Got my hands on student section Wisky season tickets...

[TexanMark]

We need her for Marching Band Recruiting Season

BTW, great idea about having the Band as an option on the donation form.

 

[Scooch]

Hi Chip,

The Band size seems to be holding steady right around 200. When I got the Band in 2005 we had 155; our highest since then was 204 in 2010. It looks like we might go slightly over that this year but we're right in the middle of recruiting season and we won't know until mid-July. I'll update you then. As a frame of reference, the SUMB saw its highest numbers in 1999, and that was 224.

As for filling that section, I'd actually like to move to the corner near the tunnel so we can be close to the student section. I think we're the only Div. I-FBS stadium that seats its band off in the middle of nowhere closer to away fans than home fans. This really detracts from the atmosphere and home-field advantage. I'm working on this, but there's a lot of resistance to moving us.

I want to break through and get to 250-275, but we don't offer scholarships like a lot of programs in the Big East and many in the ACC (there aren't $$ for this. If there were, we would have more Tubas than we'd know what to do with!), and the University actually ties our hands with recruiting; we aren't allowed to contact all incoming students directly. The reasons for this are a bit silly and we're working with the upper administration to fix it, but it's slow. As for scholarships, until we can get some kind of base funding it won't happen, but that's the quickest way to grow the Band.

Uniforms! Yes. These are in dire need of replacement, if for no other reason than our current set is falling apart. A typical life cycle for uniforms is 10 years; the set we have now was first used in 2005. The current design was introduced in 1995 and is admittedly very dated. We are currently working on a replacement design for 2015. We know what it'll look like: more orange and navy, and only a little bit of white. It's a really nice design that's contemporary and a little bit traditional at the same time (although if this platinum thing catches on we're going to have to revisit). What we don't know is where the $$ will come from to buy them (about $200,000). Again, we're working on that, too.

Our biggest challenge is getting the University to invest in the SUMB. We're working on organizational and funding models from the early 1990s! We're starting to get traction on all of these things but as you might imagine it's hard to make it to the top of the priority list when there are so many other pressing needs. We are optimistic that the move to the ACC will help.

Former Pride member ('91-'95) with a bit of advice... You guys should aggressively reach out to SUMB alumni. I'll throw you some money if you lay out what you just did with a clear process-driven plan for the future, and I wouldn't be the only one. But you gotta have a plan and administration support. Sounds like you're getting there.

 

[SUMB]

How can we as fans of SUMB help? What is the best way to tell administration we care about the band? Who should we contact about this?

What is the best way to make a donation? I wish there was an option to earmark dollars for SUMB on the season ticket holder renewal form. That would be the ideal solution (hint hint whoever is responsible for that).

Is there any way you could add some code to the SUMB web site to allow people to support SUMB financially? I think if there was a way to make it relatively easy for fans to make donations, you would get some of the financial support you need to accomplish your goals.

Thanks for this sentiment everyone; it's great to see this from fellow fans.

To answer these questions:

Donations can be made (and are made; we just got a pretty decent bequest from a band alum, though with bequests you never know when that money will come in for reasons I'm sure you could imagine) to SU and earmarked for the SUMB. It can be as simple as writing "This donation is intended for the Syracuse University Marching Band" on the check for small donations. If you really want to get someone's attention, though, you can contact the development office in the College of Visual in Performing Arts:

http://vpa.syr.edu/alumni/get-involved/donate

You can also do this through Athletics, but they may send you to VPA (the organizational relationships can be weird).

I also believe that if you can't donate, emails/letters to the Chancellor and Athletic Director expressing a desire for more support for the SUMB would be very beneficial.

Tomcat, that's a great idea about adding a checkbox to the renewal form; I'll ask about that.

Scooch, I too am a former Pride member ('97-'01). Please say hello this fall! We are about to reach out to alumni, mostly about uniforms (though I would like to see if we can get some sort of funding for travel to away games; it's unfortunate that the SUMB doesn't support the team this way) but we're working on getting all of our ducks in a row to make sure it's clear and process-driven as you say.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Scooch]

Scooch, I too am a former Pride member ('97-'01). Please say hello this fall! We are about to reach out to alumni, mostly about uniforms (though I would like to see if we can get some sort of funding for travel to away games; it's unfortunate that the SUMB doesn't support the team this way) but we're working on getting all of our ducks in a row to make sure it's clear and process-driven as you say.

Excellent.

Speaking for me, and from my experience with my old SUMB buddies, it seems most of the alumni outreach efforts in the past have been around getting people back for Homecoming to march in the alumni band. That's fine for a certain segment, but not entirely appealing for a lot of us. I had an amazing experience in the Pride (heck, it's where I met the future Mrs. Scooch) and I would be more than happy to donate money to you guys for uniforms, travel, scholarships, etc.

Definitely use Facebook for outreach too. Hell, years back I started a joke "I partied at 214" fan page (if you were there from 97-01, you know the house!) and I think it had 300 people join it. A well maintained SUMB alumni page would generate some interest and ultimately some dinero I would think.

 

[SUMB]

Excellent.

Speaking for me, and from my experience with my old SUMB buddies, it seems most of the alumni outreach efforts in the past have been around getting people back for Homecoming to march in the alumni band. That's fine for a certain segment, but not entirely appealing for a lot of us. I had an amazing experience in the Pride (heck, it's where I met the future Mrs. Scooch) and I would be more than happy to donate money to you guys for uniforms, travel, scholarships, etc.

Definitely use Facebook for outreach too. Hell, years back I started a joke "I partied at 214" fan page (if you were there from 97-01, you know the house!) and I think it had 300 people join it. A well maintained SUMB alumni page would generate some interest and ultimately some dinero I would think.

I didn't just party at 214, I lived there my junior and senior years!

You are 100% correct about the direction of current alumni outreach and activities. I've been working with some like-minded alumni and we're currently talking about how to reach out better to alumni like you (and me; I'm the band's director and I never marched at Homecoming either for God's sake). Facebook is one of our ideas.

 

[Chip]

we just got a pretty decent bequest from a band alum, though with bequests you never know when that money will come in for reasons I'm sure you could imagine

If you could just send me the address, I'll have the rest taken care of. You'll have your uniforms and tubas by the fall.