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Don't pitch a hissy fit, JD.
The difference between my off seasons preparations and yours is that I'm 35 years old, an alumni, and haven't missed a home game in Aillet in I can't remember how many years.
I'll be prepared for the heat and won't make excuses when it's 100 degrees on August 28th. I'll be well hydrated and in playing shape for sure.
Clyde, I can assure you I am not pitching a hissy fit. I am rather calm and collected.I just get rather passionate about the things and people that are important to me, and the band falls in that category.
Dawg80, I'm sure you have at least some small amount of musical talent. Everyone does. Surely you can clap in rhythm. Give yourself some credit.
I'm glad to see things have simmered down here. To those who have found contructive things to say and in a constructive way, we appreciate your comments and the manner in which you approached them. To all the band members (past and present) who have been reading or posting here, I know we all appreciate your insight and support of each other.
We in the Band of Pride look forward to continuing as a contributing factor to Tech athletics and the university as a whole. You bring your Tech spirit and we will certainly bring ours, and hopefully this will all be part of a great season.
Much love and music,
J.D.
Extremely proud member of the Band of Pride
Ruston, LA
Whew 8O ---What are you majoring in?Originally Posted by TechJD
Sorry, you must have missed my post that came after the one you quoted. I will assume - although assumptions are dangerous things - that you are asking that due to the fact that I said I have been in band 9 years. I HAVE been in band 9 years, from 6th grade to the present and I am going into my tenth year of participating in band. I have been in the Band of Pride for two years and this will be my third year. I have not been in the BOP for 9 years otherwise, I would have been in college when I was 11 years old. Unfortunately, I'm not a child prodigy so that is not the case. Once again, just for informational purposes, my major is Art-Photography with intent to soon declare a music minor. I hope this answers your question.
Love and music,
J.D.
Proud 3rd year member of the BOP
Ruston, LA
please never.....EVER.....associate our band or our drumline with the movie Drumline. I am a Junior on Techs drumline and i would shoot myself before i had our drumline play any of the garbage on the movie drumline. It is waaaaaaaaaaay too easy. We are above that. But i must give some credit, they can flash their sticks around all perty like. But talent wise on playing ability....very much lacking.
Tech JD, if you are a music major, I hope you minor in English or journalism. Not many people today know the difference between a regimen and a regime.
Good Tech education, I see!
We look forward to the grand entrance Aug. 28!
regimen - a routine, a systematic plan of action
regime - an evil government administration, such as Saddam Hussein's in Iraq and Clinton's in the U.S.
Did I get 'em right?
I guess maybe I started the discussion of the "business" of the band marching from the Band Hall to the stadium when I relived my experiences in the Tech Band back in the late 60's early 70's. I neglected to mention in that memory that we also practiced at the stadium on Saturday mornings. We marched too and from the practice field next to the stadium and sometimes we even practiced in the stadium.(Gasp!, that poor grass.) Since the games usually didn't start until 7:00 we had a little time to ourselves. We would then report back to the Band Hall and change into our uniforms there. We would march to the President's house and on to the stadium. We would then march back to the stadium after the game.
After having my daughter and son in the BOP I know that the majority of the band does have some time free. That is if your rehearsal was early and the game at 7. On the days when games are in the afternoon, you really don't have any free time. My husband and I would get to Ruston in the A.M. Meet our daughter or son at the band hall, take them to eat and have them back at the stadium in time for the pre game inspection, concert and stadium entrance. If a band student is a member of the leadership staff they have other duties during the day such as polishing the bigger instruments, tightening drum heads, and various other band related tasks, and truly may not have any free time. I know each member of the BOP works very hard. It really isn't easy to march and play your horn musically at the same time. Add to that having to be in a specific place on the field at a specific point in the music. Talk about "multitasking". I love the BOP and have from the time I was in the band. I enjoy reliving those moments through my children. This will be the eighth year straight of having a family member in the band. I have nothing but respect and admiration for every band member. I am excited that band is going to have 183 members this year and I am looking forward to an exciting year. To all current BOP members that may read this, I wish you the best and I will continue to support and sing your praises for all the hard work you do.
Steph,
Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to the BOP. It was your story about marching to the stadium that really got me excited about the idea. Please don't think any of my "fustrations" were meant towards members of the BOP with your attitude which I know most really have!
Brennan
I wish you would play some of that garbage, would sound better than that garbage you are playing. Same stuff they were playing when i was there in 83. If its so easy, while you are sitting in the stands doing nothing, play some of that and i will be the first one up to dance.
The BOP Drumline has their own style you can't judge them based on a drumline in a movie. They put in lot of time working on their music. I think that is all we want is people to know is that we try our best and that all we can do.
I must say, I really enjoy reading what some of you people have to say on here. Being a former drummer for the BOP (graduating last May) I love getting on here and seeing what types of arguements have broken out. Could you imagine all of us in one room? Now that would be fun.
As for playing garbage, you are entitled to your opinion. I didn't really like some of the stuff we played, but I think the lesson here is, you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. With that said, be glad there is a BOP, which many of you do and I thank you for that.
However, let's get back to what this thread was made for and talk about traditions, which we are lacking in. I think it's kinda hard to just "start" a tradition. We need to look at our games and find something that really works. Something I think would be really fun is if the crowd could learn "Hard to be Humble." and sing with the band. For those of you who are not familiar with that, if we win, we play this song the first time, then put our arms over the shoulders of the person next to us, move side to side and sing the song. Can you imagine a stadium full of people doing that after a victory? The band's been doing it for ages. And what about Hava Nagila? My gosh. We even stop and signal for the crod to get up. It's that Jewish song, but I know you all are familiar with it. Particiapte with the band. Work with us and it will make a huge difference, especially on national TV.
Are we going to have shakers available at the Miami game? Since we're going to have so many televised games this year, I really think we need something that will make the crowd look really lively (the thundersticks at the Fresno game last year looked great on TV).
By the way, what are the tailgating arrangements for the Miami game? I'm flying in from Florida just for this game and want to know where to go.
First of all.....WAC rules wont let us play whenever we please....believe me id love to play the entire game, but we are forced to sit there and look pretty because of the regulations. What is "garbage" to you is what real percussionsts play, just because it is too complicated for you to understand what we are actually doing gives you no place to call it garbage. Play drums for about 12-13 years then come talk to me and tell me what you think. see, we are not a "show" style band, show style is what grambling and SU are. LA Tech is not. We are more technical and more precise with our playing. If show style is what you want, perhaps you should transfer. We are very good at what we do, and the Caption head and I have spent this summer writting new stuff for us to play in the stands and in our parades. hopefully youll enjoy what we play this upcoming year. Try showing a little support for your band instead of bringing it down
Let me begin by saying that I LOVE THE BOP! Some of my best friends were in Band, and some of the best parties I ever went to were Band functions.
PM ... Isnt there a way to give the crowd the kind of raggy ballgame entertainment to which they're more likely to respond without sacrificing musical integrity?
Is there another time & place for more "academic" musical pursuits that will allow football crowds to enjoy all the sugary, less technical "garbage" they can eat up?
I guess it's a matter of the BOP's priorities. Are you there to entertain the fans or to "enlighten" them to more complex music? I can see both sides of that issue. But I dont see why one must preclude the other.
My apologies J.D.---I thought you had been in the BOP for 9 years!!!
Maybe I'll learn to read better with my new glasses.ops:
No problem, Papadawg. It was an honest mistake. I wouldn't mind being in the BOP for nine years, though. It's a pretty rewarding and enlightening experience.
As far as the percussion discussion, I'll leave that up to the rest of you to debate, because although I have a great love of music, I am not very educated in the percussive arts. Perhaps I'll get some friends to educate me in these matters. However, LousianaSelect, perhaps you could find some less abrasive word (as compared to "garbage") to use to describe the music our band and drumline play. Percussive Madness, I look forward to hearing some of the cadences you've been working on. I hope you "put some stank on it" as you say. Much love to you, man.
Oh yes...Aubunique, thank you for your comments. Actually, Techtubadiva (Meagan) pointed out as she was reading this forum that it was "regimen" rather than "regime", I only agreed and posted the correction on her behalf. However, it is true that I have had a good Tech education, much of that due to the company I keep - such as Techtubadiva. The people are some of the greatest things about Tech.
J.D.
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