Indulgence Suffocations is a harmful concept and needs to be air out in the HBCU band world. The glorification in HBCU BAND poll ranking of larger size band programs at the expense of smaller size bands at times is not based on how well you sound, but the size of the band. This trending is becoming a hindrance to proper band ranking for good sounding smaller HBCU band programs. Lack of numbers for too many fans and judges suffocates anything pleasantly fresh or good sounding. Just what do I imply? Look at it this way if your band is not part of the SWAC or MEAC, the chance of your band getting recognized as a top tier band is almost zero. Even if you are a large band, not members of the SWAC or MEAC, you get looked over many times for the top spots or any spots in the ranking battleground. I am not saying certain bands not get a due reconnection for excellent musicianship. But music powerfulness and bodies covering the whole football field need not get ten thousand bonus points. Our smaller HBCU bands play the same music as the larger HBCU bands, and they play music well. But they suffer from many thanking that a smaller college or University can not be as good as the big boys. As a friend once said, if you did not break my eardrum, you not much of a band, and look, they only have one Drum major. Whenever money is in the game, as others have said before me, it can suffocate anything and anyone else, and I think some have been seduced. Everyone's attention span is getting shorter. So what do you consider that can help.? ---- James Stewart 11/17/2019