as the fight song - does anybody except the band even know the words? What good does it do to play it a million times if nobody even knows it - heck the cheerleaders sing something in the middle that nobody even can understand. It's a joke. And I agree, ditch the eat em up stuff. Our band often looks like a bunch of geeks who are in denial that they are geeks. They look embarrassed to ham it up. Like they know they're supposed to be nutty college kids, but they're just so darn self-conscious that they can't let loose. The best bands know they are geeks and really ham it up. Or they're like the bands at HBCs (historically black colleges) who aren't geeks but know how to entertain and enliven crowds. My suggestion: Send one or two band members to several different schools within a five or six hour drive. Ask questions. Watch them do what they do best: have fun. Bring back a bunch of ideas and have a weekend band summit where everything is tossed out as a possibility. And work with the cheerleaders better. Talk about a disconnect. It's getting slightly better, but it's still really sloppy.I don't know the band director, but if he's wound too tight, which would be my assumption, then maybe we need some wild student assistance now and then. I just don't think our band gets athletic events, I really don't.

[Quickzips]

Putting a substantial award (large scale scholarships) on the line would not only boost attendance but it would keep people motivated to actually try during rehersals and put on a good performance instead of just screwing around like usual.

I thought the athletic department had to pay the band to be there at games. Yes, folks, this is true. So now you want to pay the individual students, and pay the band?As far as the fight song - does anybody except the band even know the words? What good does it do to play it a million times if nobody even knows it - heck the cheerleaders sing something in the middle that nobody even can understand. It's a joke. And I agree, ditch the eat em up stuff. Our band often looks like a bunch of geeks who are in denial that they are geeks. They look embarrassed to ham it up. Like they know they're supposed to be nutty college kids, but they're just so darn self-conscious that they can't let loose. The best bands know they are geeks and really ham it up. Or they're like the bands at HBCs (historically black colleges) who aren't geeks but know how to entertain and enliven crowds. My suggestion: Send one or two band members to several different schools within a five or six hour drive. Ask questions. Watch them do what they do best: have fun. Bring back a bunch of ideas and have a weekend band summit where everything is tossed out as a possibility. And work with the cheerleaders better. Talk about a disconnect. It's getting slightly better, but it's still really sloppy.I don't know the band director, but if he's wound too tight, which would be my assumption, then maybe we need some wild student assistance now and then. I just don't think our band gets athletic events, I really don't.

Ok, well let me go over for you what exactley it is that they pay us. $200 for the entire semester. Never mind that that is less than half of what it costs for tuition for the one credit hour class and about $100 of that goes towards paying for you three shirts (polo, white and blue t-shirt) as well as shoes, gloves, etc. Lets break this down as if you were being paid for an actual job.Semester is 15 weeks with three rehersals a week for 2:30 hours per rehersal give or take a bit. That is 112 hours and 30 minutes of rehersals over the entire semester. But wait, it doesn't stop there. Gameday Saturdays (please do not take this as a rant on not wanting to go to the games, you all know I loves me some Zips football) is a complete wash. Average game day we put in at least 8-10 hours of rehersals and game performances. For arguements sake we will say it is 8 hours for 5 home games (thats about what we've gotten the last few years on our schedule). So bump that 112:30 up another 40 hours to 152:30. But it doesn't stop there my friend. No, there is also band camp. 5 days of 9-9 plus the first Sunday of noon-9 so right there is another 69 hours. So now we are up to 221:30 worth of time invested into a one credit hour class. That $200 comes out to less than a dollar an hour for the entire semester. The football team is all on full scholarships (again, let me clarify myself, I am not trying to say that marching band members have to go through as much as football players like some of my delusional and jaded former fellow bandmates would like to believe) why not give a handful of dedicated bandsmen and women the opportunity at at least some kind of meaningful scholarship money instead of an insulting and idiotic $200 at the end of the semester? I shall remove myself from the soapbox.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think the University should hand out kazoos at the home opener this year and invite the entire audience to join the band in performing the fight song at the beginning of the game (maybe during too?) Maybe it helps form a bond between the band and the fans? I'm sure it could be marketed in a fun light (ie. "Hop on the Band's Wagon!").

[lilcat19]

OK, I am not band expert by any mean. I just like sports. But i'd recommend some newer songs. Change the songs each semester to whats popular. That will get the students into it, and the band members would probably be really excited to play them. Imagine the band playing a lil bit of Riding Dirty or something like that. Haha, just a thought

[AK-Zips]

Putting a substantial award (large scale scholarships) on the line would not only boost attendance but it would keep people motivated to actually try during rehersals and put on a good performance instead of just screwing around like usual.

I thought the athletic department had to pay the band to be there at games. Yes, folks, this is true. So now you want to pay the individual students, and pay the band?As far as the fight song - does anybody except the band even know the words? What good does it do to play it a million times if nobody even knows it - heck the cheerleaders sing something in the middle that nobody even can understand. It's a joke. And I agree, ditch the eat em up stuff. Our band often looks like a bunch of geeks who are in denial that they are geeks. They look embarrassed to ham it up. Like they know they're supposed to be nutty college kids, but they're just so darn self-conscious that they can't let loose. The best bands know they are geeks and really ham it up. Or they're like the bands at HBCs (historically black colleges) who aren't geeks but know how to entertain and enliven crowds. My suggestion: Send one or two band members to several different schools within a five or six hour drive. Ask questions. Watch them do what they do best: have fun. Bring back a bunch of ideas and have a weekend band summit where everything is tossed out as a possibility. And work with the cheerleaders better. Talk about a disconnect. It's getting slightly better, but it's still really sloppy.I don't know the band director, but if he's wound too tight, which would be my assumption, then maybe we need some wild student assistance now and then. I just don't think our band gets athletic events, I really don't.

Ok, well let me go over for you what exactley it is that they pay us. $200 for the entire semester. Never mind that that is less than half of what it costs for tuition for the one credit hour class and about $100 of that goes towards paying for you three shirts (polo, white and blue t-shirt) as well as shoes, gloves, etc. Lets break this down as if you were being paid for an actual job.Semester is 15 weeks with three rehersals a week for 2:30 hours per rehersal give or take a bit. That is 112 hours and 30 minutes of rehersals over the entire semester. But wait, it doesn't stop there. Gameday Saturdays (please do not take this as a rant on not wanting to go to the games, you all know I loves me some Zips football) is a complete wash. Average game day we put in at least 8-10 hours of rehersals and game performances. For arguements sake we will say it is 8 hours for 5 home games (thats about what we've gotten the last few years on our schedule). So bump that 112:30 up another 40 hours to 152:30. But it doesn't stop there my friend. No, there is also band camp. 5 days of 9-9 plus the first Sunday of noon-9 so right there is another 69 hours. So now we are up to 221:30 worth of time invested into a one credit hour class. That $200 comes out to less than a dollar an hour for the entire semester. The football team is all on full scholarships (again, let me clarify myself, I am not trying to say that marching band members have to go through as much as football players like some of my delusional and jaded former fellow bandmates would like to believe) why not give a handful of dedicated bandsmen and women the opportunity at at least some kind of meaningful scholarship money instead of an insulting and idiotic $200 at the end of the semester? I shall remove myself from the soapbox.

hoow about being in the band for the spirit of things and stop bitching. a lot of bigger schools run their pep bands, which are actually good, on a completely voluntary basis. don't try to call me out on it because this is a fact! The only reason you get paid anything is becasue it used to be hard to get band members to play at UA events. Hopefully that has been changing over the course of time. Thisi s now a way for you to be at the home of events for FREE and have a part in everything. Do you know how much is costs to bus the band and feed the band for two trips to detroit? i didn't think so. you gota free ride, food, tv exposure and went ot the MACC and motor city bowl for free! It's called perks... so shut it!

[Zips DM]

I think what my friend was trying to say, was that th $200 that we get, is an amount so small (considering how many hours we put in) that the thought of someone doing marching band for the money would be rediculous.As far as perks go, we (the band) are all extremely grateful to the athletic department for their support of the bands. But it is not the athletic department that has issues with our style. Which is why I started this thread. To see what the band can do better. Self improvement. Word on the street is that our new AD is intending to make Saturdays into more of a "college game-day experience" which means we all need to do our part; the fans, the team, the band, the cheerleaders, and the random drunk fans.

[ZipAlumn]

AK-Zips wrote ..... The only reason you get paid anything is becasue it used to be hard to get band members to play at UA events.  Hopefully that has been changing over the course of time.  Thisi s now a way for you to be at the home of events for FREE and have a part in everything. 

A litle historical perspective might be in order here ...My first day at the University of Akron I was sitting outside my dorm when Paul Winters (then Band Director) came up to me and asked me to join the Band. I never played and instrument and told him so, but he didn't seem concerned. I declined and later saw the Band at the Rubber Bowl during half time of the football games. This is the truth, they turned off the stadiium lights, and about thirty memebers of the Band walked on the field and played the Alma Mater, they turned off the lights again and the Band walked off. Talk about an embarrassment.The current Band could be improved (what organization can't be improved) but it has come a long way, and from my point of view is pretty damn good.

[interfx]

This was from a Band Blast from 1986, where we calculated the actual salary of an Akron Marching Band member. Back then we got paid $100 - which covered your semesters of books. Bottom line, it's not about the money! (never was)

Did you ever wonder how many blades of grassare on Jackson Field? How many of tehmsurvive the season? How many times does aUAkron Marching Band member pick up his/herfeet? How many miles do those feet march in aseason? How much money you are going tomake this year? How much money are yougoing to receive as Ohio's Pride? How muchyou make per hour of practice, travel, and performancetime? And at last a question that canbe answered... We have scientifically calculatedthe amount of time, in rough terms, that aUAkron band member puts in during the season:<li>BAND CAMP 32 HRS.<li>11 WEEKS OF<li>3 PRACTICES/WEEK 66 HRS.<li>6 SATURDAY PRACTICES 15 HRS.<li>TRAVEL/PERFORMANCE 120 HRS.TOTAL 231 HRS./ SEASONAt $100/Season231 Hours/ $100 = $ 0.43 / Hour<i>(editor's note : This was 1986 dollars -Inflation puts this number VERY LOW)This seems to be sub-standard pay. Then again,if you were here for the money, well no one'shere for the money. We are here because weenjoy it, better yet love it ( editor's note : That'swhy we ALUMNI keep coming back ) It takesspecial people. So even though we get paid inpeanuts, our real pay is that feeling you get aftera show when you're breathing hard and youknow you gave 110%.... </i>