Thoughts on Pep Band

[baritone_dawg]

Hey there, Just wondering here...

I enjoyed being at the game with the marching band, even with the tough loss. I was wondering what bbber's that were there thought of having the band there for the away game. I guess I want to know if it's worth the money it costs us to get down there. We had a great time and except for our bus's air conditioner messing up, it was a pleasent trip, :wink:

Just love to hear opinions/ideas/complaints/favorite cake flavor/........... Oh wait, nevermind the last one!

8-) 8-) 8-)

[macp38]

I loved it. It was worth it to me. I also liked it when Jim Robken would lead the section next to him in cheers. BUT, we were pretty weak on "move the chains". That's it EVERYONE, we lost because we SUCKED at cheering last Saturday! Everyone knows that makes a difference! We have got to stand and cheer and we will win.

[TechDawgFan]

I was sitting in sec 126, Ros S. (think y'all were 124, right?) I loved having y'all there. I've always thought the pep band had some "spunk" and a sort of "in your face" type air about them which I like. It's more reminiscent of the B-Ball games. My main problem was that I couldn't hear the brass. Y'all were playing toward the field which is toward the OPPOSING fans. Now if you turned the other way, you would bust some eardrums, but I had to REALLY listen to hear a lot. Try to think about what you can do to project more toward OUR fans to pump them up and you will REALLY help our travel Dawgs be a factor to spur our team on.

TDF

[ST5]

Great observation TDF. I was sitting in the section above the band and it seemed that the stadium swallowed up the band's volume. I really couldn't even hear the Rice band, or was that a drama club, I couldn't tell.
________
RM85

[EJ]

I could here that drum beating. Sometimes that is all you need to get you out of your seat...

[Tech77]

Reliant Stadium really swallowed the sound. I think in retrospect the things to do might have been to put our band in the northeast corner of the endzone, pointed toward the Tech crowd. But still, it was great to have you there. I definitely think we need to carry a band every time we go to Rice and SMU.

[markay714]

Thought y'all did a great job. I thought it added a lot - and I really liked doing the move the chains thing. It wasn't y'all's fault, but we didn't have that to do in the second half much!

[BCSDAWG]

Well, I going to tick some people off with this comment, but I just can't help it. I wasn't at the Rice game, so it would not be fair to comment about it specifically, but my thoughts revolve around the band in general.

I think the "Pep" band is really good at BB games. They are respectfully obnoxious to the opponents and I think that's great. But when it comes to football...our band falls way short of the mark.

Those hideous, wrong color blue, uniforms with those boa headdresses are just awful. They have no swagger. They can't march in step. They have no style!!

Band of Pride!! I don't think so. Band of ragtags maybe. But they just don't do it for me.

The flag corp wearing those skintight black and burgandy things...oh please spare me.

We really aren't a band. We are a drum and bugle corp that masquerades as a band, and doesn't really do a good job at that. We need to decide what we really want to be. My highschool band would have blown Tech's band off the field.

You go to places like Alabama, South Carolina, A&M, etc. (and I've been to them and many others with our team) and you get to see real bands. Heck SMU's band, if memory serves me right, is a classy band. Rice has a great band. They're wierd, but they are a controlled weird. At least they entertain you.

I'm sorry, I have rambled on too much. I just think when everyone raves about our "Football" band I have to wonder what are they comparing them to. Yes, our BB "Pep" band is top notch. But we have work to do on the football side of the equation. And they need to start with those UNIFORMS!!!

[Tech77]

I'm not ticked off, BCS, but I totally disagree with the negative comments -- well with everything except the comment about the light blue uniforms, and if you can write a check for $50,000 or so we can probably fix that real quick. I know our goal is to improve our band's size dramatically in the next year, and I think that would be great. But in my opinion they represent us very well right now. The uni's are not the band members' fault.

[markay714]

Well, I going to tick some people off with this comment, but I just can't help it. I wasn't at the Rice game, so it would not be fair to comment about it specifically, but my thoughts revolve around the band in general.

I think the "Pep" band is really good at BB games. They are respectfully obnoxious to the opponents and I think that's great. But when it comes to football...our band falls way short of the mark.

Those hideous, wrong color blue, uniforms with those boa headdresses are just awful. They have no swagger. They can't march in step. They have no style!!

Band of Pride!! I don't think so. Band of ragtags maybe. But they just don't do it for me.

The flag corp wearing those skintight black and burgandy things...oh please spare me.

We really aren't a band. We are a drum and bugle corp that masquerades as a band, and doesn't really do a good job at that. We need to decide what we really want to be. My highschool band would have blown Tech's band off the field.

You go to places like Alabama, South Carolina, A&M, etc. (and I've been to them and many others with our team) and you get to see real bands. Heck SMU's band, if memory serves me right, is a classy band. Rice has a great band. They're wierd, but they are a controlled weird. At least they entertain you.

I'm sorry, I have rambled on too much. I just think when everyone raves about our "Football" band I have to wonder what are they comparing them to. Yes, our BB "Pep" band is top notch. But we have work to do on the football side of the equation. And they need to start with those UNIFORMS!!!

You're definitely dead wrong! I'm thinking you haven't seen the Band Of Pride at all of late. They did a tremendous job at the miserably hot Tulsa game. It had to be the best halftime show I've seen by any band ever. I - and they do I think as well - wish that their uniforms were the right color blue, but you're talking way out of school. I WAS at the Rice game and was highly disappointed in the Rice band after reading all of the comments hear last week - they dressed sloppily in black suits - and what was supposed to be funny I didn't even understand.

[TechDawgFan]

I WAS at the Rice game and was highly disappointed in the Rice band after reading all of the comments hear last week - they dressed sloppily in black suits - and what was supposed to be funny I didn't even understand.

You have to admit that the squirrel being chased by the Survivor crew, then getting caught and eaten on the field was pretty good. Kind of makes you with they WOULD do a Survivor Astrodome!

TDF

[TechsasDawg]

I really enjoyed having a 'pep band' at the Rice game. Always like to have them around, as they add a lot of spirit no matter what the score is. Also thought the kaki's and t-shirts were the right touch. Thanks to all of you for supporting your team, and especially to Jim for all the spirit he injects into any event! Keep it up!!!

TD
~~

[ST5]

"They did a tremendous job at the miserably hot Tulsa game. It had to be the best halftime show I've seen by any band ever."--714

Seriously? You have got to be kidding. Have you ever seen a halftime show other than Tech and Rice?
________
Honda CRF50

[Tech77]

I'm not at all unfamiliar with halftime shows, I can tell you that. While I woudn't say that was the best one I ever saw I will say the fans on the west side really appreciated it. I think a lot of the good feeling was because of the patriotic theme and the fact that we were at the anniversary week of 9/11. But I heard nothing but positive comments about the band's show from the fans around me. Overall, I love our band. I think they're playcalling is just fine. :lol:

[BullDoug]

I have been associated with the band for almost 12 years now (from having brothers that were in it, from playing on the drumline for 5 years and, to being caption head of the drumline) and I must say I am very disappointed in the direction the band is headed. I remember the time when the band was 250-300 members strong and would play such halftime shows as the Saint's football games. As I have read though this message board, I want to make some comments on a few points...
1. The band uniforms (although I do wish they were dark blue) are some of the nicest uniforms I have seen. They very much resemble the Phantom Regiment Drum Corps uniforms and as a group they look good. Remember, a uniform is supposed to stand out on the field and attract attention to the band as a whole. The whole uniform (and helmet with feather) does this.
2. The pep band is horrible. I have always thought it was a great idea for basketball games, but that is indoors. In the stadium, we need the full band there. Our football team is trying to compete as a Div I-A team, the BOP should try to compete as a Div I-A band (which means Tech needs to send the band to every game).
3. The music selection sucks. From experience, I can say that the members don't have much say in this area. There used to be a day when the band was playing the hardest and most exciting music in the country (a composer from California was commissioned to write specifically for the BOP). Arrangments of Firebird, Phantom of the Opera, etc would have the whole stadium on their feet.
4. The band used to march AND play at the same time. Now, the band hits a set and will play an entire song in one set. They have stopped doing the "drum corp" type drills. I believe the last "hard" drill we did was in 1996 when Paul Bissell was around.
5. The band has gotton sloppy. Don't get me wrong, I understand it can be hot at the games (I was at the Tulsa game), but the band should be in uniform at all times and the seating arrangement should be uniform. I had the opportunity to march in both uniforms (the current ones and the old, extremely Hot, wool uniforms) with a drum, so I do know they get hot. We used to have rules that said we could only take off the uniform within 5 ft of the car. Believe me, it looks horrible from across the field with the band half-undressed.
6. Finally, The band, in my opinion, doesn't play enough. They complain about "saving chops", etc. They must remember, they are the band, it is their job to play. There were several long pauses btwn playing at the rice game. Sometimes it seemed as if a whole quarter had passed that the band did not play. Either develop more chops or join the choir.

Unfortunatly, there is not much the students can do unless they pull together and take some complaints to Jim Robken. Jim has taken this band from the grand BOP that it used to be and made it a politically correct laughing stock.