Pep Bands vs. Canned Music at Football Games

[K-Mack]

Just trying to stir the pot.  Boring in the offseason.  After Sunday, no more meaningful football on TV for a LONG TIME ...

Good time to do all those home improvement projects, etc.

(hates this time of year)

[AUPepBand]

...or read a good book!

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

...or read a good book!

I tried to pick up "A Sweet Season" at a Borders in OH, but they didn't have a copy.

[AUPepBand]

I got a copy using our library's Inter Library Loan service...actually came from the Eklhart, IN Public Library. After reading it and deciding "this one's a keeper," I just recently ordered it online and am getting a used copy for less than a dollar....plus the shipping. Less than $5! And, I'll return the loaned copy today.

Inter Library Loan....bringing a world full of books to your local library!

[size=06pt]This message brought to you by the Herrick Memorial Library at Alfred University.[/size]

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I got a copy using our library's Inter Library Loan service...actually came from the Eklhart, IN Public Library. After reading it and deciding "this one's a keeper," I just recently ordered it online and am getting a used copy for less than a dollar....plus the shipping. Less than $5! And, I'll return the loaned copy today.

Inter Library Loan....bringing a world full of books to your local library!

[size=06pt]This message brought to you by the Herrick Memorial Library at Alfred University.[/size]

Did you order it from Amazon?

[AUPepBand]

Actually, I googled The Sweet Season and compared online prices...found it online from a NH Bookseller for 98 cents. At present, Half.com has a copy for 75 cents (paperback, I believe). I received an e-mail from the seller indicating it has been shipped.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

Actually, I googled The Sweet Season and compared online prices...found it online from a NH Bookseller for 98 cents. At present, Half.com has a copy for 75 cents (paperback, I believe). I received an e-mail from the seller indicating it has been shipped.

Thanks, I ended up just ordering it from Amazon.  Got a New Paperback for $6, including shipping.

[K-Mack]

You guys are supposed to order it through D3football.com. 

I guess we don't have that link on the front page anymore though, do we?

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

K-mack,

I forgot it used to be up there.  Sorry!

[uwwcontra2007]

For those of you who have posted kind words regarding the Whitewater Marching Band, I thank you.  I'm a current member entering my last year as a member of the tuba section.  We also have a Basketball Pep Band that is completely student run (and I'm the director of said band), but that's another board.

As for the topic at hand, I'm a little biased.  Obviously, I'm taking time out of my day to come and see the sports (ok, I'd be there anyway, but this is what most people in these bands think here) and as a band, we want to play.  However, for football especially, there's something to be said for canned music that is played at the right time.  I think that if those guys at Perkins Stadium try to play "Charge" over the PA, it isn't received as well as Mike or Nick (our two outstanding trumpet players) when they do it.  Yes, we play some really good stuff in the stands as a "pep band", and I wish we had more music to play in the stands, but we still have to learn, clean, and perfect the drill and music that we play out on the field because that's what our name says, Warhawk Marching Band.

Sorry to go on a tangent like that, but that's the mind of a music student at athletic games.  We wanna play.  However I still feel that the canned stuff like AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, and music like that is acceptable at a football game.

[Pat Coleman]

That's alright -- I don't think it's a tangent, very on-topic.

[AUPepBand]

For those of you who have posted kind words regarding the Whitewater Marching Band, I thank you.  I'm a current member entering my last year as a member of the tuba section.  We also have a Basketball Pep Band that is completely student run (and I'm the director of said band), but that's another board.

As for the topic at hand, I'm a little biased.  Obviously, I'm taking time out of my day to come and see the sports (ok, I'd be there anyway, but this is what most people in these bands think here) and as a band, we want to play.  However, for football especially, there's something to be said for canned music that is played at the right time.  I think that if those guys at Perkins Stadium try to play "Charge" over the PA, it isn't received as well as Mike or Nick (our two outstanding trumpet players) when they do it.  Yes, we play some really good stuff in the stands as a "pep band", and I wish we had more music to play in the stands, but we still have to learn, clean, and perfect the drill and music that we play out on the field because that's what our name says, Warhawk Marching Band.

Sorry to go on a tangent like that, but that's the mind of a music student at athletic games.  We wanna play.  However I still feel that the canned stuff like AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, and music like that is acceptable at a football game.

As originator of this thread, I suggest your post is "right on the money" with the topic and am happy you posted. At Alfred University, we have no music majors. Those involved in the University's bands/choruses participate for their own enjoyment and, while credit is given for participation in the orchestra, concert band and jazz band, AU Pep Band is a student group. We do it for the love of the game.

I am a library assistant at the University but a lifelong fan of Alfred football. As such, I saw a void at games without a pep band, and for many years before my University employment suggested that a band be formed. When I began to work at AU, I got it started with a five-man kazoo band that has evolved into a fun little ensemble of sousaphone, trumpets, trombones, piccolo, drums, occasionally a horn, sax, clarinet....whatever we can muster.

While the AU Pep Band is not a large highly-organized group, it plays what it can and, most importantly, is in tune with the play on the field, responding appropriately (in this poster's humble opinion) to AU's first downs, sacks, TDs, outstanding hits, etc. Parents of players, coaches, fans and the players themselves have expressed their appreciation for the band and what it adds to the atmosphere at Saxon football games. I'm sure the same is true with your Whitewater Marching Band. Thanks for posting! +K to you....

[NCC_alum62]

I played in the band in highschool, but my playing career in the trombone section got overshadowed by my playing career on the offensive line.  I love a good pep band. I think it makes the game better.

There is nothing better than stepping onto a football field (college or H.S.) with your pep band playing...it just brings the whole atmosphere of football together in a special way.

North Central College has recently added a pep band called the "Red Noise" and the home crowd has really embraced it.  It makes home games that much more special IMO.

[AUPepBand]

Right on! I recently read an article in the Olean Times-Herald about a family that had three sons, each of whom both played in the marching band and played on the football team. In fact, there was a picture of one time when one of the boys played in the marching band at halftime while wearing his football uniform!

At one time, Alfred University had a marching band that wore uniforms supplied by the ROTC program (ROTC was at one time mandatory for all male students). With the demise of the marching band and said ROTC and nothing to replace it, I sometimes say in dismay as Ithaca College brought their pep band to Merrill Field and we at Alfred had nothing with which to answer them.

It started with a dozen kazoos. Now, AU Pep Band plays not only at home games but takes road trips....with Butterfield Stadium at Ithaca a must! In 2005 at Ithaca, the Saxons had a good following and fans joined right in with the band making some noise. Good times!

[NCC_alum62]

The "red noise" no has its own website attached to the college with regular updates...they even have a drumline called the "red thunder" I LOVE IT

http://www.noctrl.edu/x7542.xml