Reflection and Looking ahead...

Falcon30 · Post by **Falcon30** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 3:40 pm

FliccGirl wrote:She played clarinet in high school... but I don't think she's played much but mello at BG... correct me if I'm wrong, Jackie...

Also?

bgmaggot00 wrote:I seem to have had a bit of luck with a Flicc, and I know other [maggots] have had the same.
Don't get their hopes up. Meghan is the exception, not the rule.

FWIW - my wife is a Flicc...

FliccGirl · Post by **FliccGirl** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:11 pm

Ahhh! Travesty!

Kidding. I'm just giving Jeff (and maggots in general) a hard time.

But no matter how much fliccs give maggots a hard time and have a supposed feud with the trombones, we'll never forget who our real enemies are, Metzger.

KIDDING AGAIN!

I'm not going to start up the section-bashing again...

baritonebandgeek · Post by **baritonebandgeek** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:30 pm

Alright...so I have read through these posts...and I have a few things I want to put out there.

Marching Band was hard this year. For anyone involved. I learned something this week from a band director at a high school back home while doing some observations. When you take a new position...you basically have to just step back and see how everything is normally done. Then...in the next couple of years...you make strides to change certain things. Change is inevitable(except from vending machines) and while no one likes it...you get used to it eventually. I had no "Old times" to compare my experience to this year, as I was a nugeye. And I will admit, there were trying and frustrating times for me this season. I don't think we sacrificed quality for quantity at all. When the 225 of us took the field for half-time, there could not have been more pride. Every picture that I have seen of us marching, we were all in step. The thing is...I think that the things that got our hearts racing this year was the music. And I do believe we had a great sense of pride this year. As Doc H said, "We're a Class Act." As far as euphoniums go...our section leaders were amazing. I think that when you are a section leader, you must still be a peer, while teaching what needs to be taught. You must demand respect, while still keeping an attitude deserving of said respect. You have to have something that keeps the rapport going. Give your section a reason to want to be together. We bonded constantly during the season. From day 1, we made sure we were there for each other. You must establish the bond within the first few hours, or there will be no motivation to continue to be w/your section outside of rehearsal or games.

In short...my experience was amazing. As the old saying goes, you get out of something what you put into it. If you go in with a positive attitude, even through hard times and while facing adversity, you will come out with a positive experience. I hope this all made sense. You should know what i mean. Basically, it's not just the concept of the band and the work of the directors that make you want to put your heart into it...it's more than that. It's the relationships you develop w/your section leader, and your section mates, and other members of the band. You gotta have heart...only then can you be a successful program. In college, being in marching band is a choice. So...you choose to be there...which means you should have previously chosen to have a good experience. It is you who makes your life happen.

FliccGirl · Post by **FliccGirl** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 8:33 pm

I think that was well said, Leah. Attitude is everything when it comes to marching band, pretty much.

Another thing that made it difficult, which had nothing to do with any possible changes, was just the schedule. Almost a month between the start of Fundies Week and the first home game? Talk about a morale-killer. And then the way Bohemian was the second show we learned, but we didn't play it at home until the end of the season... and having the two games in a row where we played the Halloween show...

Yeah. Summing up the season, the two biggest problems were 1- the long delay before the first home game, which is when the band really feels connected for the first time... and 2- the fact that we didn't build to anything over the course of the season.

On that note though... 154 days until Fundies Week!

BGMello04 · Post by **BGMello04** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:13 am

I just wish that we could have more than one "Power" show per season. I realize that we had two last year with I Hear America Singing, and Bohemian Rhapsody, but people need to get excited about the other shows as well...I know that time is an enemy but if we work to appreciate each show and not shrug it off (G-Rated FMB!) then the season would be a constant high, not having "the show." I say make all of the shows "the show" and see how much better everyones attitude and perception change.

baritonebandgeek · Post by **baritonebandgeek** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 7:53 am

Why should that not be the mindset in the first place? Even if we did repeat the 2nd and 3rd songs from the Halloween show...we did learn new drill, and there should have been the same intensity during rehearsal and performance. Things should only get better each time you perform them. There should be a want/need to strive to make it better than the last. Nothing is ever perfect. If you think you're perfect, try walking on water. Something can always be fixed. I know that personally. There were times when I could have done better. There were also things I couldn't control.(stupid cameraman in the hook show...RAR!!!!) But...it can always be better. I use a quote from this year...."It can be better. It is better, but it can be better than better, which is good." See Emily's FMB quotes list for this and others.

Metz · Post by **Metz** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:10 am

BGMello04 wrote:I just wish that we could have more than one "Power" show per season. I realize that we had two last year with I Hear America Singing, and Bohemian Rhapsody, but people need to get excited about the other shows as well...I know that time is an enemy but if we work to appreciate each show and not shrug it off (G-Rated FMB!) then the season would be a constant high, not having "the show." I say make all of the shows "the show" and see how much better everyones attitude and perception change.

I'm going to guess the reason for not doing these "power shows" more than twice was the space between the games. For the shows that were of lesser quality in your opinion, we only had 1-2 weeks to learn. I'm going to do the whole 'it used to be thing' here and say the last time I remember "power shows" being done week after week was when the band didn't have to memorize their music. They were able to focus a lot on the marching and get shows done much quicker. I don't really agree with that way though because the music part starts to lack and I believe the correct sacrifice was made.

I do honestly believe one week is still enough time to memorize music and put on a "power show" with today's FMB, but that is going to have to start with leadership. Better fundamentals and more discipline during fundamentals week will create a quicker learning process when it comes time to learn drill.

FliccGirl · Post by **FliccGirl** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:57 am

Definitely. There's no question that it can be done. The only question is, will the band step up to do it?

And there's no point in blaming the nugeyes, as some are apt to do. Nugeyes will have the attitude (and thus the actions) that their leadership and the other vets require. If the nugeyes can get away with half-hearted effort, that's what most of them will put in. If they can't get away with it, they'll either put in the effort required or they'll decide the FMB isn't for them. And I would rather have a smaller, high-quality band than a huge marching mess, so I can't say I'll be devastated about those that choose to quit.

Sort of on the same topic... if the band continues to grow at even half the rate it has been, it's going to get interesting. More than 250 or so absolutely cannot fit in Kelly Hall... I'm pretty sure it's a fire hazard as is, lol! Is membership in the FMB going to become competitive? I don't see how we can continue to get away with not cutting, if the band continues to grow. I mean, we could easily have well over 30 fliccs this coming season for example, and as much as I know you all would love to see that (

) I can't see it working very well.

baritonebandgeek · Post by **baritonebandgeek** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:57 pm

Ah...prepare for Euphonium Domination next year my friends!

goofyeuph · Post by **goofyeuph** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:08 pm

I think the max occup. that the fire marshall will allow in Kelly is 150

At least that I think the fire marshall sticker outside sez.

baritonebandgeek · Post by **baritonebandgeek** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:13 pm

I retract what I said. Apparently, I'm dumb. My apologies.

Metz · Post by **Metz** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:27 pm

baritonebandgeek wrote:I say, when they build the new SEBO athletic center, they dedicate the current rec center to the band. I mean....hey...we're just as important on this campus as anyone else. Why not let us have a building?!

What are you talking about? That made no sense to me. I read that as you thinking the SEBO Athletic Center is going to replace the Rec and the band should get the Rec. If that is the case, you need to read up on what the SAC is being built for.

Bassdrummin · Post by **Bassdrummin** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:42 pm

Man, this thread is never going to die... Seriously though, a lot of good insight into what is wrong with the FMB. I didn't even know sections used their 3:30's to just sit around half of the time... which is a sad thing to hear. Good comments about not accepting your playing... since there are always things to fix. Good comments about basic teaching and the lack thereof. Watching the DVD today, it would really help us if we used a metronome to internalize the pulse. If I had a dollar for all the times I heard phasing between sections... i would be a bazillionaire. Then I would throw a large party, you are all invited. Good times.
Jeff
p.s. we dont need any more maggots (or any more bass drums).

FliccGirl · Post by **FliccGirl** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:17 pm

Bassdrummin wrote: Watching the DVD today, it would really help us if we used a metronome to internalize the pulse.

Oh goodness. You're right of course, but please for the love of heaven (and for the sake of the eardrums of the first three rows) ONLY OUTSIDE! *coughdavevitalecough*

(Remember this?

)

goofyeuph · Post by **goofyeuph** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:47 pm

All to well Em, All to well.