SID - Move the band

[smupony94]

The band played to 104 as we heard them loud and clear

[pwnyxpress]

I wonder what is heard, if anything, behind the glass?

[mrydel]

The band played to 104 as we heard them loud and clear

I never heard them. Of course I cannot here Arkpony either and he sits right next to me.

[RGV Pony]

I wonder what is heard, if anything, behind the glass?

not much

[One Trick Pony]

Nordstrom is having a sale

[SMU Spartan]

Did not hear the band almost at all at the game. Sure did hear the Baylor band playing white noise during our huddles.

[Arkpony]

The band played to 104 as we heard them loud and clear

I rarely heard them if at all and I am in 104

[gostangs]

Yes PK - you are correct. I meant north. Also i think pulling them out onto the grass and pointing them into the stadium is a really good idea. Could set up risers on the grass closest to the student section and point them back into the stadium. That should really be looked into pronto.

[DiamondM]

The band (as with all aspects of game presentation) definitely can improve. But critics should base their criticism on facts, and I want to correct a couple of things:

1. Music on the field and in the stands included: Fireball, Uptown Funk, Light Em Up, Shut Up and Dance With Me, and several other current tunes that I, a 43 year old woman stuck in the 80s and 90s as far as music goes, do not know the title or artist. I saw students dancing along with a number of them. I know that at least one time, the band played a song during a game break that several breaks later the PA played. Can we put the notion that all the band plays is 1940s tunes to rest? Thank you.

2. SID, I'm sorry, but it is not true that the band wanted to be where it is. It was told the students were being moved, and the band with it. Since it needs access to stairs to reach the field for halftime, its options were limited. Given its current position, and the placement of the opposing band in the bowl, the problem is going to repeat itself. Louder MIC volume may help some, but it won't alleviate the problem.

3. As for size, the Band would love to be bigger. Let me put to rest the ridiculous belief that the Band is happy being small and is intentionally limiting its numbers. Recruiting for the band is difficult, more difficult than you can imagine. Texas high school bands are essentially burning out kids with their virtually year-round rehearsal and competition schedule. Although the Mustang Band takes significantly less time than Texas high school band that kids are used to, they still don't want to do it -- even when offered money. I know for a fact that more than one kid turned down an $8000 scholarship because they were "done." (Why only $8000? Because the university funds NO full scholarships for Band members, and usually even less than $8000. The Diamond M Club raises money to defray some scholarship and other costs that are not provided in the university's budget, but its annual fundraising, if spent only on scholarships and nothing else, would fully fund about 2 additional players at today's tuition, room & board).

4. Why can Baylor and TCU and Texas field a bigger band (other than the obvious -- big time games and successful programs)? Because music majors are REQUIRED to be in the marching band for at least a few years (North Texas also requires it of music majors). Not only are music majors NOT required to be in the Mustang Band at SMU, many of the Meadows professors are openly hostile to their students being in the band and threaten loss of scholarship if they play in the band (we also know of at least 1 engineering advisor that threatens loss of engineering scholarships for playing in the band). So the Band is swimming upstream. If any of you would like to offer legitimate help or suggestions in its recruiting efforts, please contact Don Hopkins. 214-SMU-BAND. (But since the University just took away the Band's part time secretarial position as part of its budget cuts, you may have to leave a message).

[One Trick Pony]

☆

[Pony Boss]

Wow, SMU academic staff members and their never ending bs never cease to amaze me. SMU should just fire all these hostile staff members that aren't all in with the schools vision.

[SMU Spartan]

Wow, SMU academic staff members and their never ending bs never cease to amaze me. SMU should just fire all these hostile staff members that aren't all in with the schools vision.

It's actually funny. I was able to finish my engineering degree just fine. In fact I would argue the band helped my time management quite a bit.

[DiamondM]

Wow, SMU academic staff members and their never ending bs never cease to amaze me. SMU should just fire all these hostile staff members that aren't all in with the schools vision.

It's actually funny. I was able to finish my engineering degree just fine. In fact I would argue the band helped my time management quite a bit.

Yes, there are actually many SMU Bandsmen with engineering degrees. (other advisors within the engineering school range from very supportive to indifferent). Some kids are all in to participate in band the day they walk onto campus, but when you're a freshman on the fence about band participation in college and someone is warning about losing your academic scholarships, it's easy to fall off that fence on to the side of not participating. I was not in the engineering school, but if I was an alum, I'd go to the school as an alum and demand that she be instructed to (it's a she) stop lying.

[RGV Pony]

just checking in on this thread.

Yall saw the part where SID said "we're not going to move the band," right?

[Puckhead48E]

just checking in on this thread.

Yall saw the part where SID said "we're not going to move the band," right?

When the hell has something like that ever had an impact on this board?!?