Band ... Music ... musings

[derf]

_ I'm happy to be a Cajun thank you! Just because you appreciate something another school has doesn't mean you don't have pride in your school! If you didn't know that was possible I feel bad for you. _

I do know that. Matter of fact, when it comes to appreciating other styles of marching bands and still loving my school, I know a ton more than the average bear. What I'm getting at is people on this board b ---- and moan about tradition or a lack there of. Then we get boneheaded comments about how we need to change our band's style. Give it a break. If you want to watch Southern's band, go to their games. I'm sure you won't have to fight anyone for a ticket.

See you at the battle of the bands at The Bayou classic....oh wait, I probably won't right.

[Clutch0364]

_ I do know that. Matter of fact, when it comes to appreciating other styles of marching bands and still loving my school, I know a ton more than the average bear. What I'm getting at is people on this board b ---- and moan about tradition or a lack there of. Then we get boneheaded comments about how we need to change our band's style. Give it a break. If you want to watch Southern's band, go to their games. I'm sure you won't have to fight anyone for a ticket.

See you at the battle of the bands at The Bayou classic....oh wait, I probably won't right. _

The comment was said tongue in cheek...would I really trade bands? Come on now learn to take a joke! And for the record one of the things I would love to do is get out to The Bayou Classic. It is one of the sporting events that I want to attend but the timing hasn't been right for me to make any.

So you give me a break and learn to take a damn sarcastic comment. Some people _____ and moan you or right and then others like you take every little comment and make it into something much larger than it ever should have been.

[AstroCajun]

_ Alright.

You make some good points.

But you didn't address the infatuation with the espn theme.

Does the band get paid for every reference like in the movie Idiocracy? Brought to you by Carl's Jr.

[Cajunbander]

_ You make some good points.

But you didn't address the infatuation with the espn theme. _

Director's preference. He likes it. If he likes it, its in.

[AstroCajun]

_ Director's preference. He likes it. If he likes it, its in. _

We don't.

We really, really don't.

It's frankly boring and unoriginal.

Brought to you by Carl's Jr.

[cajunsjmt]

As a band alumni, I hear all of this from my husband and our friends. The main problem I hear is the one about playing when we have the ball and not playing when we are on defense. I know there was a sunbelt rule that the band couldn't play when the other team had the ball. From what I understand they are not inforcing this rule anymore, but the band has been warned that the team would get a penalty in the past. I also agree that we shouldn't play when we have the ball except the tag of the fight song on first downs. The band needs to be more on top of this. They do seem late sometimes.

As for as the spelling of CAJUNS after a touchdown, the band is going along with the cheerleaders. The band plays the fightsong, then the band director watches the cheerleaders as they spell out CAJUNS and as soon as they finish the band starts playing Respect.

I know there are things that need to be fixed with the band, but I just wanted to give these few tidbits.

[Cover2]

Simple things that every college band should do:

Put on a killer halftime show. This goes without saying...

Play down cheers (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) along with something for major defensive stops. Down Cheers -- and nothing else -- should be played on offense.

Play at the quarters, preferably a school song of some sort before the 4th. (And please, no hokey-pokey)

Play during timeouts and possibly during elongated stoppages of action.

On defense, have the drumline play. Encourage the student section to dance or do cheers along with the drumline.

Play the fight song (or other school song) as often as possible to pump up the crowd and the team -- only during timeouts or other stoppages of action though.

Play the fight song when your team scores -- and win or lose, support your team to the (bitter) end.

I know I'm leaving some things out, but this is really all you need. As fans, we need to support our band and encourage them to continue to support the university and its athletic teams at all events. We may not like everything that they play, but in the end we can't always get what we want...

I think that we need to find something else to complain about.

[Cajunbander]

On defense, have the drumline play. Encourage the student section to dance or do cheers along with the drumline.

Play the fight song (or other school song) as often as possible to pump up the crowd and the team -- only during timeouts or other stoppages of action though.

We have been doing this more often. We try to yell and scream more and get the crowd going more.

[Damon]

Hmm.. must be the bye week.

[RaginCajun2010]

At least they played towards the students this past week. Wasnt the best of songs, but it was a start. I know this is hard to do but it would be nice to do that closer to the end of the half, and hoping some momentum or something from the band pumping up the student sections could carry over into the 3rd quarter, when we are out of it due to halftime.

[locoguano]

Sorry... but if a high school band, or the friends down the road in BR can play throughout an entire game, I really don't want to hear anything about being "tired"...

[Cajunbander]

_ Sorry... but if a high school band, or the friends down the road in BR can play throughout an entire game, I really don't want to hear anything about being "tired"... _

Yeah, a high school band can do it, but we play twice as loud and much harder stuff. Also, how many high school bands do as much as we do? LSU A&M's band is much bigger that us, I guarantee that not everybody is playing 100% of the time, so the fatigue factor isn't as bad for them as it is for us, who have to pretty much play all the time.

You don't see me criticize football much, because I've never played it, I don't know it that well to be able to do that. I love to watch it, but I' not going to try and criticize something I don't know that well. I'm tired of criticism of the band by people who've never put an instrument to their face, or marched in a marching band.