ATTN: People who run band

[DiamondM]

I appreciate the love for the Alumni Band, but it is incongruent with the misdirected disdain for the current Band. If you don't like the song selection of the current Band, you're really going to hate the song selection of the Alumni Band. Current Band generally plays much more up to date charts than Alumni Band, contrary to everyone's faulty memories about what the band is actually playing (hence my list above). And Alumni Band is beholden to the production staff's instructions just like the current Band. The main improvement would likely be the demeanor between timeouts while play is going on (but, in all honesty, not all the alumni are going to be jumping up and down going nuts either. We're old after all).

[photopony]

The band isn't going away. Every D1 school has a basketball band. I agree though the selection is lacking this year and there is zero energy coming out of that group, while playing and while not playing. Need more practice and need more energy. It starts with the leadership.

[ponywhupp9202]

I was the drummer in the basketball pep band my freshman year at Loyola of Chicago (I transferred to SMU my sophomore year). It was a very small band, and at the time Loyola played their home games at the Chicago Amphitheater, which was just a barn of a building. We were on a stage, not in the stands, kind of far away from the action, attendance was poor, and outside of the school's fight song (which I can't even remember right now) we played mostly poppy and jazz songs. It was miserable.

I think the SMU band does a great job, and their song selection could be better but is not terrible. I think maybe improving song selection slightly, having them play a little less often, and timing it correctly along with the total production coordination would help a lot. In other words, a few small changes could lead to a large improvement in my opinion.

[sadderbudweiser]

Think 1973. Then, 1977. Red letter dates in the Mustang Band's history. Google it if need be. Think piccolos and flutes, now joining our brass.

This.

[michiganstang]

For all those who want to remove the band and go all DJ: for the life of me I do not understand why one would want to remove one of the key elements that gives college basketball its unique flavor.

I've been to many, many NBA games and never once did the house DJ really effect the energy. If it was a close, exciting game the music was responded to with energy, if it was a bland, workaday affair, the music did little to effect it. One cannot blame the music alone for the mood (as Diamond M and others have pointed out).

Taking away, or muzzling, the band would be another step in 'corporatizing' the game, a trend across most, if not all sports. That is all well and good for the NFL, NBA, etc. where the product is unbridled athleticism at the highest level, but, for me, it is unneeded and unwanted in college sports where the selling point is great athletic achievement, to be sure, but coupled with nostalgia, tradition, and school spirit.

[smusportspage]

I 100% agree. I like the band with a mix of DJ thrown in.

[The Falcon]

For all those who want to remove the band and go all DJ: for the life of me I do not understand why one would want to remove one of the key elements that gives college basketball its unique flavor.

I've been to many, many NBA games and never once did the house DJ really effect the energy. If it was a close, exciting game the music was responded to with energy, if it was a bland, workaday affair, the music did little to effect it. One cannot blame the music alone for the mood (as Diamond M and others have pointed out).

Taking away, or muzzling, the band would be another step in 'corporatizing' the game, a trend across most, if not all sports. That is all well and good for the NFL, NBA, etc. where the product is unbridled athleticism at the highest level, but, for me, it is unneeded and unwanted in college sports where the selling point is great athletic achievement, to be sure, but coupled with nostalgia, tradition, and school spirit.

Couldn't agree with you more MichiganStang. The band has been "The Hub of SMU Spirit"
for so many years when we were not good. Some of the wives come to games just to hear the band and watch the videos. Some of the most vehement posters on this thread are fairly new and have come to Moody to cheer a winner and don't care about tradition or the band. I personally enjoy the band much more than the canned music and would like them to play more. I do agree with some of the irate posters about the band members becoming more vocal and rowdy

[SMU Section F]

For all those who want to remove the band and go all DJ: for the life of me I do not understand why one would want to remove one of the key elements that gives college basketball its unique flavor.

I've been to many, many NBA games and never once did the house DJ really effect the energy. If it was a close, exciting game the music was responded to with energy, if it was a bland, workaday affair, the music did little to effect it. One cannot blame the music alone for the mood (as Diamond M and others have pointed out).

Taking away, or muzzling, the band would be another step in 'corporatizing' the game, a trend across most, if not all sports. That is all well and good for the NFL, NBA, etc. where the product is unbridled athleticism at the highest level, but, for me, it is unneeded and unwanted in college sports where the selling point is great athletic achievement, to be sure, but coupled with nostalgia, tradition, and school spirit.

Couldn't agree with you more MichiganStang. The band has been "The Hub of SMU Spirit"
for so many years when we were not good. Some of the wives come to games just to hear the band and watch the videos. Some of the most vehement posters on this thread are fairly new and have come to Moody to cheer a winner and don't care about tradition or the band. I personally enjoy the band much more than the canned music and would like them to play more. I do agree with some of the irate posters about the band members becoming more vocal and rowdy

To be fair, a lot of people don't oppose a band, they just don't like our band.

I'm not a fan of the SMU band at all, but I generally try to just keep it to myself (and my group of friends). At the end of the day, anybody supporting SMU athletics is OK by me whether I enjoy their particular schtick or not.

And, as I've said before, I will always cut the band a little slack for the years where they composed 95% of the cheering at basketball games.

[DiamondM]

SMU Section F and others, have you been in other areas, or attended tournaments, and heard other basketball bands? I have. I've been to games at KU, Duke, Wichita State, Houston, Lamar, and UNLV, plus heard most of the rest of the Big XII and ACC at their conference tournaments, plus a number of other bands at NCAA tournaments. I can tell you that SMU's band is equal or better quality and selection than most of these basketball bands. (I played in the Duke band, and I have no problems saying that the SMU band is leaps and bounds better. I have many friends who played in the KU band, which is a very good basketball band, and I think SMU compares favorably with sound and selection to it. They do use an electric bass, as does UNLV's band, whose favorite tune to play is Viva Las Vegas -- not exactly current Top 40.) Most basketball bands play standard older tunes from 60s 70s and 80s, spirit songs, with a few more recent charts thrown in now and again. This is EXACTLY what SMU does. (HBCU bands are often the exception, but you do not, I repeat DO NOT, want a bunch of white students attempting what they do. It wouldn't turn out well for anyone). So I don't know what exactly you think you want from a different band. Please go scout some other college bball bands and let us know which band you would like the SMU band to be more like and explain exactly how you would like the Mustang Band to change.

What the Mustang Band lacks is not quality or volume, but timing (which is largely but not entirely controlled for them by the production staff) and unfortunately as of late, enthusiasm and energy when NOT playing.

[SMU Section F]

SMU Section F and others, have you been in other areas, or attended tournaments, and heard other basketball bands? I have. I've been to games at KU, Duke, Wichita State, Houston, Lamar, and UNLV, plus heard most of the rest of the Big XII and ACC at their conference tournaments, plus a number of other bands at NCAA tournaments. I can tell you that SMU's band is equal or better quality and selection than most of these basketball bands. (I played in the Duke band, and I have no problems saying that the SMU band is leaps and bounds better. I have many friends who played in the KU band, which is a very good basketball band, and I think SMU compares favorably with sound and selection to it. They do use an electric bass, as does UNLV's band, whose favorite tune to play is Viva Las Vegas -- not exactly current Top 40.) Most basketball bands play standard older tunes from 60s 70s and 80s, spirit songs, with a few more recent charts thrown in now and again. This is EXACTLY what SMU does. (HBCU bands are often the exception, but you do not, I repeat DO NOT, want a bunch of white students attempting what they do. It wouldn't turn out well for anyone). So I don't know what exactly you think you want from a different band. Please go scout some other college bball bands and let us know which band you would like the SMU band to be more like and explain exactly how you would like the Mustang Band to change.

What the Mustang Band lacks is not quality or volume, but timing (which is largely but not entirely controlled for them by the production staff) and unfortunately as of late, enthusiasm and energy when NOT playing.

I actually do agree that SMU's band is somewhat comparable to other basketball bands and I should mention I do not agree that the band is to blame for the "problems" at Moody. (Mostly because I don't think those problems actually exist, at least to the extent PonyFans.com seems to think they do.) I just really do not enjoy the football presentation of the SMU band and some of that prejudice carries over to anything the band does. (But I must once again say that I do respect that they are routinely the largest group of students at any game, so I generally keep my opinions to myself.)

[CalallenStang]

Section F - if your issue with the football presentation of the band is what they do in the stands, that is likely also controlled by our clueless game day presentation people. If your issue is with halftime, the easy thing to do to not have to watch something you don't like is to go get another beer.

[Pony ^]

Just stop playing Happy and Turn Down for What

[LA_Mustang]

As DiamondM points out, the problem with the game production is timing. We need someone who understands the follow of a college basketball game to run the show. When KF hits a three and then we get a steal for a dunk forcing the opponent to call a TO, they need to que the DJ to play SNA. Other times the band. Others times one of those ridiculous layup promotions (maybe 30 minutes before and after the game...kidding, kind of). The guy running it last year understood this process. I say we PonyUp the money and bring him back from Cincinnati.

[SMU Section F]

Section F - if your issue with the football presentation of the band is what they do in the stands, that is likely also controlled by our clueless game day presentation people. If your issue is with halftime, the easy thing to do to not have to watch something you don't like is to go get another beer.

It's kinda both... and I do generally avoid the halftime show. Like I said, I try not to be too antagonistic. Just because I don't enjoy it, doesn't mean the band doesn't have its place.

[SoCal_Pony]

I understand the role of the MBand and appreciate it, I do. I also know they're not going away.

My observations, and it comes from only 2 games, is that there's a real contrast in the presentation.

Modern music / hip-hop vs. Leave it to Beaver tunes & shooting games.

21st century vs 1960's

High energy vs BORING

It would be nice if the band was more rowdy and more in sync with the MOB. I also wish the Pom-Pom girls were more engaged and I see that through hip-hop dance numbers.