Take his band hate with a grain of salt. He’s bashed the band for quite some time now. Of course there is room for improvement, but most understand that those kids are doing the best they can with the resources that have been allocated to them.
How can home attendance be increased?
- Thread starter Tulsa Guy
- Start date
Take his band hate with a grain of salt. He’s bashed the band for quite some time now. Of course there is room for improvement, but most understand that those kids are doing the best they can with the resources that have been allocated to them.
No offense to any of the kids, but if the performers don't buy in because they have a sense that no one in the stands cares, the on field performance suffers. I'm a band guy. I was in a highly competitive marching band in HS in MA and I marched for a world class drum & bugle corps. I thought I missed marching so I joined the TU marching band and realized I didn't miss marching...I missed competing. The TU experience reinforced that because like 5 out of the 75 or so who marched took it seriously. I got in an argument with one of the "required" band members because she constantly changed her path in a free form set and nearly knocked all my front teeth out. Told her we could settle it with a progressive 8 block and I'd embarrass her by marching circles around her.
Again, no offense to any of the kids who go out there and do what they're supposed to do...but if they're only going out there because they have to...and the band director only views it as halftime entertainment vs an opportunity to get better as a performer, you get what Rice puts on the field. I've sort of felt the marching band and the pep band have been in a rut since Prof. Grass left.
Sorry, I didn’t realize that the have highly competitive marching bands in MA. I don’t think many attend the national level competitions.
This was way back in the day. We were a lot like BA minus the sheer size. Most of our drill staff were drill and marching techs with the Garfield Cadets in the 70s/80s. And just so you know where I am coming from, our band director never viewed marching band as a football entertainment group. He actually told the superintendent of schools to "f- off" upon being directed to be at a football game that was ppd from a Friday to a Saturday instead of going to a competition. Maybe the only band you may have heard of that might do some of the national stuff is Dartmouth HS. They were the next town over and our rivals. We usually beat them (back then anyway). My HS band took a hard hit when my band director retired. No one they brought in had the clout or organization or the ability to pull in parent support. And as you would know, behind every successful HS marching band is a very strong parent booster group.
And lot’s of fundraising. It takes a lot to move 300+ to Pasadena CA, Dublin IR, Washington DC, etc.
Broken Arrow, Union, and Owasso are fantastic HS bands. All of them can make BOA top 12 at grand nationals any given year. There's also a really good one out of the Kansas City area (Blue Springs). BTW, Jenks finished 9th in Grand Nationals last year and from people whose kids go to Jenks, I hear they're making a push ($$$) to be competitive with Owasso, BA, and Union.
The only band from the east coast that I recognized in any of the BOA regionals was Trumbull, CT. We competed with them on the NE Sholastic Band Association circuit. My band competed against Orchard Park NY and some mega band out of PA at a Hershey Park spring invitational show on year. Do you know how hard it is to fine tune a show and drill you haven't touched in 4 months and try to come back and do it in the Spring?
Yep. My senior year we went to Orlando. 3 planes of people and equipment. We probably raised about $2500 per band member and another $1500 per band parent for that season.
No, we stick to in-season comps only. DCI is just too much.
We’ll be taking our 2nd Rose Parade trip this year so we do have that to look forward to.
So you never answered me last week. Did the Boston U professor really take credit for the Harvard/restroom quote? I knew that I'd heard that one before at least a couple of times.
I asked Jesus and LEC, not you. Haha.
You are right. Friday games stink, but they pay the bills and help the program.
They haven't given the beer ladies hard core instructions yet. I sneak a TU labeled double walled flask in the games, and the ladies pour beer directly into my flask.
Heck, Union tries but they're not BA good. BA's support from their on field and tech staff to the parents is phenomenal, world class drum corps level stuff.
Owasso did one of my favorite shows I've ever seen from a HS band back in the late 90s. They did a show of original music called "Metropolis". They weren't quite the size of BA or Union so they didn't quite make the same GE impact, but they were technically very good marchers and really excellent musically during that year.
He told the story in class is what I remember. It was an 8:00AM General Bio class and there were probably 200 other Fr who hadn't showered yet that morning. I don't quite remember the context of how the story came up...but it always stuck with me. Maybe he was just trying to liven things up on an early morning class.
Since we’re continuing on the band subject... does anyone know if the marching band/pep band (for basketball) is subsidizing by any athletic funds or is it all still coming from A&S?
Looking across college football, it’s clear that a marching band is an important part of the game day atmosphere, but I’m curious as to how many bands are funded via athletics vs a different avenue.
It would be nice if TU invested more in the marching band (more support, more scholarships, etc), so that our band could look similar to other bands in the conference.
Looking across college football, it’s clear that a marching band is an important part of the game day atmosphere, but I’m curious as to how many bands are funded via athletics vs a different avenue.
It would be nice if TU invested more in the marching band (more support, more scholarships, etc), so that our band could look similar to other bands in the conference.
Having been in the stands the past 50 plus years, the current version of the TU band is clearly near the top in both numbers and musicality. And, occasionally, there is some minor creativity in the marching pattern. That may change with fewer music majors.
I think that was my original point of mentioning the band before the thread went sideways.
Everything has changed for WSU, going from a losing school to a winning school. WSU dropped football and put their money into basketball and baseball. The strategy worked and they now have a winning attitude...and a new strong conference.
Regarding football, WSU had 2 winning seasons in the 23 years from 1964 to 1986 when they dropped football. Its no wonder football failed at WSU. But with their new winning attitude and membership in AAC, there might be interest in Wichita to follow Tulsa football and attend TU football games.
Would we have to go watch their baseball team?
Sounds like fun... a drive through the armpit of America to watch a boring college baseball game with 100 other people.
WSU won’t cheer for us. They already cheer for navy for some reason. But their fans who come to basketball games, while very dedicated, are trash.
Last edited:
I have a co-worker who ran track for Wichita back in the day. He joins the group for the Navy game and doesn’t really even know why. I guess they just do what they’re told.
Ever been to a basketball game in Wichita? That was definitely a 1 and Done experience for me.
Apparently, my parents went to a lot of road football games in the 50s and 60s before I was born. The two places that they swore never to return to were Fayetteville and Wichita.
I may be a glutton for punishment, but I don’t mind an occasional trip to Ark but i’m 100% with them on Wichita.
I may be a glutton for punishment, but I don’t mind an occasional trip to Ark but i’m 100% with them on Wichita.
The school he was hired from Eastern Michigan had/has the lowest attendance in college football.
Why should we be surprised?
GO TU!!!
Schedule home games with more somewhat local teams so their fans can travel : ku, ksu, tcu, north texas, la tech, missouri, baylor, new mexico, utep, ...
AMEN!!!
When I was a TU student, my car adorned one sticker of which I was very proud. An upside-down OU was prominently placed on my rear window. If there is every a day TU starts selling OU merchandise, I will be sending back my diploma.
Last edited:
