SMU JumboTron Heard in Oklahoma Last Night

[SMU89]

a couple of years ago?? - I pay attention but you can hardly ever hear them from the home side b/c they are tiny. And yes I donate to the band. A lot of room for improvement. At Moody, it's just plain annoying.

If you donate to the band, you better start donating to the tailgate.

[GoodGirl]

The fans in my section all commented about the music....THEY LOVED IT and so did I!!!

[SC Pony]

Sorry, but I hate commercial music at a college game, especially rap.

Like 65 said, it's OK top have some downtime in between plays.

"you got to feel sorry for the people living across the street." Yeah. Great way to improve relations with UP.

"People are always gonna find a reason to complain about something." I don't have a problem with people complaining about something that sucks bad.

[DiamondM]

Marching bands are becoming obsolete anyway. Their original goal of being entertaining is now seldom met in a meaningful way by any band. It just can't compare to modern music through the sound system.

The only advantage of a live band is simply being live. I propose we try morphing the band into a, or a collection of, modern music acts.

Set up a solid rock setup with one o several bass, guitar, drums, singer. Also setup a DJ or two for various rap and electronica.

Perhaps combine them in one versatile group.

That is either sarcasm, or complete BS.

The marching band most definitely adds to the atmosphere in college football, and yes, even fires up the crowd and the team, when done right. Unfortunately, the Mustang Band and the stadium Jumbotron operator/marketing staff seldom do it right. Just turn on an SEC game on tv, close your eyes, and listen to it. That is the way college football is supposed to sound. Music IMMEDIATELY after every play (spirit music on offense and menacing music on defense)-- no waiting for the stadium operator to give the go ahead through the headphones or waiting to get horns up or decide what you're going to play. Horns should always be up and ready. Playing until just before the snap of the next play. No buzzkill ads or promos during the game (except at halftime after the bands have marched) repeated ad nauseum.

Can our band kick other bands' butts twice or 3 times the size of the Mustang Band on the field? Absolutely. (And if you don't think a marching show at half time can energize a crowd, go check out the video of the Ohio State band at half time against Nebraska and listen to the crowd reaction). But in the stands most bands that have come in have, I am pained to admit, have done more for their teams than ours, in large part because the Mustang Band has been handcuffed/muzzled by the marketing staff about when to play, but some of the fault is with the band too. The comment about dead space being filled is revealing. There should not be dead space to just "fill" if the band is doing, and is allowed to do, its job in the stands. And as much as I hate that damn Houston train kick off thing, it is CONSISTENT and effective. They do the same thing for kickoffs EVERY time, which gets the crowd participating. We do have 1 band thing that the band does that gets the crowd to participate, but there was at least one time that our completely oblivious Jumbotron operator played right over it with whatever Top 40 song they came up with that time.

That is not to say that there should never be music piped in. I actually think a well placed "Jump Around", AC/DC, Gangnam Style, or whatever is great (well, not whatever -- there is a real art to doing this) -- but it should be used sparingly and predictably in certain spots. Wisconsin gets the whole stadium jumping before the 4th Quarter to Jump Around. Virginia Tech is whipped into a frenzy with Metallica before the opening kick off. Even UCF uses the zombie nation ditty effectively. We, on the other hand, have scattershot, random stuff played all the time, incessantly. The only consistent piped in thing we do sucks -- that non-descript and yes, very loud, 3rd down music that sounds like remixed Kenny Loggins, or is that Richard Marx that did Highway to the Danger Zone?

Rant over.

Pom squad uniforms, on the other hand, are nice this year though. Much improved.

[couch 'em]

Sorry, but I hate commercial music at a college game, especially rap.

Like 65 said, it's OK top have some downtime in between plays.

"you got to feel sorry for the people living across the street." Yeah. Great way to improve relations with UP.

"People are always gonna find a reason to complain about something." I don't have a problem with people complaining about something that sucks bad.

The music is up for debate but the people living across the street can stick it. They moved across the street from a football stadium.

[TidePony]

I'm sure they hate the fireworks too! Too bad!!!

[Arkpony]

DiamondM's post is right on. Too much piped music and not enough band. And it WAs seemingly random and completely at odds with the game and our band. STOP IT!

[PK]

For all you band lovers, tell them to play up to date music like every other college band in America. I will rant about that, b/c they don't play anything interesting to me. I think plenty others agree - especially in Moody when there is nothing else happening. Old Jazz standards are not interesting at a football or bball game. Does nothing to fire anyone up.
Beans is about the only thing that gets anyone going and they need another variation of that. Thanks!

You mean like A&M. Please...the crap most of the opposing team bands play is not only not "up to date" but plain corny. I doubt seriously any college band plays anything that is interesting to you. If I am wrong name one. None of them are playing rock and roll if that is what you mean by "up to date". Our band is one of the classiest bands out there and if you can't see that, it probably means you are still out at the blvd. or standing in line at a concession stand during half time.

[Arkpony]

PK is absolutely right.

[Bergermeister]

For anyone else who attended Thursday night's game: are your ears ringing today, too? That JumboTron audio system just plain sucked last night. So loud it was ridiculous.

For whatever reason, the Mustang Band has gone downhill... Total lack of pizzazz. Until they re-group, I'll take the ear splitting jumbotron. Better than the obnoxious sound of the Houston band, too.

[Pony147]

For all you band lovers, tell them to play up to date music like every other college band in America. I will rant about that, b/c they don't play anything interesting to me. I think plenty others agree - especially in Moody when there is nothing else happening. Old Jazz standards are not interesting at a football or bball game. Does nothing to fire anyone up.
Beans is about the only thing that gets anyone going and they need another variation of that. Thanks!

They played Lady Gaga and Kanye West at the last game. wake up

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

But I thought if you didn't like SMU traditions (geldings, etc.) you were a traitor and hated SMU?

Other than Peruna, there isn't a greater SMU tradition than The Mustang Band!

[ponyte]

I thought it was great. The sound syustem was so loud that it drowned out the UH band when they played their song as the UH team ran onto the field.

[DiamondM]

I thought it was great. The sound syustem was so loud that it drowned out the UH band when they played their song as the UH team ran onto the field.

Yeah, except that it also drowned out our band when our team ran on the field.

[Longtime]

Just a guess here, but I wonder if the scoreboard speakers sounded louder because there were so few people at the Houston game?

We actually had butts in seats for the A&M game (and a noise-dampening rain storm for TCU). I'm no audio engineer, but I'm guessing sound bounces off empty bleachers and concrete a lot better than it does people.

And I agree with everything Diamond M said above. There is an art to game presentation and whoever is in charge is trying very hard, but is not an artist.