Will the band be at the game on Sunday?

[PantherHorn]

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

As a current music major at UNI as well as a proud member of the pep band, I would like to clear something up for this thread. The games before winter break were missing the pep band because there were a lot of shifts taking place within the school of music ensembles, leaving the responsibility of playing at the games on the volleyball pep bands. The bands did their best to show up for those games and support our team, however, the time commitment was not something originally asked of them, so they could not be forced to go.

There is not a single home game that does not have a band assigned to be there now that everything has been sorted out, and you can fully expect to see the Panther Pep Band at every single home game.

I would ask that you not bash a department when you do not fully understand what is going on within it, and I ask that you respect all of the work put into music just for the sake of your entertainment. Please support the band when you see them, and if you happen to recognize a member when passing them on campus, go ahead and congratulate them on a job well done.

We put a lot of time and effort into our music so that you don't have to listen to the same canned music all the time, please respect that.

Thank you

[PepBandMember]

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

As you can see by my user, I am current pep band member. I am a sophomore non-music major, but joined a music fraternity because I love to play. I have been marching band and concert band, but this is my first year of pep band.

Who knew there was this many band nerds lurking on PN?

Band nerd and proud of it.

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.

The GA's are not the people to be going to try and change anything. And even if they were, it is unlikely they could/would do anything.

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.

Volleyball pep band and Basketball pep band are two different things.

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.

A 15-20 person pep band would sound awful, trust me.

Feel free to ask any questions!

[clenz]

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

It's not like the basketball team had it's schedule pop up out of nowhere 10 hours before the first home game though. It's been out for months....and during the same time frame as it has been the last...oh, 100 years or so. I get shifts happen, but notice this thread was started last season....and there were issues seasons before that as well.

I'm not holding anything against the students, but something clearly needs to be addressed since this is an issue every year.

Is it a time committment? Sure....so is cheerleading, and they are at every football, basketball (mens and womens), volleyball game....some days they do two or three games.....

[cram0209]

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

Did you know the UNI band program is the most underfunded band program in the Valley? The School of Music was only given enough funding from Athletics to pay one GA to run the band until Spring 2008 (Dannen's first year as AD). In addition, pep band is a graded ensemble that doesn't receive a grade/credit until Spring semester. The games played at the end of the fall semester are special requests from athletics. And, many of those games happened to occur on days we were hosting playoff games. Since many band members are in both, we can't put ourselves in two places at once...unless one of you is hiding a cloning machine. When I was a member of the band in 02, we played maybe 10 games all season. Bigger schools like Iowa have 3+ pep bands. You want a band there more often? Bring an instrument to a game and do it yourself.

[clenz]

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

F*** it...I'm covinced.

I no longer support having the pep band play at games...I will send emails to all involved in the band and the athletic department to pull them from the games. Clearly, it's impossible to be a band member and actually play at events....


Holy crap, this is starting to sound like UNI fans on mvcfans.com and attendance excuses. It's clearly best for the band members if they don't play athletic events...I mean the time and what not it takes.

[Newsbreaker]

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

Mrs. Newsy has been reading this thread. That has led to discussing PN in my living room tonight, so that's neat.

First, she says some awesome things she wouldn't let me post. Mostly about tuba players.

Second, she says there is a huge difference between cheerleaders, who are choosing to engaged in an extra-curricular activity, and music majors who are actually engaged in an academic major. The whole point of being a cheerleader is to attend games. The whole point of being a music major isn't to entertain people eating hot dogs.

She used to average about 15 hours of rehearsals, plus another 14 or so hours of individual practice, plus classes, homework, etc, per week. Plus she had me to deal with. Time abounds.

Oh, and she says Pep Band was for people who couldn't get into a real ensemble.

She's a real pip.

[06panther10]

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

As a current music major at UNI as well as a proud member of the pep band, I would like to clear something up for this thread. The games before winter break were missing the pep band because there were a lot of shifts taking place within the school of music ensembles, leaving the responsibility of playing at the games on the volleyball pep bands. The bands did their best to show up for those games and support our team, however, the time commitment was not something originally asked of them, so they could not be forced to go.

There is not a single home game that does not have a band assigned to be there now that everything has been sorted out, and you can fully expect to see the Panther Pep Band at every single home game.

I would ask that you not bash a department when you do not fully understand what is going on within it, and I ask that you respect all of the work put into music just for the sake of your entertainment. Please support the band when you see them, and if you happen to recognize a member when passing them on campus, go ahead and congratulate them on a job well done.

We put a lot of time and effort into our music so that you don't have to listen to the same canned music all the time, please respect that.

Thank you

Yeah, that's exactly the problem, nobody gives a crap. They aren't forced to be there, so nobody bothers to come. Its not a job, its called school pride. Its amazing how the rest of D1 can do it, but at UNI the band members are "too busy".

This has not been just this year. This has been going on for several years, so I'm sorry but your "reason" that you listed for the first semester holds no validity whatsoever.

Luckily, the entire pep band had enough free time to show up for the Iowa game in the first semester though.

[clenz]

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

Yeah, that's exactly the problem, nobody gives a crap. They aren't forced to be there, so nobody bothers to come. Its not a job, its called school pride. Its amazing how the rest of D1 can do it, but at UNI the band members are "too busy".

This has not been just this year. This has been going on for several years, so I'm sorry but your "reason" that you listed for the first semester holds no validity whatsoever.

Luckily, the entire pep band had enough free time to show up for the Iowa game in the first semester though.

Or the MVC tournament (even carrying a University of Iowa bag)....or NCAA's...all on much shorter notice than the rest of the basketball schedule.

[06panther10]

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

Did you know the UNI band program is the most underfunded band program in the Valley? The School of Music was only given enough funding from Athletics to pay one GA to run the band until Spring 2008 (Dannen's first year as AD). In addition, pep band is a graded ensemble that doesn't receive a grade/credit until Spring semester. The games played at the end of the fall semester are special requests from athletics. And, many of those games happened to occur on days we were hosting playoff games. Since many band members are in both, we can't put ourselves in two places at once...unless one of you is hiding a cloning machine. When I was a member of the band in 02, we played maybe 10 games all season. Bigger schools like Iowa have 3+ pep bands. You want a band there more often? Bring an instrument to a game and do it yourself.

Yeah, like I said, this is exactly the problem. The "what's in it for me?" attitude.

[cram0209]

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

Last I checked, this is an institution for education and higher learning. If someone chooses not to partake in having school spirit, that's their business.

[06panther10]

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

Last I checked, this is an institution for education and higher learning. If someone chooses not to partake in having school spirit, that's their business.

You are exactly right.


Unfortunately, 95% of the country has more school spirit than UNI.

[clenz]

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

Then why have the pep band?

I'm okay with the "same canned music" if playing in a pep band is too much for you.


It's freaking ridiculous that UNI can't pull a pep band for every home game, but seemingly every other school can.

[Newsbreaker]

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

[JazzPanther]

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

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.

As I mentioned before, I voiced this concern to the current GA and director in charge of the pep bands during winter break. I stated that there would most likely be enough interested students to cover the 1st semester and winter break games with the potential to offer alumni to play as well. They were very appreciative of the input and said they would keep it in mind as the plan for the 2012-2013 pep band.

[FenrisWolf]

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

To those of you still complaining about miss Hawkeye bag.

She passed away last March in an automobile accident, on her way to Cedar Falls to fly down and support women's basketball team in Wichita in their NCAA appearance.

Show some ****ing respect.

UNI band plays on in wake of Williams tragedy