Pep Bands vs. Canned Music at Football Games

[tmerton]

Speaking of tOSU band, after the BCS Championship Bowl they created a new script Ohio which I understand they will use next season.

[AUPepBand]

I am watching the pre-game festivals of the Ohio State-Florida game.

I was watching it and wondering if AUPepBand is watching and enjoying or thinking "D3 can do better!"

AUPepBand missed said pre-game festivities. 

Pep remembers the days when TV coverage of football games included the band's halftime shows.

AU Pep Band's pre-game show is performed in Miller Performing Arts Center's Bandroom, from which one can look down onto Merrill Field. There, the handful of instrumentalists try to determine whether the band can play the National Anthem or opt for a trumpet (or even trombone) solo. Band runs through fight song, cheers, and a few time-out tunes. Then, the band makes its grand entrance down the 98-step "Green Monster" to "The Pit," that is Merrill Field.

In conclusion, perhaps there are some D3 bands (Whitewater, Wooster, Mt. Union, Grove City) that could compete with the big boys, but AU Pep Band is NOT one of them. 

+K for thinking of the Pep!

[AUPepBand]

Speaking of tOSU band, after the BCS Championship Bowl they created a new script Ohio which I understand they will use next season.

Outstanding!

Pep recalls a Reader's Digest quip of a college marching band whose team was hosting Colgate during the halftime show spelling out "Pepsodent." Must have been a big band!

+K for the OSh*t photo

[AUPepBand]

For those interested in selecting a school, a great tool I discovered is www.collegeresults.org. You can identify any number of schools and it will generate a data rich comparison chart. Nothing about the quality of pep bands, I'm sorry to say, but maybe next year.
Note to Pat Coleman--- This thing is so good I wish you would consider linking to it.

+K for reference to quality of pep bands...perhaps Pep should do some research and formulate a "Top Ten D3 Pepbands" list. First task at hand is to list criteria. Can Pep get some assistance with this?

[K-Mack]

You mean like, start paying attention to if there's a pep band and if they're any good when I go to games?

Hey, I love what a band adds to an atmosphere of a football game ... but I can't exactly tell you who all has one.

Bridgewater's is pretty good.

[Bill McCabe]

Hardin Simmons has a very good band.  They put on a lively performance and are fun to watch.  I wish they would make the trip to Belton when the game is played there.

[AUPepBand]

Perhaps you guys, as you solicit information from the SIDs such as schedules, previews, etc., you can also inquire whether their institution has a pep band and/or marching band.

Fact is, there are marching bands and there are pep bands. AUPepBand would classify "marching bands" as "D-I" while the "pep bands" would definitely be "D3". The two are, in most cases, like apples and oranges.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I know that the pep bands have fun and all that, but it is really that important to have a main thread about this?  Shouldn't it be on www.pepband.com message board?

[AUPepBand]

Thanks for trying, but it appears that "Pepband.com" is not a legitimate website, yet. But, you could purchase the domain name for $1,000!

AUPepBand thinks this thread fits very nicely into the D3football.com scheme of things. 

[K-Mack]

I don't have a problem with it being here.

And yes, Whitewater (I think) had a marching band. Bridgewater's is most certainly a pep band.

I think. I know the difference and I bop to the music, but I can't say I watch the bands closely.

Just love a fight song when a TD is scored, etc.

I like night games too, and lots of places in D3 don't have those either. 

[AUPepBand]

+K to K-Mack...

There's nothing that matches striking up a fight song when a football team scores. Celebrate! AUPepBand, while in NYC, attended a Brown-Columbia football game, scouting out the Ivies' bands. Columbia's band was more of a joke, while Brown's band was terrific. There, Pep learned from Brown's band that it's okay to extend one's celebration of your team's score. Thus, AU Pep Band incorporated a play it, sing it, play it again celebration that's becoming tradition at AU. Timing is near perfect for band to be "singing" during the PAT attempt thus not distracting the snap cadence, with the band playing once the kick has gone thru the uprights.

There he goes again....

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

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

[AUPepBand]

Keep stirring, keep it simmering...perhaps Pep can add some pepper to the pot:

AUPepBand paid an unannounced, uninvited visit to Coach Kehres back in August 2006 when Pep was returning to Alfred from a couple days at Cedar Point. Given Coach Kehres' candid comments with Pep, it's Pep's understanding that Mount Union has an outstanding marching band but he'd like to see a bit more pep. Pep concluded that Kehres would prefer a small lively pep band over a large but lackluster marching band.

[janesvilleflash]

Whitewater's is a marching band, but once they get in the stands, they become a big and really great pep band. Best of both worlds.

[AUPepBand]

It wasn't until just now, looking at the Wisconsin map, that AUPepBand realized how close Whitewater is to Milton, like Alfred, NY, a town with Seventh Day Baptist roots and home of the former Milton College.

Pep spent a week on the Milton College campus on a couple of different occasions back in the early 70s and still has good friends there. In fact, Janesvilleflash, national headquarters for the tiny Seventh Day Baptist denomination is right there in Janesville, WI!!

Unfortunately Milton College closed its doors despite its notoriety as the D3 home of NFL QB Dave Krieg. The SDBs founded three institutions of higher learning...Alfred University in NY, Milton College in WI and Salem College in WV.

As for Whitewater's marching band/pep band....Pep assumes Whitewater has a music major with a ton of talented students?

+k for adding to the simmering pot of pep....