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« Heller Hath No Fury
Wherein a PBS Geek Learns to Love Football
No, I'm not talking about Friday Night Lights (although props to FNL, quality stuff). I'm talking about the Sugar Bowl, which, much to my amazement, I watched last night. (Confession: it happened in a bar.)
Here's another confession: I waddn't watching no football players. Granted, these guys are remarkable specimen, if for no other reason than the sheer rock-star status they must possess on campus, as mere 19-year-olds. I watch them run around, arrogant-faced and jiggly bicepped, and I can just smell the staggering level of worship they've grown accustomed to, from coaches, fellow students, the press, not to mention the ladies waiting for their attention in the stands and locker rooms. But I digress: My big focus last night was on the marching band.
Their wild-eyed, utterly unabashed enthusiasm. Their total lack of even trace cynicism. The thoroughly selfless, childlike joy on their faces. But best of all, every single one of those kids actually looked their age! Sometimes, their hair looked messy! And in other cases, between plays, they actually looked bored, like real human beings! When you look at the athletes, and the cheerleaders, they're so glammed-up and confident that you have to remind yourself that they've only been of legal voting age for like, 20-odd months. But the marching banders? Real. Adorable.
But I was plagued with questions. How much money must schools throw into these insanely elaborate musical spectacles, provided as mere side shows to another, ever more elaborate spectacle, and why? Do marching-band folk get scholarships? How about the cheerleaders, or those bandie dancers in the sparkly onesies, or the flag girls? When a kid comes home for winter break to announce she's joined the sparkly-onesie squad, is she met with parental pride, or with horror that at 35 grand a year her time might be better spent? Is there a professional future as a musician or dancer for these kids? And what of the flag girls? I worry about the flag girls.
Also, what about bandie social status these days? I can't imagine it's much improved since I was Degrassi age. The players obviously have it made and always have, and the cheerleaders probably aren't doing too bad either, but the onesie dancers?! The instrumentalists have real skill, so maybe they're not getting whatever the college equivalent is of the sign-on-back treatment. But the flag flock? They have to be below bottom in the social strata. And what drives these kids to choose to be hangers-on to someone's glory, continually derided for not being one of the storied legends? Or is there a glory of its own in being a bandie nowadays? Maybe the college-band-themed performances from the likes of Gwen Stefani ("Hollaback Girl" video) and Kanye West ("Gold Digger" performance at the Grammys) of late are having a trickle-down effect and improving the love lives of bandies.
But that would mean... wait a second — is band camp cool now?
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Jan 4, 2007 7:55 PM
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well, this whole thing was pretty mean, IMHO. I just graduated from college a year and a half ago. I attended a lot of football and basketball games and if it weren't for the band, it would be completely boring, no matter how well your team is winning. The band, dancers and cheerleaders keep the crowd entertained during timeouts and in between plays. They may not be the most popular or best looking, but their role at games is one of the biggest. Every single senior day I went to, the seniors, coaches, etc thanked the band and cheerleaders for what they add to the game environment. If the team is down, the band can get the crowd back into it. And I never really got the reason for cheerleaders until I was in college and now I get it. They really do help get the corwd into the game. They're always happy and upbeat, even when the team loses, and that's what they NEED. As for the dancers, I really don't see the point. but, I did have a couple of friends who did that and they were pretty cool, so, I'd never say anything bad about them. They could be entertaining sometimes. Usually, during media timeouts at the basketball games, they would do go out on the court with the cheerleaders and also, they and the cheerleaders had camps for little kids so, that's cool, too.
I've been to some road basketball games with now band. It was the saddest thing I've seen. They tried to play some music over the speakers, but it was not very good quality. Needless to say, the home team lost bigtime.
And I don't know about scholarships, but I'm sure some of the cheerleaders and band members get scholarships. I mean, you can have a career in music. I know there are a lot of music majors at school. And the cheerleaders at my university go to national championships every year and do quite well. And have you seen the shape those people are in??!?! They could crush you with the strength in their legs. They're like gymnasts. Well, I guess they kinda are, just without the tights.
And 1 more thing, most of these people are good students. So why wouldn't a school want to give them a scholarship to attend?!?!
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Jan 8, 2007 3:47 PM
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I was a member of the University of Kentucky Marching and Pep Bands for four years in college.
The music majors in the band got full scholarships that required them to march but those of us who weren't music majors usually did it for the opportunity to make friends and be a part of the pep band. Many other schools give all band members at least a partial scholarship. (That includes the color guard and majorettes. Your flag people and onesie girls. *rolls eyes*)
Basketball is really popular at UK and so being in the pep band was highly prized. I managed to be in the road band which meant I got to travel all over the United States on the athletic department's tab. We always stayed in the best hotels and some of the cities I visited are Atlanta, New Orleans, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Detroit, New York, Syracuse, Niagra Falls, Memphis, Nashville, and Columbus.
Don't get the wrong impression though. We were cynical. How could you not be if you had to wear a funny wool outfit in August while watching your team lose in seven overtimes? We just made our own fun though. And partied a lot.
And let me tell you that plenty of nonband college students wanted to come to the band parties. We were no social pariahs. There were plenty of frat guys in our bands as well as the honor students. In fact every year the trombone section went and played for the sororities and the girls always wanted to take pictures with the boys.
Oh and by the way google Drum Corps. Drum Corps is professional marching band.
Oh and maybe you ought to check out an Historic Black College and University band sometime. Those bands are so good and entertaining that they compete on BET. There is a long band tradition that involves dance and such at the historically black schools.
Finally, I'm glad that you found the band interesting but you made yourself sound like a rude ninth grader worrying about the popularity of it. Of course band camp isn't "cool." It is 13 hours a day of hard work mostly in the sun. But band itself is generally well loved on college campuses.
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Jan 30, 2007 3:28 PM
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