Pep Bands vs. Canned Music at Football Games

[joepieters]

Our school president would likely be looking for a job if he didn't show up for every home game.

Do any of the Wallies on the board know whether Sheldon W. ever cast a shadow at Little Giant Stadium?  I suspect not.

[AUPepBand]

At Wabash through the eighties the President of the school, the late great  Lew Salter, played the snare drum in the pep band.

I should ask Charley if he'd like to bang on the bass drum or hum along on a kazoo this year.

At Merrill Field, one side of the press box's second tier is the presidential suite. AU president invites guests of honor to watch the game with him there. I was torn one Saterday early in Charley's administration as he invited me to his home for lunch (along with several others), then to watch the game from the President's Box. As it turned out, I was pulled downstairs from the glass-enclosed presidential suite to do color commentary for the radio broadcast with WLEA's Bob Codispoti (AU '67), the radio voice of the Saxons, an AU football star and my 7th grade social studies teacher! I've also substituted for longtime public address announcer Bill LaCourse, who inherited that particular job from my grandfather, Fred "Well Hello There!" Palmer.

Having said all that, my preference is to watch the Saxons with the band. Nothing else compares.

[AUPepBand]

Will AUPepBand pull off "Bang on the Drum All Day" in their season debut at Merrill Field tomorrow? Only time will tell....sure hope the band is in bed at a decent hour.

Watch for AUPepBand to "release the secret weapon" Homecoming Weekend...Sept. 30 at Merrill Field. Everyone must have it. Could be a campus craze.

[ADL70]

AUPB, if you go to the CWRU site, the Oberlin broadcasat is achived and you can hear the band during the pre-game.

[AUPepBand]

CWRU70:
Thanks....always enjoy a good band. Another good win for Case...congrats!
AUPepBand had a decent effort today with about 15 tooting their horns/banging on their drums. Had numerous positive comments from parents/fans...have a great bunch of kids this year. AU does not have a music major but has multi-talented students that comprise the band. And if we can muster at least a five-piece ensemble, we take our show on the road.

['gro]

'gro was at the tennessee/air force game this weekend and the pride of the southland band played 'rocky top' at least 15 times over the course of the game. its a great college fight song... in moderation.  Of course, nothing beats a little 'hail, dear old rensselaer" on saturday afternoons.

[AUPepBand]

Partial to "On Saxon Warriors" here on Saturday afternoons.
Building on tradition, AUPepBand plays fight song upon a Saxon score, then sings it through during PAT attempt, then plays it again. As much as AUPepBand loves it, must admit it grows old during a Saxon Stomp (i.e. AU 63, Maine Maritime 20).

['gro]

they play rocky top after big plays, some 1st downs, turnovers, scores... any chance they get. IMO it waters down the crowd energy.

as a player, hearing our fight song meant three things
1. we just scored (duh)
2. kickoff team huddle up aka "sickoff in the box"
3. starting defense (those not on KO) button up

[roaminump]

Your school president goes to the football games? RPI's only shows up if we make the playoffs... frontrunner.

Actually, she's usually in the press box for home games - not necessarily for the whole game, but definitely at most of the games.

And the RPI Pep Band is, in fact, awesome. Not always the most muscially talented, but they play the Looney Tunes theme when the opponents take the field, they randomly launch into the Zelda theme, and I still get tingly when they strike up "Hail" (otherwise known by it's first lyric, "blah blah blah Rensselaer").

[Ralph Turner]

Paul Quinn had their pep band out for the Howard Payne Game.

They had 7 drums, 2 bass horns, and 7 other brass pieces.  They made a big sound in the Dallas Independent School District bowl-style stadium where they play.

[Ron Boerger]

Apropos of nothing, I noticed this weekend that Huntingdon offered half-tuition grants to students who wanted to be in their new marching band ... but only to new students.

[AUPepBand]

AU Pep Band made the six-hour trip from Alfred to Springfield to support the Saxons; left Alfred at 5:30 a.m., returning at 10 p.m. A trumpet, euphonium, trombone, bass drum and kazoo comprised the modest ensemble. AU's sousaphone player was there but didn't pack the mouthpiece so he filled in on kazoo. Pep Band thanks AU fans for supporting the band by purchasing the purple "AU Pep Bandanas"....more coming for Homecoming!

Springfield fans following the game: "You definitely had the best band here today!"

[AUPepBand]

A four-piece AU Pep Band made the trip to Oneonta for AU's 41-21 win over Hartwick at the wick's Homecoming. Canned music at newly dedicated "Wright Stadium".

Two trumpets, a trombone and a bass drum...played the fight song many times, but sometimes were interrupted by the canned music. But if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! AUPepBand, playing the bass drum, was ecstatic when the Wright Stadium DJ spun "Bang the Drum All Day"....AUPepBand seen banging the bass drum and singing along. AUPepBand....sans dignity. Surely an embarassment to his children. No wonder they stayed home.

[Ralph Turner]

Abilene Reporter-News feature article on the Howard Payne University Band Centennial 1906-2006

[ADL70]

AUPB, while I understand that song's infectiousness (and its appeal to the tympanist), it is decidedly not PC.