Unacceptable Seating for Band in New Moody

[ponydawg]

[ponydawg]

same game, but remeber this, down by 1 with 14 seconds to go! Ended up winning by one I think.

[Rebel10]

So I went and found pics of the band during games. Surprisingly hard to find.

Here we have a recent picture:

I counted about 35 members.

Here is an older picture during the time of the previous band director without what is apparently now some kind if rotation scheme.

Clearly larger, not a great pic but blowing it up on the computer I count about 50. Makes sense as in this era the band was probably only 60-70 people at football games.

Definitely not 90 band members.

[2ndandlong]

I couldn't disagree with the letter more. I hope Hart spent less of his time on it than I did reading this thread.

[kelprinz]

Regardless of what anyone remembers or what anyone thinks it looks like, there are 90 active members of the SMU Mustang Band today. I was in the Band in the mid-90s, and we never had more than about 70 members then. I'm on the volunteer board that raises money to provide support for the Band. We feed them at every home game. I assure you that today there are 90. Really. I don't necessarily mind if the Band is required to have a rotation and limit the number of kids who can play in the Band during Basketball games. Basketball has always been different than Football. Games during the week rather than on Saturdays, and playing in the stands rather than marching formations at halftime allow for some flexibility. 50 - 60 Band kids courtside at a Basketball game can be a loud cheering section. 90 would be great, but they limit the count at NCAA Tournament games, so I could live with some reasonable number that's less than the full membership.

I'm also OK with the Band having to squeeze in and fit into fewer seats, but there has to be some allowances for huge drums, tubas, etc. Not everyone plays a small instrument and can easily take up just one individual seat of space. In the past, the Band has had an entire section, and they could spread out. It doesn't have to be exactly the same as it's always been, but they shouldn't get screwed. They are the loudest cheering section and should have adequate space COURTSIDE that provides for a reasonable number of members so they can play and cheer, impact the game, and set the tone for cheering among the other students in attendance.

Whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to the Band, they are a group of kids who are there on a mostly volunteer basis. They sit through Football games and Basketball games - win or lose, and provide the most consistent cheering section at all events in which they participate. They provide a service to the University at sporting events, parades, building dedications, Founders Day, Freshman Orientation, etc. Whenever the University needs something, the Band unconditionally answers the call. They take a lot of BS criticism from people who have never even held a musical instrument. They spend lots of hours preparing for performances, and they don't have the benefit of full scholarships or huge departments of tutors to help them with classes. When it 107 in August, and the Football team is practicing, the Band is in that same heat preparing for Football Season too. Then when the Football team makes it to a Bowl game or has an away game, it's always a craps shoot whether or not the Athletic Department is going to see fit to let the Band attend.

The Band is the University's - and especially the Athletic Department's - b*tch. I'm tired of the Mustang Band continuing to get taken for granted and taken advantage of - and sticking them off to the side in a tiny section of the New Moody where they can't be the main cheering section they've always been is insulting.

When a Basketball game is televised, and the crowd is sparse, the Band spreads out behind the basket to make it look better on TV. When the team (Football or Basketball) sucks, the Band stays to play Varsity when everyone else can give up and go home. They stay and cheer no matter what - even when the team (taking cues from the coach) doesn't have the decency to hang around and participate when they play Varsity.

You can complain about money or how many people you think it looks like or that you don't think they're very good, but they are the Hub of SMU Spirit, and they participate and provide the loudest support through the criticism and even with the University and the Athletic Department gives them the shaft.

[RGV Pony]

Yeah

[Rebel10]

Regardless of what anyone remembers or what anyone thinks it looks like, there are 90 active members of the SMU Mustang Band today. I was in the Band in the mid-90s, and we never had more than about 70 members then. I'm on the volunteer board that raises money to provide support for the Band. We feed them at every home game. I assure you that today there are 90. Really. I don't necessarily mind if the Band is required to have a rotation and limit the number of kids who can play in the Band during Basketball games. Basketball has always been different than Football. Games during the week rather than on Saturdays, and playing in the stands rather than marching formations at halftime allow for some flexibility. 50 - 60 Band kids courtside at a Basketball game can be a loud cheering section. 90 would be great, but they limit the count at NCAA Tournament games, so I could live with some reasonable number that's less than the full membership.

I'm also OK with the Band having to squeeze in and fit into fewer seats, but there has to be some allowances for huge drums, tubas, etc. Not everyone plays a small instrument and can easily take up just one individual seat of space. In the past, the Band has had an entire section, and they could spread out. It doesn't have to be exactly the same as it's always been, but they shouldn't get screwed. They are the loudest cheering section and should have adequate space COURTSIDE that provides for a reasonable number of members so they can play and cheer, impact the game, and set the tone for cheering among the other students in attendance.

Whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to the Band, they are a group of kids who are there on a mostly volunteer basis. They sit through Football games and Basketball games - win or lose, and provide the most consistent cheering section at all events in which they participate. They provide a service to the University at sporting events, parades, building dedications, Founders Day, Freshman Orientation, etc. Whenever the University needs something, the Band unconditionally answers the call. They take a lot of BS criticism from people who have never even held a musical instrument. They spend lots of hours preparing for performances, and they don't have the benefit of full scholarships or huge departments of tutors to help them with classes. When it 107 in August, and the Football team is practicing, the Band is in that same heat preparing for Football Season too. Then when the Football team makes it to a Bowl game or has an away game, it's always a craps shoot whether or not the Athletic Department is going to see fit to let the Band attend.

The Band is the University's - and especially the Athletic Department's - b*tch. I'm tired of the Mustang Band continuing to get taken for granted and taken advantage of - and sticking them off to the side in a tiny section of the New Moody where they can't be the main cheering section they've always been is insulting.

When a Basketball game is televised, and the crowd is sparse, the Band spreads out behind the basket to make it look better on TV. When the team (Football or Basketball) sucks, the Band stays to play Varsity when everyone else can give up and go home. They stay and cheer no matter what - even when the team (taking cues from the coach) doesn't have the decency to hang around and participate when they play Varsity.

You can complain about money or how many people you think it looks like or that you don't think they're very good, but they are the Hub of SMU Spirit, and they participate and provide the loudest support through the criticism and even with the University and the Athletic Department gives them the shaft.

I don't think anyone is questioning if there are 90 people in the band but do all 90 go to the games. The pictures show about 35 and that would allow a rotation of band members. On another subject, could they play something more up to date sometimes? If not fine but was just wondering.

[kelprinz]

There weren't 90 kids in the M-Band last year, so no, there weren't 90 at Basketball games before. We haven't had a Basketball game since we made it to 90 M-Band members.

[Rebel10]

There weren't 90 kids in the M-Band last year, so no, there weren't 90 at Basketball games before. We haven't had a Basketball game since we made it to 90 M-Band members.

However many they had did they all come to the game or was it just the 35 shown in the pictures?

[SoCal_Pony]

So I went and found pics of the band during games. Surprisingly hard to find.

Here we have a recent picture:

I counted about 35 members.

I demand a recount, that looks closer to 45 than 35 to me, if you assume everyone in red is a band member.

Also, you have to assume some band members are being blocked in this pic by the BB goal.

[DiamondM]

Yes, I see 7 rows of Band people. Tuba and percussion rows (top and bottom) have 4-7, but the others 5 rows appear to have 8-10 people in them. I'm telling you, people are thinking it is smaller than it actually is.

But that is beside the point. If the band was 80 people last year, and 1/2 to 2/3 of the band showed up for most games, and then for 3 or 4 big games all 80 people showed up, then you need 80 spots to guarantee the band. This year you need 90, but if only half the band plays at a particular game, then the band should not spread out and take up the whole 90, but should only take up 45 so that additional students can sit in the other 45 seats (assuming there is a huge demand for those other 45 seats.

[SoCal_Pony]

While I love the support of the SMU band, they never have done that much for me at FB games, certainly not at Ford. Don't mean to sound negative, I like them and all, but they are just another band IMO. On further review, I realize this is more due to the sparse crowds than the band specifically.

It is an entirely different animal though with BB. They are simply fantastic in Moody, they sound great, I truly enjoy listening / watching them play, much more than I ever have at Ford. Surprised and disappointed they are moving out of the bowl. Understand it is a most likely for financial reasons, but this is at the expense of game day experience, which is a shame.

That was a good letter DiamondM. I also agree with you that 35 is too little an allocation, should be 50 minimum. Good luck and keep us posted on any updates.

[mrydel]

Dear Mr. Hart:

Please do not put the band right behind me.
Thank you.

Mark

[SMU89]

Does this mean the xylophone player won't be at the basketball games?

[smusic 00]

So are they above the railing, or just not on the floor? Sounds like SMU sold some court side seats below the basket so the band gets pushed up a bit, or am I misreading? Those posts are too long for these boards.

In short, could you tell us where the band was told they would be sitting?