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The football team has recently been looking for a high-quality, high-creativity marching band to go to Wisconsin or Boise with them. My sources tell me they are highly considering the FMB, but I don't know if the FMB is interested...

Seriously though, a couple of my player-friends asked if we were going and when I said it was doubtful they seemed kind of disappointed. I suggested they talk to Coach Brandon to see what sway he can get with the powers that be, or at least the powers who say we can go.

I think that as a univeristy, if we really want to be nationally recognized CONSISTENTLY, we need to be an all-around winner. We come B!G, our entourage is B!G, and our win is B!G.

But thats just me.

I doubt we'd go to Boise; it's in the middle of the week and super-far away.

In my un-authoritative opinion, though.... I betcha we go to Wisconsin. Couple reasons for believing this:

-It'd break up that horrible six-week no-game stretch at the beginning of the season, which they already know will be a killer.
-They seem to like sending the FMB to Big 10 schools... the larger crowds are an aspect, I'd guess.
-It's close enough to bus fairly easily, so it makes as good a road trip as any.
-Someone-- I can't remember who (was it you, Carlson?)-- was talking to Dean Kennell about the retreat he wants to send all the freshman music majors on. When the date of the Wisconsin game was mentioned as a possibility, said someone mentioned the game, and the esteemed Dean said something like, "Oh... hmm.... that's a lot of music freshmen who would be gone, then...."

My uninformed theory: road trips to Wisconsin and (hopefully) bowl game, pep band to Miami.

That's a B!G statement I think it should be a no brainer that the FMB travels and performs at ALL football games no matter where they are. However, I think you will find that many of the marching bands that do travel frequently are not housed in their schools music department but indtead in the athletic department. It would be an interesting change to investigate here. I don't know if I would be for or against it, but it would be fun to look into.

I don't know nuttin'.......

What I do know is that if you go through the schedule, UW is the only game that really makes any sense to go to. Lets examine the road schedule, shall we?

Wisconsin; exactly what Flicc said earlier.

Ball State; There won't be any fans (home fans that is) for us to play for there.

Boise: Mid-week game, TOO far away. Band would run out of gas after playing after our 14'th TD of the game......

Buffalo: Sucks. Its too far of a trip to go on to watch a BG blowout. Also, see the Ball State answer.

Kent: See Buffalo. I went there a few years ago for the BG-Kent football game, and there were about 4,000 BG fans, and 3,000 Kent fans. Plus, I remember that their band director didn't want our band to come there, mainly because they didn't want us to show them up. Once we got there, we saw why....

Miami: Would be an ideal trip for us to go on, but like Boise, its a Mid-week game, and I doubt the whole FMB would go down to Oxford on a Tuesday night.

My money is on Wisconsin, to give us something to do at the beginning of the year, go to a huge game, and with it being a 3-day weekend (labor day), we'd have plenty of travel time (i.e., time to go waste time at a H.S. football game on Friday night). OK, I'll talk more later, Jeff

It's the Journey... wrote:That's a B!G statement I think it should be a no brainer that the FMB travels and performs at ALL football games no matter where they are. However, I think you will find that many of the marching bands that do travel frequently are not housed in their schools music department but indtead in the athletic department. It would be an interesting change to investigate here. I don't know if I would be for or against it, but it would be fun to look into.

I'd love to go play at every game, but it's just not feasible.
A- $$$$$$$$$$$$$. Money. The music department can't afford to send us hither and thither, and ain't no way we'd be run through any other department.
B- Time, and missing classes. Marching band is a very large commitment, for little reward other than the sheer enjoyment of it.
C- Schools are often less-than-eager to host visiting marching bands, it seems. Unlike in high school, visiting bands are a rarity, not a given. It takes time away from their own band, you have to give them time and a place to practice, reserved seating, etc.
D- Poor directors! Band trips are a HASSLE to plan, to say the least. And they have other concerns than the FMB.

Don't mean to sound dismissive, but there it is.

bgmaggot00 wrote: Ball State; There won't be any fans (home fans that is) for us to play for there.

I would put money on Ball State. BSU and BG have historically had a great relationship.
We went there on a road game and had a very good time - cold and wet time, however, but it was good none the less.
There's quite a bit which is an unknown with Wisconsin. I have heard that visitors aren't warmly received. Pity that a minorty of their fans would spoil the experience for all.

You proved my point. The College of Musical Arts does not have the money. And the only way I can see to get the money is to get someone to create a 5 million dollar endowment, or to run the Falcon Marching Band through the athletic department and have them report to Krebs and have their budget come from athletics. The FMB budget might increase since athletics take so much of the general fee, lol.

Rightupinthere wrote:There's quite a bit which is an unknown with Wisconsin. I have heard that visitors aren't warmly received. Pity that a minorty of their fans would spoil the experience for all.

Yea, there's a lot we don't know about Wisconsin, however I can't believe that we'd be recieved any worse than when we went to OSU. I'd personally like to see the band go to both Wis, and BSU. I think that the FMB doesn't go to enough conference games. Those games can really make or break a sesaon (and post season), and the band should really be there to support the team. I advocate going to Wisky because a) it's a good experience and b) how often do you get to march at a Big Ten game? Also Wisky makes sense looking at the schedule, like others have said.

I was surprised to see that actual football players where somewhat disapointed that we might not be making the trip to Madison. I know our support is appreciated, but I geuss I didn't realize just how much we actually mean to the team. All the more reason I think we should go.

As to moving the band from the CMA to the Athletic Dept, I'd reserve judgment on that until I see some pro and cons about doing that. I know some bands have been highly successful doing that, but I am also hesiant. I've seen where a lot of musicality goes out the window when that happens. Like I said, I'll wait until I've heard more before making a decision about that.

My bet is Ball State - why travel and rack up expences for non league games? Granted - they're still great games... league games are more important....

... in my opinion at least

goofyeuph wrote: As to moving the band from the CMA to the Athletic Dept, I'd reserve judgment on that until I see some pro and cons about doing that. I know some bands have been highly successful doing that, but I am also hesiant. I've seen where a lot of musicality goes out the window when that happens. Like I said, I'll wait until I've heard more before making a decision about that.

I'm just going to throw out some of the thoughts I've had since joining the FMB back in the day. Yes, I still think about these sorts of things from time to time - hey, I love my FMB!

I often wondered what it would be like to have the band travel to every away game AND to have the marching band under the auspices of the athletic department.
First: it, more than likely, would cease being a class. This may be good since then you would stop PAYING to play. The bad would be that there would be less incentive for some people to join since there would be no college credit.

Second: My GOD what a suck of time it would be to have a game every week ('cept a bye week). The burnout rate would go up and I don't believe the FMB would be able to keep the membership up (initially, at the very least).

Third: I've thought of giving tuition discounts for members of the FMB. The amount of the discount increases as the tenure of the member increases. Unfortunately, you would get a bunch of people who were there "just for the money" and perhaps would change - for lack of a better word - the character of the FMB.

Performing at every game is reserved for the "big dollar boys". Smaller budget 1A programs couldn't sustain it. I know you agree with me, I'm just giving you all a different perspective.

Most of the bad I hear about Wisky is from other Big Xi schools. Being out of conference by be a saving grace. But if the Falcon put a hurting on the Badgers (like I believe they will), that may change.

It's the Journey... wrote:You proved my point. The College of Musical Arts does not have the money. And the only way I can see to get the money is to get someone to create a 5 million dollar endowment, or to run the Falcon Marching Band through the athletic department and have them report to Krebs and have their budget come from athletics. The FMB budget might increase since athletics take so much of the general fee, lol.

Well, if that doesn't happen, my roommate and I have decided that when we become billionaires, we're going to build the FMB their own facility... with a practice hall that can actually fit the band without being a fire hazard.... a performance hall that can actually fit the band and still have seats so the audience can see.... an AV room more functional than one TV rolled in on a cart for 200 people to watch... an indoor practice field that actually has enough space to practice pregame without stopping after the downfield and moving fifteen yards back, and where the football team can't kick the band out into the sleet... a uniform room that actually has room for the uniforms so they don't have to be stored on carts in the furnace room during marching season and rolled through doorways too short for them... etc etc etc. (We figured if we're going to fantasize about it, we might as well dream big. )

Rightupinthere wrote:First: it, more than likely, would cease being a class. This may be good since then you would stop PAYING to play. The bad would be that there would be less incentive for some people to join since there would be no college credit.

Do people really do marching band for the credit? It's two lousy credits.... for two hours a day plus sectionals plus weekends plus practice. It doesn't even count as a "large ensemble" for music majors more than one time. I'm not trying to be rude-- it just never occurred to me that it really mattered that much. The only thing I can think is, if it's not a class, they would have a harder time making things mandatory?

I really thought this post was going to be a personal ad.

Falcon30 wrote:I really thought this post was going to be a personal ad.

That was the intent.

Well, it is a personal ad...for a marching band...which is like a family...which if this were BG Ky would be ok...

Falcon30 wrote:I really thought this post was going to be a personal ad.

Must you take everything personally?