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I appreciate the band's support game after game. BUT...

DON'T PLAY THE FIGHT SONG AFTER SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS!!!

ie. Baylor blocking a punt in the first quarter and ending up with the ball inside the 20 is NOT A TIME TO START UP THE SMU FIGHT SONG!!!!

Please, whomever is responsible for prompting songs, learn the game!!!

also, get some freakin tubas and fight fire with fire. i know thats not our tradition, but augment it. we need the noise.

The directors of hte Mustang Band will appriciate any comments. This was the first game for the new head director. As far as "get some freakin tubas" y ou are more than welcome to offer some scholarship money to the band so they can get more than 59 people. The band was outnumbered probably more than 4 to 1. You can thank the university for that one.

outnumbered 4-to-1 and from where I sat, stil was louder.

Plus, they didn't play a tribute to QUEEN. Man, just when you think Baylor couldn't get more hypocritical, they pay tribute to "queens" and fat bottomed girls.

SMU did beat Baylor very badly in the baton twirling department. Our SMU twirler absolutely SMOKED the Baylor twirlers single handedly.

Don't play after something bad happens? They might as well not show up to games at all if that's the rule...I doubt the SMU directors are looking for bad plays to strike the fight song.

And about the tubas, since you all seem to have a hard time understanding this: SMU HAS TUBAS, 5 of them I believe (almost a tenth of the total band)...they are held over the shoulder, rather then wrapped around the player. You all see these big shiny SOUSAPHONES (a TUBA that is just reshaped so it can be carried easier) in the back row of every other band and assume that means instant volume. A sousaphone is no louder than a regular tuba, the only difference is in numbers (which I'm sure Baylor had the edge on) and mental perception (bigger/taller must equal louder). SMU has done this since the 50's, and I'm not saying it was started at SMU, but more and more bands (high school, college, drum and bugle corps) are starting to turn in the sousaphones for the over-the-shoulder models like the Mustang Band uses.

I'm sure that's more explanation than you wanted, but it's valid.

If Coach Bennett can figure out a way to alter the admission requirements so junior college players are more readily admissable, and SMU we can build a million new buildings per year, or if SMU can raise the money to fund an education degree, they can find the money for more instruments and for scholrsahip. I love our band, but I can't remember the last time they looked and sounded equal to the opposing band. The membership should be doubled, at least.

You're totally right, SMU could scrape up the money if they wanted to, but they don't really care. They think the same way of the band as the athletic dept, the mentality of "well we have one, that's nice, who cares if we don't really want it to be the best" instead of "why bother doing something unless we want to be the best." The band falls under the recreational sports and spirit office. Not to downplay the importance of their jobs, but the band is basically governed by the same people that run intramural sports and the dedman center. In other words, not a high priority area for the school in the grand scheme of things.

So not to beat a dead horse, but the band pretty much has to rely on donations from the Diamond M Club and other random gifts. Right now they are trying to get a big endowment started in order to build up money for more scholarships.

And I will disagree with you on the point that the band hasn't matched volume of other bands. The last 5 years, the band consistently equaled the sound of bands from UH, TCU, Rice, La Tech, etc.

MustangSally wrote:.... Not to downplay the importance of their jobs, but the band is basically governed by the same people that run intramural sports and the dedman center. In other words, not a high priority area for the school in the grand scheme of things.

So not to beat a dead horse, but the band pretty much has to rely on donations from the Diamond M Club and other random gifts. Right now they are trying to get a big endowment started in order to build up money for more scholarships.

Sally, thanks for the information. Let me give a little history. The Mustang Band used to be in the athletic department, but because of budget constraints, was moved to the student affairs department since they are considered a spirit group. This is a good home for the band.

The Diamond M Club is growing as more and more fans realize the importance and traditions of the band. Our membership has risen 200% over the past 3 years, and contributions have increased 300%. We are starting to get there, but we need more and more help.

If every SMU fan would contribute $100, we would be able to significantly increase the size and sound of the band in a very short time. This year the Diamond M Club is funding the band's trip to Tulsa, since the school can not afford it, and we have introduced the new Jack Rohr scholarship.

You can become a part of the Diamond M Club at www.diamondmclub.org and click on Membership. We have an online membership form and your membership dues are tax deductible.

I can't wait to welcome all the ponyfans to the Diamond M Club. We welcome you and truly appreciate any and all support.

www.diamondmclub.org/membership.htm

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The band played the fight song after the blocked punt, in order to try and rally our football team, not in support of the blocked punt.

PERUNA is not just a victory song, but the fight song. It can be used to inspire the team to fight harder, which was the objective in this case. If we sat and did nothing, comlaints would be lodged against the band for not "doing something."

The Mustang Band is at the game to support the team, and that is what we do. Coach Bennett appreciates the great support given to the team by the band (first hand knowledge).

We have a clue. We are some of the best and most loyal Mustang fans.

If band scholarships were available, it would've been nice to hand one to all of those Roosevelt High band members working the concession stand last night. Hell they were doing cheers when they didn't have customers...these from people with less of a vested interest than a lot of those sitting on their hands late in the game.

I was more concerned with the PA system telling folks to make noise when it was our ball and third down.

If there was a problem with 'support'-- it was not the band.

It's the pathetic SMU crowd. If it had not been for the BU fans, I would have thought I was in the middle of the HP public library.

MustangSally wrote:And I will disagree with you on the point that the band hasn't matched volume of other bands. The last 5 years, the band consistently equaled the sound of bands from UH, TCU, Rice, La Tech, etc.

being in the band the last four years i've seen us take on other bigger bands first hand..though i haven't seen UH first hand.. i've been there to bury TCU both here and there, the MOB(Rice) is fairly easy to beat sound wise, La tech we buried at their home, and we have also stood toe to toe with the big schools, like Texas Tech which i think we took them but a nose, we stood toe to toe with OSU also and they were probably either the same or a litttle bigger than the Baylor band. We can play loud there isn't a question of that.

Peruna Knight wrote:being in the band the last four years i've seen us take on other bigger bands first hand..though i haven't seen UH first hand.. i've been there to bury TCU both here and there, the MOB(Rice) is fairly easy to beat sound wise, La tech we buried at their home, and we have also stood toe to toe with the big schools, like Texas Tech which i think we took them but a nose, we stood toe to toe with OSU also and they were probably either the same or a litttle bigger than the Baylor band. We can play loud there isn't a question of that.

Unfortunately, how the band does during halftime does not do anything for the W-L record! Lately, while those in the band think that they have "won" halftime, we have been both TCU and Rice's [deleted] for years!