Random Mustang Band Question

[mustang92]

Does the band have anything in the budget to go to Boca?

The Band budget is an absolute joke. They are given less than $20K for travel for the entire year - that includes any potential away games for football + both conference tourneys for basketball. The instrument repair budget isn't enough to actually have all the instruments serviced one time at the end of the football season. When this is mentioned, they are told then are welcome to take money from some other line item in order to put more money towards instrument repair.

The Diamond M Club raises money to help subsidize the budget for travel, uniforms, instruments, etc. and also provide scholarship money for students. The Diamond M Club consists of a bunch of volunteers begging and pleading for money and support. The Band does not have paid staff like the Mustang Club or significant financial support directly from the University.

We get a lot of complaints about the size and quality of the Band, but not a lot of help to provide the financial support to actually make this happen. The average scholarship for a member of the Mustang Band is under $5K/year - which is laughable when considering the $75k/year price tag to attend SMU. I would love for the Band to be huge and fantastic and go to every away game, but you can't shop at Nordstrom on a Wal-Mart budget.

As far as Boca is concerned - I think the Athletic Dept and Student Affairs are working together to try to ensure they get there. At this point it's not certain if it will be the whole band or a "pep band." The Bowl should be providing this money for travel, so I'm not sure why it's even a discussion, but here we are....

Please feel free to support the kids and the organization and help make the Band bigger and better by donating to the Diamond M Club!! www.diamondm.club/join

[redpony]

quick question. IIRC Irving Dreibrot (so.?) had what was known as 98 guys and a doll. Regarding finances what has changed since then. Understand inflation has taken its toll but why no money?
Not trying to be critical or cynical just curious. Today we have a lot less band members yet they were well known, attended most games etc. Has the school admin. trashed the band program?

[mustang92]

quick question. IIRC Irving Dreibrot (so.?) had what was known as 98 guys and a doll. Regarding finances what has changed since then. Understand inflation has taken its toll but why no money?
Not trying to be critical or cynical just curious. Today we have a lot less band members yet they were well known, attended most games etc. Has the school admin. trashed the band program?

The Mustang Band was 96 Guys & a Doll during the Dreibrodt era. I'm not sure it's fair to say the school admin "trashed" the band program, but the overall support provided is certainly not the same that it was in the Dreibrodt days. American Conference away games are a lot bigger commitment from a travel perspective than they were during the Southwest Conference. 30-years of crappy football doesn't help with generating interest to participate or generating donations.

MANY of the guys in the Band in the 60s - 80s were recruited from the top HS bands in the State - not unlike football recruiting. They were given scholarships as big as half tuition. That's a far cry from what the kids get now relative to the cost of SMU. I don't know all the details, but there was no Diamond M Club back then. The University and the Athletic Dept provided enough budget for the Band to travel more and the kids to get bigger scholarships relative to the total cost of attending SMU. The budget for the Band has not remotely kept up with the increased cost of tuition, travel, instrument repair, etc. I'm guessing it was easier to generate support and budget money before the Death Penalty....

[mr. pony]

Band member, 1974-78
We never went to Tech during that time.
Missed Memphis St. too.

Took overnight busses to Bama once.

Bussed to play Arky in Little Rock once, Shreveport once.

[redpony]

92 and Mr. Pony- thanks for the responses. Sad that the admin. does not feel the band is an important part of the university. They always seem to have money for more fountains etc.- maybe they should give some of that to the band and help them out.
I can understand the additional travel costs to some locations might be too much but they could make some of the closer shools. Plus why are the schollies so limited? They do not cost the university 'out of pocket' money- same as athletic scholarships.

Hope that this situation will improve.