Does the band…….

[upperdeck]

And I dont think most college bands are trying to pump out quality sound, loud over quality mostly

 

[ECE '76]

144% THIS.

SUMB is a 1 credit Pass/Fail course.

And it’s the hardest, most time intensive 1 freaking credit anybody will ever earn in college.

Think about how “credit hours” usually work:
A 3 credit hour course usually meets for either 2x 1.5 hour classes / week,
or 3x 1 hour classes / week.

SUMB is multiple nights / week, plus prolly 6+ hours on game day.

And not just sitting in a classroom, you’re in the Dome learning new songs and new marching formations almost every week.

And that’s not counting any potential road games and/or bowl games.

We practiced for 2 hours every weekday when I was in the SUMB (1970s). And game day was pretty long. We learned half time shows that required playing while high-step marching and making active formations. Every game was a new show and music to learn. Plus we took two trips to away games per season (went to Penn State, Pitt, WV, BC, Navy).

I never heard of such a thing that woodwinds wouldn't play in the rain. All the games were outdoors. SU supplied some of the instruments, but not all.

We had some epic touch football games before band practice in the field between Lawrinson and Sadler. Someone on a high floor of Lawrinson would put big speakers aimed out their window and play Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East as loud as they could during our practices. Ahh, the 1970s.

 

[VTAaron]

We practiced for 2 hours every weekday when I was in the SUMB (1970s). And game day was pretty long. We learned half time shows that required playing while high-step marching and making active formations. Every game was a new show and music to learn. Plus we took two trips to away games per season (went to Penn State, Pitt, WV, BC, Navy).

I never heard of such a thing that woodwinds wouldn't play in the rain. All the games were outdoors. SU supplied some of the instruments, but not all.

We had some epic touch football games before band practice in the field between Lawrinson and Sadler. Someone on a high floor of Lawrinson would put big speakers aimed out their window and play Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East as loud as they could during our practices. Ahh, the 1970s.

(90's) ( high school) We had plastic clarinets and such for outdoor stuff... I had 2-3 of them. Thats the only woodwinds that would matter either.. The rest are all metal except for the pads and those have to be replaced periodically anyhow like a sax or flute etc. But no other instrument other than a clarinet would be a consideration. Drum and bugle core is all brass, and you don't ever dare take a Selmer or Yamaha into the rain these days. or back 40 years ago.

 

[tptcuse]

Meanwhile...

 

[SU68]

I was in the band for four years in the 60's and we worked our butts off. We were a real band (Big Ten style), not the glorified drum and bugle corps you see these days. We actually had to learn intricate moving formations and the other team's fight song to play in the pre-game show.

The plus side was good friendships, two bowl games (Sugar and Gator), and an annual trip to an opponent's school.

 

[VTAaron]

I was in the band for four years in the 60's and we worked our butts off. We were a real band (Big Ten style), not the glorified drum and bugle corps you see these days. We actually had to learn intricate moving formations and the other team's fight song to play in the pre-game show.

The plus side was good friendships, two bowl games (Sugar and Gator), and an annual trip to an opponent's school.

Yeah we did that in high school band too took a few months of practice and everything memorized. Today it is so simple and we never stood in place. Use to do gates and for big impacts a company front!

 

[tptcuse]

A little more clarity regarding the original question about bands and rain. This is based on 30 plus years of direct experience and asking a SUMB the exact question this past Saturday on my way to the dome.

-High school bands GENERALLY do not play in the rain. This is to keep the woodwinds from being damaged and keep the uniforms in good shape throughout the season. Generally, those uniforms are only dry cleaned once a season. Colleges might do more.
-The SUMB member I asked said that only the brass and percussion play the quad walk if it’s raining. I’m sure there is a gray area when it is sprinkling as opposed to pouring. They also have plastic ponchos to protect their uniforms.
-I suspect colleges with outdoor stadiums have different standards and procedures to adapt for the rain.
-At the college level, the marching bands are a combination of music majors and non-majors. The more serious musicians would most likely have a “professional” instrument plus a lesser quality instrument they use only for marching band.

 

[VTAaron]

A little more clarity regarding the original question about bands and rain. This is based on 30 plus years of direct experience and asking a SUMB the exact question this past Saturday on my way to the dome.

-High school bands GENERALLY do not play in the rain. This is to keep the woodwinds from being damaged and keep the uniforms in good shape throughout the season. Generally, those uniforms are only dry cleaned once a season. Colleges might do more.
-The SUMB member I asked said that only the brass and percussion play the quad walk if it’s raining. I’m sure there is a gray area when it is sprinkling as opposed to pouring. They also have plastic ponchos to protect their uniforms.
-I suspect colleges with outdoor stadiums have different standards and procedures to adapt for the rain.
-At the college level, the marching bands are a combination of music majors and non-majors. The more serious musicians would most likely have a “professional” instrument plus a lesser quality instrument they use only for marching band.

We played rain or shine back in the day... We even had to get to band practice by ourselves, and get our own hitchhike ride home. But yeah brass and percussion I can see in a heavy rain. I would not take my clarinet or sax out in a heavy downpour... and no wood clarinets, or pics in any cold weather under 50

 

[Cheriehoop]

So what are all these bands doing that play at all these college games? They play in all kinds of rain. Do they all have backup cheaper equipment? Perhaps. or they just live with it

I know many kids playing in college pep bands and the like and they dont have multiple instruments. They also dont have fancy symphony woodwinds either,

I don’t know, I just looked it up to find out. They said the quality of the sound is affected too. Maybe they aren’t playing on true woodwinds if they are plastic etc. They said the metal rusts too. Maybe the school provides them so they let them worry about it. I truly don’t know.

 

[Ozone!]

 

[tbonezone]

-High school bands GENERALLY do not play in the rain. This is to keep the woodwinds from being damaged

isn't there a special wax you could apply liberally to your flute to keep it supple ?
grease up the old flugelhorn pregame so to speak ? a little mojo for the oboe ?

 

[Cusefan95]

The time kids in the band put in is insane. Hours and hours every week to put on a show. The disrespect they get from many SU fans makes my blood boil.

I never disrespected the band - but my appreciation of the band has grown exponentially over the last few years as they are the only reason I can get my daughter to go to games.