UH Has Band Day!--Ohio U, Too! Why Not North Texas?

PlummMeanGreen · September 8, 2013

Moving forward and moving on beyond Ohio U, folks which we should all do much sooner than later and................ just one more thing before I have to really get back to preparing for a Sunday afternoon wedding I'm DJ'ing today.

Do we have room for almost 1,500 to 2,000 high school bandsmen most likely all sitting in Apogee's upper Wing Zone for any future home game? 'Twould have been nice to have such a group at our Rice U game on Halloween wouldn't it; albeit a week night game may have prevented such since some area HS's even play varsity games on Thursday nights, too. Anyone else like me hate those camera shots of a mostly empty Wing Zone in our highlight videos?

I discussed this via PM with UNT Alumnus Association President KRAM1. Back I had submitted this thoroughly written Band Day idea to the UNT administration of that day (Hurley & Company), then Green Brigade Director Robert A. Winslow with what even many of you back then who were there on that Game Day called a successful 1'st Annual Bands Over Texas At UNT". Actually, some of you who were around in the 60's said Maurice McAdow used to have Band Days at North Texas every Fall.

All this took place during the Corky Nelson era but problem was...

.................Green Brigade Director Robert A. Winslow didn't want to do a 2'nd Annual Bands Over Texas. It just wasn't his kind of thing to he wanted to do. Fact is, many DFW area High School bands came to our very first one.

For that Bands Over Texas @ UNT we had AM marching band competitions and guess who else came up to Denton town to take part in this 1'st annual event? Hows' bout' SMU's fine neighbor, ie, the Highland Park HS Marching Band who won their marching competitions level that day?

UH does not have similar marching competitions but has all their area HS bands meet for a morning rehearsal to get ready for a mass bands show during a Game Day half time show. That would be the easiest way to have a Band Day these days.

I was on the planning committee for the first one and even came up with the name "Bands Over Texas At UNT" which the late Robert A. Winslow and his fine Assistant Dennis Fisher seemed to like as far as this promotions name.

Understandably most likely too late for this Fall for such an event, but if any school could pull this off but moreso now in a much different era than the Winslow era it would be this present group over at the UNTCOM starting with our superb GB Marching Band Director.

Just a thought for a school of which music is one of our strongest points. HINT: Band Days are very much fan crowd-pleasers, too. UH once had one in the Astrodome in the mid 60's which drew over 13,000 bandsmen. I was at that one as a Band sponsor so I could have an excuse to watch my (then) favorite team, the Houston Cougars.

Folks, the U of North Texas should own any Lone Star State-based Band Day event and promotion.

That's all for now...gotta get back to wedding music planning.

Edited September 8, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

SilverEagle · September 8, 2013

Jim, I'm with you on this. After all, I wouldn't have seen North Texas in the 60's if my HS band had not participated in the NT tradition of Homecoming/Band day.

BUT, we have a hard enough time coordinating the Mean Green march. So, coordinating a Band Day?

Christopher Walker · September 8, 2013

If you think a bunch if bands with all the sousas, drumline etc are going to haul up into the WingZone, you're kidding yourself.

UNT does yearly host it's own quasi-band day event called "Sounds of the Stadium" featuring at least all of the Denton area high schools. It's more of a separate concert though away from game day and has been held in Fouts and the Coliseum. If I'm not mistaken Dennis Fischer and Nick Williams manage that event.

I think you'd be hard pressed to logistically make a game day Band Day work as the only place to put them really is the upper student sections and I'd imagine many directors would balk at baking in the sun for so long.

I do however agree that we are the university in our state who should rightly own such a thing. Considering the vast amount of music educators we churn out across the state, it'd be easy to think we actually run things most everywhere,

PlummMeanGreen · September 8, 2013

If you think a bunch if bands with all the sousas, drumline etc are going to haul up into the WingZone, you're kidding yourself.
UNT does yearly host it's own quasi-band day event called "Sounds of the Stadium" featuring at least all of the Denton area high schools. It's more of a separate concert though away from game day and has been held in Fouts and the Coliseum. If I'm not mistaken Dennis Fischer and Nick Williams manage that event.
I think you'd be hard pressed to logistically make a game day Band Day work as the only place to put them really is the upper student sections and I'd imagine many directors would balk at baking in the sun for so long.
I do however agree that we are the university in our state who should rightly own such a thing. Considering the vast amount of music educators we churn out across the state, it'd be easy to think we actually run things most everywhere,

At least this thread gets some fans out of depressing themselves over getting beat by the projected MAC East Divisions champion and also their apparent Hiring Authority roles of wanting to fire Chico, eh?

1,500 bandsmen at Apogee don't have to necessarily sit in the Wing Zone. You could put them where UNT will seat many of its CUSA West traveling fans some of whom will bring more than 1,500 fans to future Apogee games.

If the present MG Brigade Director is interested in this kind of music oriented and Game Day school promotion and decided to pursue this...it will happen; if he does not, then...it won't happen--simple as that. We do have room for the bandsmen at Apogee whether it be OOC or conference games if he decides to do it, though.

As the Egyptians say: Where there's a wheel, there's a way.

GMG!

Just finished a 4 hour Itunes song set for today's wedding which I will DJ.. Now going to have a bit of R & R and get ready for another hot weekend day event. GMG.com as R & R? I know....get a life!

Edited September 8, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

letsgiveacheer · September 9, 2013

Just back from the Ohio game and enjoyed that they hosted a Band Day. I'm not sure the season opener was the smartest time to do this as the stadium was pretty full.

Referring to the old NTSU Band Days, almost every high school band director in Texas owed their job to Mr. McAdow as he was quite the deal maker. Not too many weeks went by without a superintendent calling him and asking for a recommendation. So the directors felt obliged to attend.

I can tell you first hand that while it may have been enjoyable for the students, most of the directors wanted nothing to do with it.

As an aside, the Ohio band was a real source of pride for the fans. They marched like it was 1975, complete with spats and overlays! Silver would have approved!

Edited September 9, 2013 by letsgiveacheer

Andrew Balettie · September 9, 2013

As a Green Brigade alumnus and current high school band director, I have to say that it's not as easy as it sounds...especially with budgets being next to nothing. Also, the competitive landscape in October for high school marching bands literately lends to no free Saturdays for the last two weeks of September through all of October. In addition, when you take 200 students to an event, you have to collect 200 permission slips, get 200 meals, pass out 200 uniforms, etc.

I would love for my band to come out, but it is completely and totally more work than it is worth and has little to no educational value. What will my students get out of going to a UNT game? Playing a couple of corny tunes at half time that no one, including the Green Brigade students, wants to play?

Food for thought...

Edited September 9, 2013 by Andrew Balettie

drex · September 9, 2013

And so, like many North Texas alumni, you can add up the reasons not to support your alma mater. In fact, I read into your statement that you are basically ashamed of your alma mater. It does not have to be corny. Why should high school students show up to visit the main music engine in college musical education in the state? Maybe they want a look at the school and maybe the school wants a look at them.

UNTFan23 · September 9, 2013

And so, like many North Texas alumni, you can add up the reasons not to support your alma mater. In fact, I read into your statement that you are basically ashamed of your alma mater. It does not have to be corny. Why should high school students show up to visit the main music engine in college musical education in the state? Maybe they want a look at the school and maybe the school wants a look at them.

I didn't. I saw someone that has school budgets to deal with along with a mountain of paperwork plus a workload for himself and his band where they have to learn drill and songs for upcoming high school FB games and marching contests.

Unless you have actually done a "Band Day" at a local college/university (as a high school student) you have no idea how much of the time is expended having to learn a couple tunes that you will only play for that one game and never again. Keep in mind you might have had to travel an hour or two for an away game the night before!

I did it several times @ TCU (back when they were in the WAC and still awful -- mid 90's) and I just remember sitting up in the stands bored out of my mind. Before the game even started we spent several hours learning the half time performance which consisted of marching our from the sidelines or end zones to a designated spot and then camping there for the remainder of the show. We were on the student side so we sat in the sun for a long time and roasted until the sun set. All in all, you spend the entire day for a few minutes of music. If you are a junior or senior with a job, you'd likely end up missing the Band Day because the odds of being able to miss 2 nights of work might not be possible.

Band Day's are a low rent way to increase your attendance numbers and should be avoided, IMO.

Edited September 9, 2013 by UNTFan23

Rudy · September 9, 2013

So they can't e-mail the permission slips?

Andrew Balettie · September 9, 2013

And so, like many North Texas alumni, you can add up the reasons not to support your alma mater. In fact, I read into your statement that you are basically ashamed of your alma mater. It does not have to be corny. Why should high school students show up to visit the main music engine in college musical education in the state? Maybe they want a look at the school and maybe the school wants a look at them.

Excuse you.

I am at every home game, 6 hours ahead of time and I do not leave until the band does. I support the team more than most and am a proud member of the alumni assoc. You have no idea what you are talking about.

Also, the majority of high school band students do not want to major in music, so your argument there is invalid. It is not a recruiting tool for the UNT C.O.M. The fact of the matter there is that my want to support my alma mater is outweighed by the lack of educational value for my students. It would be much more beneficial to take them to a concert than have them play boring music at a football game.

They do not recruit for music and if they did, marching band is not the best, or even a good, way to get a look at a potential musician.

It's not about me "not supporting my alma mater;" it's about putting what is best for my students first.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Andrew Balettie

Andrew Balettie · September 9, 2013

So they can't e-mail the permission slips?

Lol...has nothing to do with the physical papers.

Getting students to fill them out/turn them in would be the issue.

Christopher Walker · September 9, 2013

And so, like many North Texas alumni, you can add up the reasons not to support your alma mater. In fact, I read into your statement that you are basically ashamed of your alma mater. It does not have to be corny. Why should high school students show up to visit the main music engine in college musical education in the state? Maybe they want a look at the school and maybe the school wants a look at them.

Wow. You do not get it.

To me, as a recent UNT music grad, this comes back to the discussion of other threads about ya'lls grievances with the Green Brigade and its leadership. You all point to Ohio, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Michigan as the models for what our band, its entrances and pageantry should be. The problem with this argument is that those bands are not a part of the UNT College of Music.

But Christopher, that doesn't make sense, the CoM is the largest and one of the top music schools in the country, right?!? Exactly. Those other school's bands' performances on Saturdays have the high possibility of being the pinnacle of musical and entertainment achievement for their members. At UNT, some of those moments may come on the field, but for the vast majority of music majors, the true achievement of our craft will come elsewhere; in the concert halls, competition award lists, and in future classrooms.

And like Andrew mentioned, the CoM does not widely advertise or recruit in the ways you would think. The students and music it crafts is all the recruiting it needs. The CoM by far and away has the lowest acceptance rate of any other college at UNT, and for good reason.