Ohio University's Band

[FalconBGFan]

I can't believe you guys are ripping the OU band. I'd never seen them before las weekend and they were awesome. They were exciting, extremely disciplined, and playing music that got the crowd going (alot more than their football team did). It seems to me that what the 110 brings to OU is really special and unique. The students all seem to really love the band, judging by how the stands emptied after halftime. Maybe if the BG band was that exciting, I'd actually stay in the stands at halftime at home games. If the Bobkitty's football team was as well disciplined and intense as their band, maybe they'd have a winning season, though not likely. Also, I really have to give props to the huge alumni band, who couldn't have rehearsed for too long and knew the whole song and dance at halftime. The sound of 400+ people on that field just blew me away.

Honestly, the people on this board are in the minority, because all the BG fans at the game were on their feet cheering at halftime for the band. Don't forget, marching bands were created to SUPPORT athletics and to keep the crowd entertained...and that's exactly what OU did. I'd love fo the Falcon band to make an attempt to engage the crowd once in a while.

Oh, and my husband is a band director in Cincinnati, so I know something about marching bands. They clearly were not all playing the same part...guess someone needs to get a music theory lesson on "Monophonic" and "homophonic."

[Rightupinthere]

You know, my wife is a choreographer and a classically trained ballerina. That doesn't mean I can identify an Eschappe.

To each their own. The OU band is exciting. I stated that over and over again.
Musically, they are a train wreck IMO. Everything is played fortississimo (ask your husband.)

[SaxyOboist]

I'd love fo the Falcon band to make an attempt to engage the crowd once in a while.

Excuse me?? If anything we do these shows so the crowd do get into it! We don't do halftime shows just to be like "oh la de dah, another halftime show. Lets see how bored we can make the crowd today.":coo-coo:

And if anything we'd like it if the crowd was more into it!

It is WRONG to compare the BG band to any other college band! We are our own band with our own traditions with our own style and ways of doing things.

And if you can't even support the band by going to a fieldhouse show once in a while, maybe staying in your seat when halftime comes around instead of going down to the concession stand for another hotdog or whatever, then you have no room to talk.

We are not the OU band, we are not the OSU band, we are the BGSU FMB and dammit, if you can't love us for what we are and what we are striving to be and where we've been, then you have absolutely no room to say anything like "Yah, maybe if you guys tried to make the crowd excited once in a while I'd actually watch you". We DO make the crowd that watches us excited! :rant:

And to set the record straight:
Marching Band was NOT created for the football game. Marching band was created for music and mainly military purposes as well as town events! It eventually evolved into becoming a favorite part of football halftime.

:rant:

And if you need credentials, here's one: I took marching band techniques here at BG and researched 4 types of marching bands: Military, Traditional, Corps, and Dance. I also learned how to write drill for all of them. I got an 88% in that class.

I'm a music ed major, and I've marched in marching band for 8 years now and I took that class under Jason Sivill. Need I say more to appease you? I think not.

[Metz]

Honestly, the people on this board are in the minority, because all the BG fans at the game were on their feet cheering at halftime for the band. Don't forget, marching bands were created to SUPPORT athletics and to keep the crowd entertained...and that's exactly what OU did. I'd love fo the Falcon band to make an attempt to engage the crowd once in a while.

Oh, and my husband is a band director in Cincinnati, so I know something about marching bands. They clearly were not all playing the same part...guess someone needs to get a music theory lesson on "Monophonic" and "homophonic."

I wasn't on my feet, I now a few others who weren't either. That proves your all statement wrong. Also When you have 50+ trumpets in front of you playing fortissississississimo, it will sound like one part. Oh, and I know the band director here in BG so I guess that makes me credible too.

[FliccGirl]

I'd like to clarify my earlier post... I'm not bashing the OU band, because I've never seen them march. I didn't say a thing about the OU band... I was bashing the attitude that some people have said they have-- the attitude of just being there to be loud and entertaining, without trying to challenge themselves.

I don't suppose any non-band-people who happen to be reading this will understand what I'm talking about.... but marching band is way more than just what the crowd sees on the surface. It's more than enthusiasm and excitement. It should have depth to it. It should involve pride and unity and discipline and just sheer joy to be out there. That doesn't mean you can't have fun.... but it shouldn't be just about fun and entertainment. There's a lot more to it.

[able1]

"They clearly were not all playing the same part...guess someone needs to get a music theory lesson on "Monophonic" and "homophonic."

Ok, here's lesson number 1.... it's monophonic and polyphonic. Homophonic is not a musical term, but if it were, it would basically mean "same sound" which is the same thing as monophonic or "one sound."


"You people that are disparaging the Marching 110 need to check yourselves. People want to be entertained by a band and they do just a fantastic job of that."

Entertaining? Sure. I won't argue that point, although I'm not personally entertained by them, I will agree that to alot of people, they have some entertainment value.



"I don't think you have any idea how hard it is to play while you march in that style. They were very good playing their music while not marching."

Um, actually, yes, am very familiar with how hard it is to march in any style while playing. So are a great many of us on this board.

"You are a bunch of nitpickers."

This is true


"Are you trying to tell me that the BG marching band is better than the 110?"

In a musical sense....the FMB is MILES ahead of the OU band.

"The 110 is the best band in the MAC by FAR, and they're the best band I've ever seen."

Someone needs to get out more.


"If you'd rather see a boring band who plays flawless music go see a concert band or something. That's not what a marching band is about. And for your information, 99.9% of people who see them think they're awesome."

OU is loud and enthusiastic and gets their crowd going. Not a thing wrong with that. The problem that alot of us have with that is they make no effort to be musical what-so-ever. They play as loud as they can pretty much all the time and dance about as much as they march. The comment about everyone playing the same part was certainly an exaggeration, but the arrangements are very simple. It takes alot of enthusiasm and energy to do what the OU band does, but it requires next to no musical talent.

What they do works for them when directed at the average football fan and that's fine and great, but claiming that makes them a good BAND is a stretch at the least.

[factman]

I'm sorry, but 95% (maybe 99.9%)of the football crowd judges the band on entertainment value!!! If you want to make more of the experience (you should), that is great, but the people watching you rate you on how they are entertained!! It is a "value added" product of the FOOTBALL game.
The OU band was VERY entertaining, and I am one who watches the halftime show at BG every week, and also was at the OU game, and would have to say, that from MY viewpoint, the OU band was more entertaining for me. I am NOT a musician, so I don't really jusdge the quality of the music, but simply if it sounds good to me. It seems that the only people that don't like the OU band are band members of bands that "compete" against them. I certainly like the FMB too, and appreciate the GREAT strides they have taken in the past couple of years, but then again I like cherry pie a little bit more than apple pie!!!!!

[Falcon30]

This is an intensely interesting discussion.

I think Ohio's band is great. No matter what you think of them, they do their style to it's utmost. They have my total respect.

Like I said before - I can only take them in small doses.

Comparing the FMB with the OU band is like comparing Beethoven to Smashmouth.

There are many different types of marching bands, if they do their style very well, they are entertaining. Ohio State is entertaining, Texas A&M is great, Ohio is entertaining...

Someday I will put a video of MY band on here....

[oualum]

Ok, here's lesson number 1.... it's monophonic and polyphonic. Homophonic is not a musical term, but if it were, it would basically mean "same sound" which is the same thing as monophonic or "one sound."

your oh so wrong.....
polyphonic is almost never used anymore polyphonic is many parts that do not pretain to each other such as old chants and most middle eastern music. homophonic which is what almost all music past 1900's have been is when it's many part but that have the same goal such as all popular and even new composers even use. monophonic is gregorian chants and such where it is one part....

well it's been a while since my music theory classes but thats what i remember from my time at ou. also on a side note the alumni piece was not the hardest piece they play. most us(the alumni) have not picked up our instrument in close to 15 to 20 years and most chose to play the 1st part because thats what they played when they were here, it happens. i have gone to BG games and seen the BG band and the are fine. they do their style and OU does theirs but to sit and say "my band is better than your band" it's just highschoolish..... same goes with, well they don't play hard music were so much better then them blah blah. it's childish thats how childeren defend themselves. have you ever seen OU's music...... no have i seen BG's no.... do i sit and say well BG's music is just buttered up highschool music.....no why because it has no purpose. anyways just thought i would throw my .02 cents in theres no point in arguing of who's band is better it solves nothing.

[It's the Journey...]

What a discussion. We are comparing apples to oranges. I have sat in on practice at OU, marched with OSU, been part of a high school competition band, and worked with a high school show band. AND, a member of our own Falcon Marching Band in 1995. The entertainment value is different for each fan. For those of you who had never seen OU, it was a new experience. I personally do not like thier style. But they are very good at it so good for them. I though last years "Frontiers" show was one of the best musically for the FMB in a while. I am critical of out marching here at BG as well. It comes from being a Marching and Maneuvering Execution judge in Ohio. Basicall, appreciate OU for what they do, but DO NOT compare the FMB or any other college marching band to them. It just doesn't work. Maybe attending a Field House show would help to get to know some of our traditions. I just don't wand people to take advantge of what they have.

[Metz]

most us(the alumni) have not picked up our instrument in close to 15 to 20 years and most chose to play the 1st part because thats what they played when they were here, it happens.

I think I've said this a lot but no one seems to get my point. All I had in front of me were alumni trumpets!!! If most of you grab first, then that's what I heard. I am sure there were other parts but I didn't hear anything but first.

On to my rant...OU can do their own thing, I just will never like it. I have nothing against any of the people in the band because I respect fellow band students. I'm sorry if disliking OU's band makes people in the band there feel like I'm hating them. I know if you take pride in what you do and then have someone say it sucks, it will hurt. But then again, you don't have to read what I say. I will never like their style...

[able1]

This whole discussion is just plain amusing.

My point was, the OU band can be entertaining if you like that sort of thing. I can apprectiate what they are trying to do, which is entertain. A lot of people like them. I don't particularly care for the way they go about it. Anyone can stand out there and blast away as loud as they are able. It is possible to be as "exciting" as they are and still be somewhat musical about it.

The comparison of the OU band and the FMB was originally brought up by an OU fan. My opinion is that the FMB is far superior in a musical sense. I agree that comparing the two is not very reasonable. There are complete differences in philosophy between them.

As far as the whole argument about homophonic vs mono/polyphonic, I stand corrected on the idea that homophony is used as a musical term, as it falls somewhere in between the other two, more frequently used terms. Accurate or not, polyphony is often used in a broad sense to describe anything that is not a single line of music.


monophonic

\Mon`o*phon"ic\, a. [Mono- + Gr. ? a voice.] (Mus.) Single-voiced; having but one part; as, a monophonic composition; -- opposed to polyphonic.

homophonic


\Ho`mo*phon"ic\, Homophonous \Ho*moph"o*nous\, a. [Gr. ?; ? the same + ? sound, tone: cf. F. homophone.] 1. (Mus.) (a) Originally, sounding alike; of the same pitch; unisonous; monodic. (b) Now used for plain harmony, note against note, as opposed to polyphonic harmony, in which the several parts move independently, each with its own melody.

polyphonic

\Pol`y*phon"ic\, a. [Gr. ?; poly`s many + ? sound: cf. F. polyphone.] 1. Having a multiplicity of sounds.

2. Characterized by polyphony; as, Assyrian polyphonic characters.

3. (Mus.) Consisting of several tone series, or melodic parts, progressing simultaneously.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

[MatrixBass3]

God forbid that the football crowd should have to open their minds a little bit and learn how to enjoy corps-style band as well. The reason the FMB is what it is, is because they are not necessarily always concerned with what the crowd wants...........and that's how it should be. Secondly, I simply do not understand how any self-respecting musician could go out on the field and dance and be content with themself. I know that the few times we had been asked to do something of that nature in the FMB I was ultimately humiliated. Music is exactly that, music, and therefore bands of any kind should have the ultimate goal of displaying outstanding musicianship. Even with competiton idioms, music always carries the largest portion of the score. If I wanted to see people dance, then I'd go to an afro-carribean ensemble concert or the ballet. When I see a marching band I expect to first be impressed by their musicianship, and secondly, to be impressed be the visual product that accompanies it. Above all of this, it's no use trying to convince people that like bands like OU or OSU to change their minds, because they won't. Just remember, if you want to see GOOD marching ensembles, then go to a high school band competition, a drum corps show, or watch good college bands like U of M, or University of Illinois. If you are content with the mediocrity of dancing and poor musicianship, then we all know where to hang out. And before anyone bashes me, this comes from the experience of teaching with two high quality bands in the state and marching with an independent world class indoor line. I came from a show band, and I'm glad that I saw the light and figured things out. That's all I've got. Music is best through excellence, not through taking the easy way out to engage an audience.

[factman]

I don't buy CD's that I don't like either!! I by CD's that entertain me!!

[SaxyOboist]

I don't buy CD's that I don't like either!! I by CD's that entertain me!!

Which is really sad since today's music industry is full of people that can shake their bootie but cannot sing worth a darn! (with a few exceptions of course)

So pretty much that comment means nothing to me. Spanks.