We need to hire the Director of the Alabama A &M Band..
The A&M Band put on a great show and UC (no blame to the students) had their normal bland performance.. This has been
going on for years and Terren Frenz is the reason.....

I've been more critical than the next guy, but I say we just gently nudge him to retire. Firing is a bit harsh for a guy who has been doing this for an eternity.

The Alabama A&M kids were just flat out better musicians. Having what seemed to be over twice the amount of brass helps, too.

Historically, I have liked Dr. Frenz as a person, but there needs to be change. If he can change than fine, but regardless the instrument make up needs to change. A&M had twice the brass for each instrument, more bass drum, no xylophones, few if any flutes. They were built to be loud inside a football stadium. I'm sure there is a happy medium, but we desperately need more brass.

Totally agree! Band needs some new/young blood.

Does anyone else get tired of hearing 3 or more times a night "under the direction of Dr. Terren L. Frenz"?

I hear there is a former OSU band director that is unemployed.

Why not?

He is a fine director but the musical selections need to change and drop the drum and bugle corps walk and start marching!

While observing the stadium build I caught a band rehearsal. He does a fine job with the students. I wonder what they feel about the music selections?
He built the band back up to the current numbers, improved football teams certainly helped student's wanting to be a part of the game events.

If you eliminate clarinets and flutes you'd lose about 50. A&M is built to be just be as loud as you can be, not necessarily good musically.

Definitely need to lose the 10 marimbas.

(09-06-2015 10:11 AM)bearcat72 Wrote:  He is a fine director but the musical selections need to change and drop the drum and bugle corps walk and start marching!

While observing the stadium build I caught a band rehearsal. He does a fine job with the students. I wonder what they feel about the music selections?
He built the band back up to the current numbers, improved football teams certainly helped student's wanting to be a part of the game events.

If you eliminate clarinets and flutes you'd lose about 50. A&M is built to be just be as loud as you can be, not necessarily good musically.

Definitely need to lose the 10 marimbas.

I like your comment about marching. I think if you're going to have military-style uniforms you should play the part. I don't like watching them because they seem so sloppy with their "marching."

And that Army fanfare thing they do before they run down the steps - they can never seem to hit the notes with perfect timing. It's just one of those tunes where precision matters.

The discipline and hard work that goes into A&M's band was awe inspiring to watch. It's what they're known for. I gave them a standing O. What a great group of young men & women.

Anyone have video of the band spelling out Nippert last night?

(09-06-2015 10:22 AM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  

(09-06-2015 10:11 AM)bearcat72 Wrote:  He is a fine director but the musical selections need to change and drop the drum and bugle corps walk and start marching!

While observing the stadium build I caught a band rehearsal. He does a fine job with the students. I wonder what they feel about the music selections?
He built the band back up to the current numbers, improved football teams certainly helped student's wanting to be a part of the game events.

If you eliminate clarinets and flutes you'd lose about 50. A&M is built to be just be as loud as you can be, not necessarily good musically.

Definitely need to lose the 10 marimbas.

I like your comment about marching. I think if you're going to have military-style uniforms you should play the part. I don't like watching them because they seem so sloppy with their "marching."

And that Army fanfare thing they do before they run down the steps - they can never seem to hit the notes with perfect timing. It's just one of those tunes where precision matters.

I think Dr. Frenz thought he was going to get some "static" about his bands performance from a comment I heard him make at the band practice. "Well have to be on our best game, as A&M has a great band and our crowd will expect more from us". He was on his PA system that he uses during practice and he said it to the entire band in Nippert.

The day I care about a band's performance is the day I jump off the top of a parking garage.

I have always thought the band has done a decent job with what they had. It has been encouraging that the band numbers have grown since I was a freshman in 2006. After almost 10 years of success on the field I have never felt that the Band has really improved.

Football and men's basketball are in a good place right now and it is about time the University started investing some of its resources elsewhere and that includes the band.

I really don't want to see Frenz lose his job, but it is about time to take a new approach. I think with the success we have seen, and the amount of students enrolled it should not be hard to get enough members for the band. If we injected a little youth and fun into the band it would likely benefit the fans, and the band.

I would love to see them phase out the woodwinds, as most top notch bands just use brass. I also think it is about time to redesign the uniforms. I have always felt the band uniforms looked very drab. It may just be because the Red and Black, while amazing on our sports uniforms just don't look great as a band uniform.

(09-06-2015 10:49 AM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  The day I care about a band's performance is the day I jump off the top of a parking garage.

That's just it - if they were good, you'd probably pay attention.

I don't think they're "bad;" I just think they're off the mark for college football.

(09-06-2015 11:01 AM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  

(09-06-2015 10:49 AM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  The day I care about a band's performance is the day I jump off the top of a parking garage.

That's just it - if they were good, you'd probably pay attention.

I don't think they're "bad;" I just think they're off the mark for college football.

It was Chicago vs. Earth, Wind and Fire

(09-06-2015 11:01 AM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  That's just it - if they were good, you'd probably pay attention.

I don't think they're "bad;" I just think they're off the mark for college football.

They're bad. High school bands keep better lines.

The most embarrassing was at the Sugar Bowl when out band played right before Florida's. It was like little league vs the majors. We marched one crisscross pattern and then Florida came out and started writing sentences in cursive. It was also interesting to see how the band integrated with their fans continually throughout the game with cheers. Very impressive and where I hope ours gets someday. Come to think of it, our team looked like little league too that day...

(09-06-2015 12:40 PM)franzeal Wrote:  

(09-06-2015 11:01 AM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  That's just it - if they were good, you'd probably pay attention.

I don't think they're "bad;" I just think they're off the mark for college football.

They're bad. High school bands keep better lines.

they were mickey mouse when I attended in the mid 90's (no offense to any band members). I think it is time for a new director. But you don't fire a guy like Frenz. You give him a retirement party he didn't really ask for, a gold watch and lots of well wishes.

Knowing a few people in the know... many of you will not have to worry about this portion of the UC experience.. I have been told he is very strongly contemplating retiring after this year on his own... and the man who will be in charge, at least both of the two I've been told are tops for replacements both are VERY big on the festival band feel.. not the national championship style marching and music selections..

I can also tell you many of the students in the band want changes in the music... significant changes..

But I will also tell you, having known the man and many involved in the band.. the work he does with these students, generally stressing the importance of studies etc is second to none at the university.. you will have a few people who disagree, but by far the biggest issue for students in the band is the music..

Unfortunately you also have to remember.. our world class CCM very much condemns marching band/basketball band participation.. while many universities have mandatory participation for portions or their entirety of undergrad by music major students.. this is a band who is over 40% engineers...

A couple of thoughts from an older bandsman (class of 72)

First, Dr. Frenz came in at a time when there was virtually no university support for the bands. The band program was really in the dumps. Maybe even worse than the football team at the time. He turned things around. He now has a lot of support from both university and athletic department administration. He needs to be given full credit for that.

Next, he does what he knows, which is corp style drills. (Yeah, I wish he would try other styles also.) That means controlled sound, but also playing in tune, which some "louder" bands seem to forget.

Next, most students coming in learned the corp style in high school. It is almost required to score well in high school competitions. He works with what his people know.

Next, you need to look at the rehearsal time available. Is is usually less than you would like, and you now need to be ready for co-op students to move in or out in the middle of a term.

So, might I like to see some changes? Yes, but I think this bashing the guy is rather off base. I have met him. He is a class act.