AT This Link (Article) It displays basically that the folks at the Tom Joyer Morning show doesn't think HBCU shows are good enough in comparison
I just had to say that Their Marching concept (Glide Step / Stride step) promotes the concepts and themes their drills
Our bands traditional high knee life wont work when trying to accomplish the same pattern. why make a drastic change that won't appeal to our audience...
we'd have to change what we're doing to "Compete" . and that would be unnecessary.
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Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. All that matters at the end of the day is that the crowd you perform for (and the viewers who watch you on the net) are entertained with what you offer. That's the vulnerability of the craft...too often we want to change our product to appease the opinions of a few. So instead of authentic, genuine, and creative presentations, we are stuck with clones and impersonations, that show no kind of originality whatsoever.
It really is a shame.
Our bands stick to a script yet they all basically do the same thing with a different approach.. if we all were to do what Corps Bands do,24/7. folks would lose interest i believe.
NCAT and NSU incorporate both styles with success, however I wouldn't want to see every HBCU do that. I like the variety we all have. Our culture has grown to love our high stepping style and I agree with the poster that stated please the crowd you're mostly performing for.
I think JSU and SU could do at least one show that incorporate both styles
As an HBCU Assistant Director of Bands and Chief Music arranger for 12 years now I have a concern about this. I do agree that the level of creativity can always be increased. We as musicians and advocators of excellent musicianship should always look for ways to improve our performances and essentially give the people what they want. After all, we are there to entertain the crowd. However, I would like to make a point that what we do as HBCU bands should be an honorable craft that people value and respect. Why is it that we always have to do what white bands do to be validated as doing it the right way? My last year on staff at AAMU we played Auburn. We received a standing ovation and got nothing but love from the fans down there. I was in the press box announcing for the band and felt like a celebrity leaving because of the overwhelming reception. fast forward to last night...we (Stillman College) played Samford University in Birmingham last night. The fans there were in awe of the performance and once again in the press box we received rave reviews. What I am saying is as HBCU bands and African Americans, we have to be content with what we do while being innovative. There's nothing wrong with our style. I say do you and do it well.
I respect everyone's comments I've read. As far as what I got from the article I believe Tom J. is right about pushing innovation and being creative. I'm an HBCU fan for life but In my opinion last year OSU had the best show I've seen from a band in a while. They execute better, sound better, and are more creative than most HBCUs lately but NOT ALL. However we are still able to put on a damn good show also with the style we have but lets be honest there's a lack of new and innovative routines coming from HBCU bands now days. I think Tom knows the potential HBCU bands have and he just wants to see more like many other people would like to see. People are on the OSU band wagon because they are being creative and taking entertainment to the next level. They are not giving you the diamonds and circles that are common in our bands. We have gotten too comfortable with "WHAT WE DO" and have lost focus of bringing new concepts to our shows. There's nothing wrong with incorporating another style with our style.
I agree. Look on youtube and anyone can see that the PWIs' crowd loves them some HBCUs' halftime.
Brian M. Lyles said:
What this "voice" that speaks for ALL black folks should have done was run their OWN poll. That way there would be a source that disputes another. FOX news does it. But these coons are going to run with the NCAA's poll of what a marching band should be and feed that trash to black folks in a disparaging manner.
It's a damn shame that a so-called media source, claiming to speak for "black" folks would publish a $h!# headline like that, a day before they copied a year-old article from the NCAA. That's that whole "get like whitey" rhetoric. You think negros would stop this crap after all this time and understand that it DOESN'T work. Understand, that you are seen differently and to a certain degree others appreciate the differences.
So let's ask, what success has NCAT had by (poorly) incorporating a predominantly white style into their performance? NCAT got most of their attention from that Bed Intruder song and they weren't marching on a field - they were in the band hall - BEING THEMSELVES!
Southern is just being... Southern. And they're the ones being mentioned in these mainstream articles. Because people expect to see something different.
Now here's a white author questioning the boring ULL band's style.
http://espn1420.com/observations-from-the-southern-game-from-the-bi...
So here you have a white author asking why a "boring" corps bands isn't more entertaining like Southern. You think white folks commented on that article, questioning their bands style? You know white bands aren't about to start "copying" what black folks are doing... But black folks are going head over hill to please a very small minority of people who think they would be better off doing white stuff.
blackamericaweb.com is Tom Joyner's thing. The name is deceiving because Tom Joyner doesn't speak for me. Anyways, I question Joyner's motives and it seems like his feelings are hurt.
The NCAA released that poll last year. Why are these people bringing it up all of sudden as Southern is making headlines and partnering with the likes of McDonalds and Yamaha. And you can't ignore the mainstream praise Southern is receiving. But blackamerica web has said nothing until now.
The mainstream white articles aren't slamming Southern for being rated 2nd among 5 top marching bands in the country and telling them to "step it up." Oddly, the mainstream white articles are praising Southern. But a BLACK news source is doing everything except that.
The white articles also mentioned Southern's new band staff and even interviewed them. Anyone near an HBCU knows that Southern's band has a new staff. So why did blackamericaweb NOT interview Southern's new staff and opt to quote Jackson? Then post a new clip from the 2014 ULL game?
And it's odd that they would slip in that "reminder" at the bottom of the article.
Something tells me Southern isn't kissing the "Tom Joyner Foundations" butt.
http://blackamericaweb.com/2014/09/09/hbcu-bands-this-is-for-you-oh...
http://tomjoynerfoundation.org/human-jukebox-hbcu-band-land/
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