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Its nice to see that all these new people are coming....but.....perhaps the more important number is 2...Why you ask...cause the two people that kept a certain group called the FMB going have left....thats right...the real leaders...the emotional, spiritual, and physical leaders of the band have departed....I know most of you guessed it was the swimmer and metz I was talking about...but you would be WRONG....I am talking about Ryan and Jason...It will be interesting to see what happens! If there is a mutiny....I will be too far away to say I told you so!!! I love the band and wish y'all the best...but I just don't see it working!!!

Sorry to disappoint but Alumni Band will not see my beautiful face this year!

While Ryan and Jason have both had a wonderful impact on the marching band during their years here, they are not the band itself. They gave us incredible drill and music, but we were the ones who performed it, and if the members of the band did not have the spirit and enthusiasm that you claim only came from Ryan and Jason, then it wouldn't have mattered how great our material was.

You just don't see it working? As in, you just don't see the FMB working? Now, I'm sorry, but the FMB was around long before Ryan and Jason came on board, and it will be very much around after they have left. The heart and the passion of the band is in its members- the ones marching and playing on the field.

We arrive a week before classes start to spend all day marching in the heat and playing until our lips are numb. Every night we return to our apartments or dorms with achier muscles and more deeply sunburnt skin than the previous night. Then we spend two hours a day, five days a week playing and marching our asses off in the heat, cold, wind, snow, and whatever else Ohio weather has to offer (save thunderstorms, of course) for the rest of the semester. We even give up what could be several lazy Saturdays to spend all day marching and playing in uniforms that either keep too much heat in or don't keep us warm enough. If it starts raining at a game, then we throw on our raincoats and tough it out.

Now, I am not complaining whatsoever, and I'm not looking for pity. My point is that there would not be 150-200 people putting up with this for an entire semester every year if the passion and spirit of the band resided only in two people. Every member of the marching band voluntarily chooses to do all these things because to them it is worth it. They love marching band so much that the sacrifices of physical comfort, mental relaxation, and spare time don't even raise the question of "Is marching band worth this?"

Yes, Ryan and Jason will be missed terribly, and yes, it will be strange for those of us who have marched for three years and haven't experienced the FMB without Ryan's presence to go to rehearsals and find him missing. But 120 members would not be returning if the spirit and leadership of the FMB rested solely in the hands of those two men.

And I must say that I, along with (I would assume) every other FMB member who has held or is currently holding a leadership position in the band, am greatly insulted by your insinuation that the only leadership that had any value or impact was that of Ryan and Jason, and that none of the upcoming leadership will be strong enough to fill this allegedly insurmountably vast void that has been left in their wake.

Marching band is one of my greatest passions in my life right now, and for you to say that myself and my peers (who hold marching band just as highly in their lives as I do) do not have the capability to continue a successful band program ourselves... let me just say that it is a very good thing for you that there are two computer screens separating us right now.

I agree that Ryan and Jason are 2 very amazingly awesome people...but I'm gonna have to go with Jackie on this one.


The heart and soul of the FMB lies within its' members...


Our section leaders teach us the traditions, the correct way to march. They are the ones who instill the knowledge in us of how an FMB member should act. There's a reason why they are called "leadership." They do just that.


I experienced being under Ryan and Jason's direction many times...and they are amazing people...but who's to say that Doc H isn't amazing...and Jeff and Justine. Those two are always willing to not only help us...but if they don't know something, they'll learn about it.

Band people have a certain personality. In the FMB...it always works. When you step on that field on Day 1, you know whether or not you can hack it in the FMB. Every member has heart...and a desire to be there. We bring it together on the field...the directors and grads help...but it's not high school anymore, if we didn't want to work, we wouldn't be there. No one is forced to join the FMB. We do it because we want to. Because the FMB had it's strong character and heart long before any of us were even a twinkle in someone's eye. We hold a presence. No, we don't all randomnly get together outside of band time...some sections don't even hang out with their own kind...but when we're on that field...we know what it means to us as individuals, and we know what it means to us as a band. 2 people don't determine that.

The 250+ band members on the field determine that.


So, in closing...I'd just like to say, that it WILL work, but it will take more hard work, more dedication, and more heart. But, that's what the FMB is all about. We get out there, we work together, we do our thing. I'm not saying some days aren't harder than others...but the FMB is what YOU make of it...not what someone else makes of it for you.

Falcons4Life wrote:I know most of you guessed it was the swimmer and metz I was talking about

You are right Mr. Swimmer, I did think you were talking about us.

I see the Fmb going through something of a "hic-up" within the next 4-5 years, but not as F4L sez "falling apart". Over the last two years, Jason and Ryan have been more of the director and Doc H has been more like an administrator, IMO. I don't think she has quite the carisma (thats proablly not the right word I'm working for, but I can't think this morning) that Jason or Ryan has. Jeff and Justine are both great too, but I don't see either of them really being albe to stand up and take charge of a rehearsal. They are great if you, or your section, have a problem, but I don't believe that they are as good with the entire band.

I don't think the band will fall apart, but I do see a couple of years where things might be a little rough as the band "adjusts" to the changing leadership on the tower.

Remember, though, the first year Ryan and Jason were with the FMB, they didn't do too much full-band-leadershipping either. That didn't stop them from doing a wonderful job the next year.

It's not that I'm expressing unfailing confidence that Jeff and Justine will do the same thing; I'm just saying there's no real reason to doubt them at the present.

You know, not to throw another log into the fire here...


but I just want to know if anyone was around to experience such doubt in Ryan and Jason when they came in. Was everyone freaking out that the FMB would fall apart because new people came in? If so, then I guess I can sort of understand why people are having this issue...but if not...I want to know what makes this year so different.

Never judge a man until you've walked a mile in his mocassins.

baritonebandgeek wrote:Was everyone freaking out that the FMB would fall apart because new people came in?

Nope. I don't think anyone freaked out. I think we were excited for fresh blood. -if memory serves me right-

ah, then I see no problem...why the freaking out?

In response to the original question of "Where will the band go?"

I believe the answer should be "the band will go where no band has gone before!"

meaning that it will just get even better.

May I venture a guess and say that Ryan and Jason were ONLY grad assts?

goofyeuph wrote:I Jeff and Justine are both great too, but I don't see either of them really being albe to stand up and take charge of a rehearsal. They are great if you, or your section, have a problem, but I don't believe that they are as good with the entire band.
.

Are you kidding me?!


I've seen both of them direct 2 different bands...and they did a great job. If you ask me...takes a lot of guts to do what they do. Especially with such heavy critics...

Rightupinthere wrote:May I venture a guess and say that Ryan and Jason were ONLY grad assts?

acutally, they were the second and third coming, respectively.

in all fairness, they were indoubtedly the most qualified and talented GAs that the band program has seen the in past six years (my window of experience). they are both very talented, and they both did a lot of work in terms of arranging and drill writing. they are both highly competent conductors, as well, and they have better rehearsal discipline than any other GAs i have seen at bg. i think that this is because, unlike others (justine and jeff included), ryan and jason both have a couple years of clasroom teaching expereince.

currently, ryan nowlin is beginning his new job as director of bands int he brecksville-broadview hts. city schools. last i heard, jason sivill is teaching at talawanda (sp) middle school near oxford.

jacojdm wrote:

Rightupinthere wrote:May I venture a guess and say that Ryan and Jason were ONLY grad assts?

acutally, they were the second and third coming, respectively.

in all fairness, they were indoubtedly the most qualified and talented GAs that the band program has seen the in past six years (my window of experience). they are both very talented, and they both did a lot of work in terms of arranging and drill writing. they are both highly competent conductors, as well, and they have better rehearsal discipline than any other GAs i have seen at bg. i think that this is because, unlike others (justine and jeff included), ryan and jason both have a couple years of clasroom teaching expereince.

currently, ryan nowlin is beginning his new job as director of bands int he brecksville-broadview hts. city schools. last i heard, jason sivill is teaching at talawanda (sp) middle school near oxford.

They sound very competent and the band program benefitted from their skills.

They were ONLY grad assistants, however. I worked with several who were just as competent - if not more-so in the case of one person. The band survived very well once they all moved on.

Chief - who mattered a great deal to the program - is no longer affiliated with the band program, yet the band continues.*

"Where will the band go?" is a question of folly.

*The traditions are another matter, however but that's not for this forum.

Well...I am glad to see such raging passion !!!! And BillChase I will take you referring to me as an idiot as a term of endearment !!! I love you all my little bandies, as I still am at heart one of you, and I agree that the members will hold it together! My worry is when then end of October comes, and it is rainy and wet and miserable and the moral is down, who is going to lead the band through that....certainly not its director. I don't know about Jeff and Justine, but I know that Ryan was the voice of hapiness on a cold wet October day. I know the band will not cease to exist, but you all know what happened last year when a certain show was repeated and the visiting band stopped by! That will certainly be an issue this year with your schedule! I wish all of you members all the luck in the world, and I will be listening from the other side of the atlantic hoping to hear your beautiful music (i.e. someone remember to send me a CD at the end of the year!!) I just have some real concerns!

If you make me look stupid cause everything goes well....then that means that TBDBITL ain't got nothing on the FMB....well..... there is one thing !