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Posted (edited)

Michigan would kick our asses on showmanship (making a grand entry etc) we would kick their ass on musicianship.

And BTW, thanks to all you music majors and/or GB apologist, who wouldn't know a (overall) great band performance if it bit you in your collective asses, for all the negative votes.

Sound is the main thing that separates the Green Brigade from most all other NCAA FBS college marching bands.

If the Green Brigade moved around with the vigor & intensity that describes most Big 10 bands (like Michigan's) they might not be able to maintain that great sound quality since our marching band makes those great sounds most times when they are standing in stationary mode.

Comparing the great Green Brigade Marching Band of the U of North Texas to most Big 10 marching bands is almost an apples & oranges thing..........IMO. I appreciate both kinds of marching bands and if we play the Wolverines of Michigan, I assure you they will know all about our Green Brigade and it national reputation.

__________________________________________

Bill, did I ever show you this diminutive pic of a UH Band Day, circa 1967, in the Astrodome? I know you've said on many occasions how late, great UNT Marching Band Director Maurice McAdow used to do these every Fall when you were a student. Note: There are 13,000 bandsmen in this pic and I'm in the stands watching them. Skitch Henderson of the Tonight Show was the guest conductor. (Doc Severinson would follow Skitch as Johnny's next Tonight Show music director).

card00735_fr.jpg

7:22 PM Addendum: This link tells about the beginnings of Band Days.

http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbart/aofband.htm

Edited by PlummMeanGreen
Posted (edited)

Does the North Texas marching band director have his PhD ?

Not sure...but he was my drum major while in the green brigade...at least he is a north texas guy...

Edited by THOR
Posted (edited)

Playing Michigan in Dallas would be the best case scenario for us.

There is a tie into our last bowl victory.... That year, Ohio state was on the brink of being beaten by Cincinnati.... And they ended up winning that game and then the national championship.

Well, now Michigan took Ohio state to the very end only to see The buckeyes win in the end...

Now Ohio state has a spot in the national championship game(if they don't poop the bed)... I would love for UNT to play a demoralized Michigan team in our neck of the woods. Not saying I am confident of a victory over Michigan, but I do think we could hang tough with a middle of the road big 10 team this year. Plus, and of course least importantly, we are 1 and 0 against the big 10.... Unless I have missed a long history with that conference...

Great point, SHOSS!

And as you posted with Cincy' almost beating who would be NCAA national champion Ohio State that season we did go ahead and beat Cincy' in that year's New Orleans Bowl.

I live to see the day its North Texas pulling off those kind of upsets and with McCarney at the helm, I see that happening down the road--maybe even down the road that ends up in Austin next Fall? :)

GMG!

Edited by PlummMeanGreen
Posted

I forgot to tell you that last Saturday(UTAlamo), while following the band in from the Mean Green March, that I got a chance to ask the band director why it was that they don't march into the stadium, rather than just running out there to get in place? He said.."we just don't have time to work that in".

Well, we were walking with the band as they marched along to that cool beat they do along the sidewalk, and the guy is a great guy(sorry can't remember his name), and thought to myself, "but they are doing it now, why can't they do it as they enter the stadium???". So I went ahead and asked him again in another way, and pointed out to him how cool it would be if they would just simply do what they were doing right now? And he immediately repeated himself "yeah well, we just don't have the time to work that in". And I let it go.

So, the answer to your long standing question as to why the GB does not march into the stadium with showmamship is....they simply don't want to.

Rick

Is it possible there is simply not enough time between the players leaving the field and the band needing to be in position for pre-game?

Posted (edited)

I like a marching band that runs out on the field en mass before they begin their show.

Good for some bands--not good for others? We can't expect that all bands will be doing

the same thing, can we? How boring if they did.

GMG!

PS: I post YouTubes of the Green Brigade on my Facebook page periodically shows how damn proud I am of them.

Edited by PlummMeanGreen
  • Upvote 1
Posted

NT91 brilliant!!!! That would be the ultimate. The HOD Bowl, a tribute to Hayden Fry! Once last "thanks" from two programs that he turned around. What fun! How fun for Coach Mac! That would be just too grand!!!!

NT91 has got it!

  • Upvote 1
Posted (edited)

Is it possible there is simply not enough time between the players leaving the field and the band needing to be in position for pre-game?

Plenty of time...I marched from 95-97 and we had a pregame show as well as a halftime show...nothing elaborate pregame, but we marched out...spelled UNT. ..or other formations and played. This was under the direction of Dennis fisher... Edited by THOR
Posted

Plenty of time...I marched from 95-97 and we had a pregame show as well as a halftime show...nothing elaborate pregame, but we marched out...spelled UNT. ..or other formations and played. This was under the direction of Dennis fisher...

Nick did this as well at Fouts, though with new restrictions in time allowed and space at Appogee, it's not the same as when you marched.

Posted

Nick did this as well at Fouts, though with new restrictions in time allowed and space at Appogee, it's not the same as when you marched.

True...or a different belief in leadership and what he should put on the field. .

  • Upvote 2
Posted (edited)

Silver....

The "style" you refer to of the GB is "Corps" style. Check DCI.org for a better idea of what the GB is going for.

Dr. Williams is the director of the GB you refer to and his response to Rick is spot on. The students in the GB make a huge time commitment in order to play more difficult music (better than most, btw) and march substantially more difficult drill (also better than most) than the large majority of college marching bands. Oh, and they only get 1 credit hour for the six hours/week they rehearse.

The idea is that it is substantially more important to put on a great half time show than to walk on the field in a certain way...

Comparing us to Michigan in band terms (and Michigan is AWESOME at what they do) would be like comparing a 72 Stingray to a brand new C7 Corvette. Both are gorgeous and have incredibly appealing aspects that may fill the holes of the other.

Let me first clarify that I am NOT, NOR HAVE I EVER been critical of the bands style of marching during the main body of the half-time show. Drum and Bugle corps style.....yes I get it., Why do the music majors who response to my critical remarks always conveniently ignore this? The style that I am talking about is how the band enters the field for pre-game.......which sets the tone for the crowd to get pump up and ready for the game. Both u-tubes that I posted clearly showed this.

I also can tell (and I've said so in the past) that the GB sees their main job as putting on a Great half-time show. My stance has always been that JOB 1 is promoting spirit and getting (and keeping) the crowd into the game. THAT is what both of the u-tubes that I posted showed. The crowds were clapping and anticipating a grand entrance by the bands and they LOVED IT WHEN THE BANDS MADE THEIR GRAND ENTRANCE. THIS CARRIES OVER TO WHEN THE FOOTBALL TEAM ENTERS THE FIELD.

You car analogy sucks as much as the GB pre-game entrance. Comparing the Michigan Band's pre-game entrance vs the GB pre-game entrance is like comparing a 72 stingray to a 62 ford falcon. Since you have a hard time understanding me, the GB is the 62 Ford Falcon.

Oh, and you march around the tailgating area in the red/blue parking lot sucks as well. The whole band comes across as a bunch of disinterested students who's attitude seems to be.....yeah well, rah, rah.......whatever.

Forgot to add as well that as a music education major (the vast majority of the band) learning techniques for Corps style marching is highly beneficial to your career. The best high school programs in the country march Corps style and being an alumni of the GB makes you look very hireable in an interview for a high school BD gig.

It's very annoying to me that the director and students of the GB basically see this as a lab for music education majors to enhance their resume's rather than being part of the most important spirit organization on campus. This University has a very bad reputation for spirit traditions, or the lack thereof. And this attitude of we're-only-here-to-put-on-a-half-time-show-and-get-our-1-credit-for-doing-it" only perpetuates that sad reputation..

Does the GB out-play their competition when they have any? Hell yes. But the GB does it only for themselves, not for purpose of promoting the spirit of the University.

The first five minutes of this u-tube expresses the point I'm trying to make very clearly. Lots of conversation from the Band members that they are there for the University and the Team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLZClP7ZCnI

I will say it again. It is my belief that the GB is there for THEMSELVES ONLY.

Edited by SilverEagle
  • Upvote 1
  • Downvote 1
Posted (edited)

If the whole team shows up to play like they did against Rice and Ball State, we could take a Michigan team that nearly crapped its pants at home against Akron...but not if they come out as the team that nearly offed Ohio State. Well, maybe. Both teams had ups and downs, so there's no way to know how we'll fare against them until the game is played...IF they are our opponent. I don't see a bowl with such a good payout taking Texas State unless they travel in-state really well. As I noted in the other thread, the ACC and MAC have some really good teams that are likely to get left out of their regular tie-ins. So if we don't see Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska...I'd suspect for a decent payout in a warmer climate in a great city, we'd get a pretty awesome opponent. I'm betting the payout for #4-6 Big 10 are probably similar to what HoD offers, so if they get an early offer we can still be pretty likely to see one of the teams in the middle of the B1G show up with us in Dallas. If not, I'd expect to see one of the ACC or MAC teams that is likely to otherwise sit at home rather than 6-6 Texas State.

Why do you say Texas State, that sounds horrible. They were 6-6 yes, but they were 2-5 in the Sun Belt. Let's quit talking about them playing us in a bowl please! Not a good game and wouldn't be a good deal ($) for the bowl

Edited by MeanGreen01
Posted

Why do you say Texas State, that sounds horrible. They were 6-6 yes, but they were 2-5 in the Sun Belt. Let's quit talking about them playing us in a bowl please! Not a good game and wouldn't be a good deal ($) for the bowl

One of the previous posts was another projection that we would play them. Re-read my post, I'm agreeing with you, I don't expect that they (around 5th in the Belt with only 2 auto tie-ins for the conference) will even go to a bowl, especially one with such a good payout unless the HoD thinks they will travel well and sell a lot of tickets (I don't).

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