Band / crowd Question

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The band needs to start the tradition of frequently playing just a snippet of The Rouser...like play the "Minnesota, hats off to thee" bit when we get a 1st down...D stops them, etc... Oklahoma band does that with "Boomer Sooner" and "Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains...." Texas also does that with "The eyes of Texas are upon you..." The fans love that, it keeps the band involved more, and it's not some quick music clip that has nothing to do with your favorite school/team.
 

DCinOK said:
The band needs to start the tradition of frequently playing just a snippet of The Rouser...like play the "Minnesota, hats off to thee" bit when we get a 1st down...D stops them, etc... Oklahoma band does that with "Boomer Sooner" and "Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains...." Texas also does that with "The eyes of Texas are upon you..." The fans love that, it keeps the band involved more, and it's not some quick music clip that has nothing to do with your favorite school/team.
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Correct.
Either that or “rah-rah-rah for ski-u-mah”.
Don’t drown it out with the PA announcer.

Play it after first Downs, 20 yard gains, tackles for loss, turnover and forced punts.
 

pharmacygopher said:
They used to be crammed into that tiny little section but it seems like the band has slightly more room than before at least

I wonder if they reconfigured things and gave the band an entire section, maybe in one of of lower bowl corners, the sound would be amplified better?
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I think the band would be best seated at the open end of the stadium. They would have to ne spread out a bit more and the sound would fill most of the place. Plus, they would be more visible to the fans.
 

GoldGoldGold said:
I don't know the breakdown of the band of brass vs woodwind, but if its 50/50, that would make the MN brass contingent much smaller than Ohio States brass. (MN 320 members, 30 of which are percussion, 290 divided by 2 equals 145 brass.... vs Ohio State 220 members minus percussion is around 190 brass)
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It's not 50/50, more brass than woodwinds.
 
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short ornery norwegian said:
Could be worse - I was watching a HS FB game on the internet. the home team was "The Mustangs." Every time they got a 1st down, the PA guy played a sound effect of a horse whinny. After about 3 1st downs, I had to mute the sound. BTW, the Mustangs lost 44-18. I was not upset.....
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Reminds me of the 3rd down chainsaws at Oregon St
 



It's that damn sunken pit they are in, you hear them outside the stadium and they sound as loud as any band you hear on TV. One of the poorest design things in this stadium is that band pit. If could put even some pads on that concrete it would be better. We have a huge band compared to other schools and the composition of instrumentation has nothing to do with sound. I wish they still had the smaller groups that moved around like the dome days, especially a group over in the open end of stadium. Listen to them during pre game and they are really loud. They actually have a pretty good sound in the lower deck.
 

Sounds are waves that impinge on our ear drums and the barain interprets the motion as a sound.
Just as the brain does for light waves. There is no "color" in nature just reflected waves.
The sound waves in the Bank are much more likely to be "lost" than in a more enclosed stadium like PSU or WI has.
 

The thing that really bugs me about our stadium is the way change or mistakes in the original construction are handled.

1. Someone got their wires crossed and designed the band pit to fit 300 fans instead of 300 band members. Not only is the pit too small but it also muffled the sound of the band. Solution? Seat a third of the band outside the pit and then just live with the diminished sound.

2. Original stadium construction featured 11 flag poles - one for each team in the conference, with the center pole taller for the MN flag. Conference then grows from 11 to 14 teams. Solution? Throw out the B1G flags and replace all 11 flags with generic MN flags. Wash hands, “good enough.”

They simply need to re-design and reconstruct the band pit to seat regular fans while moving the band to the NE corner of the first deck where they can be seen and heard much better. It will never happen though, because…
 



Schnauzer said:
The thing that really bugs me about our stadium is the way change or mistakes in the original construction are handled.

1. Someone got their wires crossed and designed the band pit to fit 300 fans instead of 300 band members. Not only is the pit too small but it also muffled the sound of the band. Solution? Seat a third of the band outside the pit and then just live with the diminished sound.

2. Original stadium construction featured 11 flag poles - one for each team in the conference, with the center pole taller for the MN flag. Conference then grows from 11 to 14 teams. Solution? Throw out the B1G flags and replace all 11 flags with generic MN flags. Wash hands, “good enough.”

They simply need to re-design and reconstruct the band pit to seat regular fans while moving the band to the NE corner of the first deck where they can be seen and heard much better. It will never happen though, because…
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Oh, and bathrooms on the upper concourse.
 

Schnauzer said:
The thing that really bugs me about our stadium is the way change or mistakes in the original construction are handled.

1. Someone got their wires crossed and designed the band pit to fit 300 fans instead of 300 band members. Not only is the pit too small but it also muffled the sound of the band. Solution? Seat a third of the band outside the pit and then just live with the diminished sound.

2. Original stadium construction featured 11 flag poles - one for each team in the conference, with the center pole taller for the MN flag. Conference then grows from 11 to 14 teams. Solution? Throw out the B1G flags and replace all 11 flags with generic MN flags. Wash hands, “good enough.”

They simply need to re-design and reconstruct the band pit to seat regular fans while moving the band to the NE corner of the first deck where they can be seen and heard much better. It will never happen though, because…
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100 % this
 


Taji34 said:
You realize that the mace twirling is like the least important thing the drum major does nowadays right? And that a comittee of 5 or 6 former drum majors pick the finalists, which are then voted on by the band. Who are you to say they aren't B1G Drum Major material?
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Then don’t have her twirl at all, have her focus on what she’s good at. And yes any Drum Major who drops their batton 8 times in 5 minutes is definitely not Big 10 material.
 




Unregistered User said:
Yeah, but the right music, at the right time can help create the “big situation”.
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Hey, hey slow down there. PJ does not believe in momentum, I’m sure you are aware.
But, maybe we could manufacture some and make him a believer. He does acknowledge the crowd and their contributions. So, like a lot of PJ’s “culture philosophy” it has many ya butts.
 

Sorry, I would prefer not to compare a football marching band to a symphony orchestra. They are two very different sounds for my vote.
 

Schnauzer said:
The thing that really bugs me about our stadium is the way change or mistakes in the original construction are handled.

1. Someone got their wires crossed and designed the band pit to fit 300 fans instead of 300 band members. Not only is the pit too small but it also muffled the sound of the band. Solution? Seat a third of the band outside the pit and then just live with the diminished sound.

2. Original stadium construction featured 11 flag poles - one for each team in the conference, with the center pole taller for the MN flag. Conference then grows from 11 to 14 teams. Solution? Throw out the B1G flags and replace all 11 flags with generic MN flags. Wash hands, “good enough.”

They simply need to re-design and reconstruct the band pit to seat regular fans while moving the band to the NE corner of the first deck where they can be seen and heard much better. It will never happen though, because…
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Post of the Day!
 


60's Guy said:
Sorry, I would prefer not to compare a football marching band to a symphony orchestra. They are two very different sounds for my vote.
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That won’t happen until they add the Rosin and Bow section!
 

Taji34 said:
You realize that the mace twirling is like the least important thing the drum major does nowadays right? And that a comittee of 5 or 6 former drum majors pick the finalists, which are then voted on by the band. Who are you to say they aren't B1G Drum Major material?
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Well, I was a music major and rank lieutenant of A-rank (front t-bone rank) in the U Band in 1968, 69, and 70. I had the privilege of marching behind one of the GREAT D. M's. of all-time, Jim Mitchell. I also knew and saw Dick Johnson quite well (Dick was the D.M in the "62 Rose Bowl). I've traveled to every Big 10 Stadium except Rutgers and have seen their marching bands. Though I'm no expert, I think I know my Drum Majors better than most fans.
 

GoldGoldGold said:
I don't know the breakdown of the band of brass vs woodwind, but if its 50/50, that would make the MN brass contingent much smaller than Ohio States brass. (MN 320 members, 30 of which are percussion, 290 divided by 2 equals 145 brass.... vs Ohio State 220 members minus percussion is around 190 brass)
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It depends on the overall sound that you are after. The OSU band has always had a tradition of being all brass and percussion. Their sound is VERY clean, as is their marching. Personally, I love their sound and their look, they are very precise and disciplined, their lines and diagonals on the field are something marching bands try to emulate. I also think "Script OHIO" is probably the best College Football tradition that I've seen in person. If you love college football, that is as good as it gets. Again, this is my opinion. Marching Bands have their origins in the military (John Philip Sousa, etc) and I'm a little old school, I admit.
 


go4rob said:
Then don’t have her twirl at all, have her focus on what she’s good at. And yes any Drum Major who drops their batton 8 times in 5 minutes is definitely not Big 10 material.
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go4rob said:
Well, I was a music major and rank lieutenant of A-rank (front t-bone rank) in the U Band in 1968, 69, and 70. I had the privilege of marching behind one of the GREAT D. M's. of all-time, Jim Mitchell. I also knew and saw Dick Johnson quite well (Dick was the D.M in the "62 Rose Bowl). I've traveled to every Big 10 Stadium except Rutgers and have seen their marching bands. Though I'm no expert, I think I know my Drum Majors better than most fans.
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1. Again, it is a Mace that the Drum Majors twirl, if you're going to comment on the twirling at least use the correct words

2. With confidence I can say the both Drum majors during my time in band (2013-2017) have made those exact same drops more than once (either during practice or performance). Via your standards they weren't B1G caliber then either? And also, why didn't you bring this criticism up with them? Were you not watching them as closely?

3. Maybe, just maybe, do you think the qualifications of a B1G Drum Major may have changed in the 50 years since your time in the band? Many other things have (rank lieutenants aren't a thing anymore, women are allowed to be full members of the band, etc).

4. Are you insinuating that you know how to pick a drum major better than a literal committee of former drum majors?
 
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Taji34 said:
1. Again, it is a Mace that the Drum Majors twirl, if you're going to comment on the twirling at least use the correct words

2. With confidence I can say the both Drum majors during my time in band (2013-2017) have made those exact same drops more than once (either during practice or performance). Via your standards they weren't B1G caliber then either? And also, why didn't you bring this criticism up with them? Were you not watching them as closely?

3. Maybe, just maybe, do you think the qualifications of a B1G Drum Major may have changed in the 50 years since your time in the band? Many other things have (rank lieutenants aren't a thing anymore, women are allowed to be full members of the band, etc).

4. Are you insinuating that you know how to pick a drum major better than a literal committee of former drum majors?
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1. You are correct, it is a "mace". Not all Drum Major's carry one, some carry battons.
2. I can't remember if I criticized the Drum Major's between 2013 and 2017 and I don't see the connection between that and this discussion.
3. I'm sure the qualifications HAVE changed, but if they did, they should be even tougher today than 50 years ago. Regarding Rank Lieutenants, you were the one that opened the door on that one asking me what makes me some so-called expert. I probably have more of a band background than the average fan. On a side note, are you aware of the reason that all Big 10 Marching Bands were all-male from WWII until the mid-70's? It was because the only way a male student at a Land Grant University could keep their 2-S deferment from the draft, was to join the campus ROTC or join the Marching Band. This rule only applied to male students and any male that could play an instrument or fake it, joined the marching band. The only reason I know this is because I had to make a presentation to the Board of Regents in 1968 along with Dr. Ben and we were asked the question by a couple members of the Board. I had no idea at the time, but Dr. Ben explained it to them.
4. I cannot answer that question because I don't have enough background. on who else auditioned for the position. I have been involved in the drum major auditions a few years back through the Band Alumni Assn. however, and I was involved in the auditions and selection of the Drum Major for the 451st Army Band 1971 - 1980 and was assistant Band Master of that organization the last 4 years that I was in the Army.
 

Band members arguing about band on a Gopher football board.

LOVE. IT! 👏
 



I've sat pretty much everywhere in that stadium. I don't recall being unable to hear the band. From now on I will pay close attention.

I do like that they sit amongst the students; but like Schnauzer said, their pit was not thought out very well and I often that it looked pretty crammed in there.

Anyway...I love our band. If there were no band the atmosphere would be gone and I doubt I would have the same desire to go to a game. It'd be like a Vikings game...
 

FredCoxRocks said:
I've sat pretty much everywhere in that stadium. I don't recall being unable to hear the band. From now on I will pay close attention.
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Same. I'm a little confused about this whole conversation actually.

The band is a big part of the package and ... I hear it a lot.
 

go4rob said:
1. You are correct, it is a "mace". Not all Drum Major's carry one, some carry battons.
2. I can't remember if I criticized the Drum Major's between 2013 and 2017 and I don't see the connection between that and this discussion.
3. I'm sure the qualifications HAVE changed, but if they did, they should be even tougher today than 50 years ago. Regarding Rank Lieutenants, you were the one that opened the door on that one asking me what makes me some so-called expert. I probably have more of a band background than the average fan. On a side note, are you aware of the reason that all Big 10 Marching Bands were all-male from WWII until the mid-70's? It was because the only way a male student at a Land Grant University could keep their 2-S deferment from the draft, was to join the campus ROTC or join the Marching Band. This rule only applied to male students and any male that could play an instrument or fake it, joined the marching band. The only reason I know this is because I had to make a presentation to the Board of Regents in 1968 along with Dr. Ben and we were asked the question by a couple members of the Board. I had no idea at the time, but Dr. Ben explained it to them.
4. I cannot answer that question because I don't have enough background. on who else auditioned for the position. I have been involved in the drum major auditions a few years back through the Band Alumni Assn. however, and I was involved in the auditions and selection of the Drum Major for the 451st Army Band 1971 - 1980 and was assistant Band Master of that organization the last 4 years that I was in the Army.
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I'll just round out with this:

First off, apologies if I came off overly antagonistic. I was responding to what I thought was an unfair criticism that was being targeted only at the most recent drum major, even though other recent drum majors had done similar things. Thank you for the insight about the band in the 70s, that was not something I knew personally, and I think you are very lucky to have been a member of the band while Dr. Ben was around.

I do think you should give the current drum major some slack. The OSU game was the first live performance in front of a crowd in over a year and a half for most of the band, and it was her first performance as Drum Major. Obviously some high expectations, excitement, and nerves may cause more errors while performing than usual (I know I certainly made mistakes in live performances that I never made in practice). What we don't know is how often that drop happens, maybe that's the first time she's had that many drops while running the pregame routine, maybe every time she ran it in practice it was perfect. We don't know.

If you judged Matthew Trickett on just his performance in the Colorado game you'd think he was a terrible kicker, but everyone can have bad days and not fully represent how good they actually are at a skill (how many olympic or professional athletes have "choked" when it mattered the most even though clearly they were the most talented?). We have the luxury of knowing the results of Trickett's career as a college kicker, but we don't have the luxury of know how many times the drum major made all those tosses in practice.

I just think it's that perspective that everyone should keep in mind before writing off the Drum Major after 2 games as not B1G material.
 

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