Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

[JazzPanther]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

I completely agree about needing the pep band to play at all the home games. This will be my 3rd year in the basketball pep band so I can give everyone a little insight as to how it works. It's currently run as a spring semester course worth 1 credit (for non-music majors such as myself or music majors that aren't already in more than the allotted maximum of 2 credits for ensemble participation). Our first rehearsal will be the Sunday before spring semester classes start, and this has been the case for as long as I've been in the group. The pep band plays at all men's and women's conference home games, but only the Iowa/Iowa State games for the nonconference games.

As mentioned before, I think having some sort of Alumni Pep Band over break (with a mix of current players willing to play) would be a great idea in my opinion. But the lack of a pep band at nonconference games is inexcusable in my opinion. Especially this year considering there are more people in the two pep bands than ever before (about twice as many as two years ago). They're actually having problems getting everyone scheduled for it in the system because there are too many people.

I'll talk to the Grad Assistant that is in charge of the band I'm in and see if she can get something arranged for this break and future nonconference games. However, I think it's doubtful that anything will be done in time for this year. However, I'm hopeful that we'll be able to figure something out for following years because there's really no reason not to have a band at nonconference games.

[oldandgrey]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

As a member of the CFMB currently, I would love to come and play if an alumni pep band could be organized! I played in the marching band in 1974 & 75 with Paul Smoker leading us and the pep bands back then in the west gym. It was a blast. I go to as many basketball games as I can so this would add to the fun! Go Panthers!

[panther-state]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Glad to see that some members realize that there needs to be a bigger contribution at this point in the season. I like having them at the games, I thought having a HS band sucked. Played lame generic songs and they DON'T know the fight song. The fight song played over the speakers is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO slow. It's difficult for me to stay in rhythm because I want to instinctively speed up. A slow boring fight song is very hard to get fired up about and that's pretty much the point of having one. The band some other fun quirks at games that I enjoy having around. An alumni band would also be cool

[JazzPanther]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Right, I thought for being a high school group, Waterloo East did a fine job, but it's still just a high school pep band that is nowhere near the same level. The directors emphasized last year that they wanted to emulate the pep bands of bigger schools after seeing a lot of them at the NCAA tournament two years ago, and I guarantee all of them have pep bands at nonconference home games.

[06panther10]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Right, I thought for being a high school group, Waterloo East did a fine job, but it's still just a high school pep band that is nowhere near the same level. The directors emphasized last year that they wanted to emulate the pep bands of bigger schools after seeing a lot of them at the NCAA tournament two years ago, and I guarantee all of them have pep bands at nonconference home games.

Yeah, they want to emulate some great bands, yet they do not even feel the need to show up to over half the games.

Having a band is important IMO, and a big part of the atmosphere at college basketball games. There should be a pep band at 100% of our games.

[Panther-Sheik]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Good to hear your enthusiasm and loyalty, Jazz. I hope you are able to get something worked out with your leadership to change what is currently the impression that no one gives a dam. Nice to know that maybe that isn't true. Credit or no course credit, there should be people dedicated to being there for the fun and atmosphere of it. It always looks like you all have a good time??? If not, then I stand behind my earlier post that we "replace" the UNI pep band with the CFMB or others and take away the trip(s) to the tournaments. I hope it wouldn't come to that, though. At least know that we WANT you guys there!

[LitchMingo]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

It is winter break... students are gone... the athletic department isn't going to pay to open residence halls for the band to stay in over break so there can be a band at every game... the band plays at both men's and women's games so it is not just 8 games and the tournament, it's about 16 games and one of the tournaments. School starts Monday and the band will probably play at most of the games from here on out. Also, as a alum of the pep band and music department, there are a lot more non-music majors than music majors in the pep band so e-mailing the music department may not affect as much as you think.

My freshman year we tried playing at 28 games over the course of the season and both tournaments. While you may be sitting at your computer thinking "Well, the basketball players play that many games, why can't the band?", you would be correct, but basketball players don't pay to go to school and "I was playing in a basketball game" holds up better when asking for an extension on homework than "I had to play pep band" does. It is just not reasonable to expect a pep band at every basketball game. There are not enough people interested in playing in pep band (talk to the student body, not the school of music) and it is not fair to those of us that liked playing in pep band to ask us to do so. The season we played 28 games I am pretty sure I had my worst GPA during my college career. Was it worth doing it for that one season? Yeah, I loved every second of it. Would I do that every year?... Well, I am not Marc W. and I wanted to graduate it under 7 years.

All lame excuses. I was a cheerleader for three years and was at every home game for football and basketball. I was never paid a single dollar. In fact, I ended up paying more money in because I had to find a "sponsor" to be on the squad. Rain, shine, sleet, snow, break, or no break I was there. There were days where I had 3 games between football, volleyball, and men's basketball. Or spending 18 hours on a bus ride, because our plane seats were sold to alums, back from Chattanooga only to be at a basketball game an hour later where there was no pep-band.

[JazzPanther]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Good to hear your enthusiasm and loyalty, Jazz. I hope you are able to get something worked out with your leadership to change what is currently the impression that no one gives a dam. Nice to know that maybe that isn't true. Credit or no course credit, there should be people dedicated to being there for the fun and atmosphere of it. It always looks like you all have a good time??? If not, then I stand behind my earlier post that we "replace" the UNI pep band with the CFMB or others and take away the trip(s) to the tournaments. I hope it wouldn't come to that, though. At least know that we WANT you guys there!

I think the problem is that it's currently seen as just another course and since it's only for the spring semester, the priority is just fulfilling the course requirement rather than adding to the atmosphere as it should be.

[achrist70]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Is there anyone who we can send an email off to that is able to do something about this. I mean the pep band was at the UNI-Florida match, right after the marching band played, I know you said that they are different performers, but I bet if you put of flyers you would have people willing to play in the first semester more often.

[JazzPanther]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Is there anyone who we can send an email off to that is able to do something about this. I mean the pep band was at the UNI-Florida match, right after the marching band played, I know you said that they are different performers, but I bet if you put of flyers you would have people willing to play in the first semester more often.

There were actually probably a good number (if not majority) of people in the volleyball pep band that are also in marching band. I think that was seen as a "priority" event because of the tournament.

Let me talk to the people in charge first and see what they say about it before I give out any other contact information. I don't want to have their email flooded unnecessarily if they're willing to get things changed. However, if I don't get an answer I'm looking for, then I will give out contact information to try to push the issue more .

And I'm sure you'd have plenty of people interested in playing for a pep band during the first semester games. The only thing I could possibly see as an issue would be making sure the GA is willing/able to lead during the game to coordinate things between the band and the PA.

[06panther10]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Went to the women's game tonight, and the band was there. It was the 2nd total appearance at a men's/women's game this year combined.

But here's the funny part, there were 60 of them. SIXTY!!! It was the biggest pep band I have seen in my life. You mean to tell me that we can't get 15-20 of them to come to every game? lol, what a joke.

[Herdman]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

Interesting that there are many non music majors in the pep band. I never would've guessed that. It doesn't say much for the administrators of UNI's music department, does it?

As far as I'm concerned, it's part of a UNI music instructors' job to field a pep band for basketball (especially mens), just like it's part of their job to field a marching band for football. It's part of representing the school and showing spirit, and should be part of the job description. Notice I wrote "part", not "all". Also, how can a Big Ten, Big East, Pac Ten, etc., team have a pep band at every home game, but UNI can't? This is D1, MVC basketball we're talking about, not Wartburg or Coe.

You're right, but headed in the wrong direction. It's not their the job to field a band for games specifically, but it is or should be their jobs to educate their students on what it takes to filed a band, pep band etc.. so when they go teach music they know how to form a pep band for football, basketball and other stuff like bugle corp etc..

[Herdman]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

All lame excuses. I was a cheerleader for three years and was at every home game for football and basketball. I was never paid a single dollar. In fact, I ended up paying more money in because I had to find a "sponsor" to be on the squad. Rain, shine, sleet, snow, break, or no break I was there. There were days where I had 3 games between football, volleyball, and men's basketball. Or spending 18 hours on a bus ride, because our plane seats were sold to alums, back from Chattanooga only to be at a basketball game an hour later where there was no pep-band.

YEAH, so how ya like them apples!

[in_the_stands]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

As a member of the CFMB currently, I would love to come and play if an alumni pep band could be organized! I played in the marching band in 1974 & 75 with Paul Smoker leading us and the pep bands back then in the west gym. It was a blast. I go to as many basketball games as I can so this would add to the fun! Go Panthers!

I think an alumni band is a great idea. Or maybe a combined student-alumni band. I know a guy who went to Saint Louis U, and their band alumni have standing invitations to play whenever they're available.

[achrist70]

Re: Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

I think an alumni band is a great idea. Or maybe a combined student-alumni band. I know a guy who went to Saint Louis U, and their band alumni have standing invitations to play whenever they're available.

It would be funny to have a pep band of like 250 people for one game sitting directly behind the vistitors bench