Old Band Guy Speaks (Warning - A Very Long Post)

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

The athletic department just pulled off, in a short period of time, a package to put 10,000 kids in the stands over TG weekend. Could not the same be done by the band?

Bus service to Hawaii?

[panhandle_pony]

mrydel made a very interesting point regarding June Jones coordinating Hawaii to effectively fill in for the band. A funny story pertaining to same: I was at the Aloha bowl in '84. Our band was present but the Notre Dame band was in South Bend. Someone with an enterprising mind coordinated a "look-a-like" band comprised of local Hawaiians dressed in the Notre Dame band uniforms. They sat in the stands and continually played the Notre Dame fight song - the fight song only. Early in the game my then 7 year old looked at me and asked if you had to be Hawaiian to go to Notre Dame. His eyes were glued on the makeshift, fill-in Hawaiian/Notre Dame band.

[WSGJ]

She is not donating any money. She is just paying to mail two beaten down horses to Hawaii. I agree she has every right to do so but let's not make this out to be a big donation deal. We went to her and asked for the horses.

I stand corrected.

[Fresh]

Where do we talk about the football team? On the band board?

[Fresh]

I realize I'll get blasted for saying this, but the Mustang Band — and I love the band — is hardly the only organization on campus that puts in lengthy hours. I worked at the Daily Campus and for Rotunda (yearbook, for those who have been out of the university loop for a while), and a 2.5-hour day was a vacation. Students who run Greek organizations put in countless hours. Try running the student government, or serving on Program Council in fewer hours — can't be done. This isn't to belittle the time and effort the band-oleers put in, but it's just starting to sound like the band is more important than the rest of the students, or even worse, more important than the team that has earned the trip to a bowl game. I sincerely hope the band can go, but it is what it is: an extra-curricular activity. I realize it's one whose members care passionately about it, just as other students care passionately about their activities. Let's not act like being denied a free trip to Hawaii is a crime against humanity.

"Pride of Dallas"? Among ... Dallas-based marching band fans? Traditions are great, and those phrases are tradition-based, but that one, in particular, is rather outdated, don't you think?

[ALEX LIFESON]

Some of us on this site, work our tails off every year (for free), raising money and donating money for the Mustangs. Why doesn't OBG and the more vocal ones, get together, get organized, and get to work, on getting the Mustang Band to Hawaii? Instead of wasting time complaining, and expecting SOMEONE ELSE to do the work and fund this, why not use YOUR passion and energy, and get busy! Long live the Mustang band!

[ponyte]

Some of us on this site, work our tails off every year (for free), raising money and donating money for the Mustangs. Why doesn't OBG and the more vocal ones, get together, get organized, and get to work, on getting the Mustang Band to Hawaii? Instead of wasting time complaining, and expecting SOMEONE ELSE to do the work and fund this, why not use YOUR passion and energy, and get busy! Long live the Mustang band!

PM me. I am in Little Rock and not exactly next to the seat of power, but I will do what ever I can to help pull off the band trip to any bowl we get an invite. I donate to the SMU athletic department and they dona;'t ask anything from me other than for money. That doesn't mean I will not do what I can for SMU. Organize this and call me an I will help.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

"Pride of Dallas"? Among ... Dallas-based marching band fans? Traditions are great, and those phrases are tradition-based, but that one, in particular, is rather outdated, don't you think?

[deleted][deleted]

[mustangdm]

Although relatively new to posting on this board and having little credibility, I am in a position to attest to the issue of the original post.

A) The band is as of last Friday, not going to Hawaii, if that is the bowl we end up in, unless funds are found through private donors. Any other bowl in the continental USA would most likely be picked up by the university from some fund. The university is currently seeking donations for the band's Hawaii trip from the same donors that sent the band to the 2001 presidential inauguration.

B) The band falls under rec sports department and the directors of the band report to Dr. Lori White, VP for Student Affairs ([email protected]).

C) The band is currently seeking donors to construct a new band hall. The university would not and to my knowledge still has not given the directors direct access to a list of past university donors to make phone calls asking for donations. I would assume that this would be the same case if the band were to try and raise money for a trip to the Hawaii bowl on their own.

D) In regards to C, the band hall has been added to the Unbridled campaign so they are getting some attention by some people in important places. I would not point fingers at anyone in the university because there are people that do care about the band and are trying to see that the band is given the tools and rewards necessary to keep a top-notch organization and representation of the university. That being said, the band is a long way away from being recognized like it should, but finally steps are going in the right direction.

E) The Diamond M Club can be reached through diamondmclub.net. The band greatly appreciates everything this organization does for the band, including as others have said, provide greatly to the scholarship fund and provide meals and transportation help to the band on game days.

To SMU Cyclist:

Unfortunately, the intense music curriculum does not allow music majors time for the Mustang Band

This is a false statement as there are currently 13 music majors in the mustang band. Several of them also are double majoring in areas outside of music as well to be competitive in the real world. They obviously find time for things other than Meadows. The only reason I can conclude as to why the band does not pull more Meadows students is because of the negative attitude Meadows personnel takes towards the band. I hear these comments continually from students and alumni.

One of our alumni at Meadows wrote a dynamic (but alas, recorded only) fight anthem that could get the crowd in a feverish pitch for the team, but isn't used partly because the band has maintained an archaic attitude about music at football games, one more suited for leather helmets and 2-way players. Granted, music could be argued as being better for a band back then.

While I have not personally played this "anthem", I have never heard any positive comments about it. That should say something to your comments. I would suggest you look into the history and tradition of the band before making such ignorant comments as playing for leatherheads.


In response to Fresh's post, the band has been at every home football game and two or three away football games every year since the football team starting playing, minus the unusual cirumstances of some absences. Just like the cheerleaders, pom squad, and Peruna(don't forget the handlers either) have supported the team through thick and thin. The band deserves a trip to Hawaii to continue supporting the team like they have been for multiple decades. Also, not only does the band support the football team, but the university in general. In any given year, the band may show up at anywhere from 10 to 20 university functions to provide support and collegiate flair to anything from fundraisers, to banquets, to pep rallies. Constantly at the bidding of the university, the band shows it's face. Yet, they are rarely compensated beyond free food for their efforts. Please enlighten me to the last time a fraternity showed up at an SMU function and was able to provide energy to the event and lead the attenders in Pony Battle Cry and Varsity. (How many members of fraternities even know the words to those songs?)

While I am in no way demeaning greek organizations, your argument that these people put countless hours into their organizations doesn't lend credibility that said greek organizations should get to go to Hawaii just as equally as the band gets to go. Maybe if they would have actually sent their members to the football games to support the team throughout the losing seasons, instead of just boulevarding and going home.

If the Daily Campus put in more than 2.5 hours a day to produce their product, I think we would see a much better product out of them. That staff rarely spends more than two or three hours a day to assemble that paper. And it's only done three days a week.

I think the best thing everyone on this board can do is put in a call to the Athletic Department come Monday morning and start asking questions about the band being sent to Hawaii and see what it will take donations-wise. If you feel so inclined to give, ask them how you can go about that also. The Athletic Department will be overseeing all aspects of the bowl trip (assuming there is one), so I think they would be more in the loop than Dr. Lori White, who isn't in charge of bowl game planning.

My apologies for taking a long winded approach to this response. Beat Tulane!

[Bergermeister]

Perhaps the band needs to have support by being placed into a specific department within the school that can better nurture it and support it.

Put the M Band in the George W. Bush Presidential Center Department and add a state-of-the-art band hall right next to that think tank. The squeaky wheel is going to have to get mighty loud to get some grease. (Ray Hunt?)

[Bergermeister]

I worked at the Daily Campus.

Enough said.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

I realize I'll get blasted for saying this, but the Mustang Band — and I love the band — is hardly the only organization on campus that puts in lengthy hours. I worked at the Daily Campus and for Rotunda (yearbook, for those who have been out of the university loop for a while), and a 2.5-hour day was a vacation. Students who run Greek organizations put in countless hours. Try running the student government, or serving on Program Council in fewer hours — can't be done. This isn't to belittle the time and effort the band-oleers put in, but it's just starting to sound like the band is more important than the rest of the students, or even worse, more important than the team that has earned the trip to a bowl game. I sincerely hope the band can go, but it is what it is: an extra-curricular activity. I realize it's one whose members care passionately about it, just as other students care passionately about their activities. Let's not act like being denied a free trip to Hawaii is a crime against humanity.

"Pride of Dallas"? Among ... Dallas-based marching band fans? Traditions are great, and those phrases are tradition-based, but that one, in particular, is rather outdated, don't you think?

LOL@Comparing the time and effort that Mustang Band puts into rehearsals, performances and other events to "running Greek Organizations." Thanks for the chuckle. You clearly have no clue.

[Fresh]

I worked at the Daily Campus.

Enough said.

Get off your high horse. I'm not belittling the effort the Band puts in. But we used to be in the DC office from right after class until after 10 at night Monday through Thursday, and we covered just about everything that took place on campus, from athletic events to board meetings to Homecoming. For the record, we also won a lot of awards for having a damn good paper.

[mrydel]

Me, I have never been off of my little horse, and I have no horse in this fight, but, even you have to admit that stating our record as 11-1 in a one win season and not knowing how to spell the names of our football players (not even close) does lack a little journalistic integrity do you not? Hours worked is not a measure. Accuracy, fairness, and complete story should mean a little.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

For the record, we also won a lot of awards for having a damn good paper.

Didn't know that they gave out Razzies for College Newspapers.