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Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
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TubaCat Offline
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Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
 
05-03-2017 11:11 AM
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The T-Shirt Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
What are your thoughts, Tuba/any other former or current band folk?
 
05-03-2017 11:20 AM
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UCBearcat4ever Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
 
05-03-2017 11:25 AM
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TubaCat Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
I got the news yesterday, but waited until an official announcement was made to post here.

Chris Nichter is much younger than his predecessor, roughly 37. He was previously the Assistant Director of Bands at WVU. The comments I have been hearing about him are that he is young, intense, and has lots of ideas to improve the band. He comes from the WVU marching band, which has about 400 members, and has an impressive pregame show that I was fortunate to see when the UC marching band traveled to Morgantown in 2010. I and all the other band alumni I've spoken to are quite excited to see him hired here.

Also, he is a fellow tuba player, so that automatically makes him an A+ hire in my book. 04-cheers
 
05-03-2017 11:32 AM
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BearcatJerry Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
I am a personal friend of Chris Nichter. Great guy, good hire!

I am excited for Chris and the Bearcat Band!
 
05-03-2017 11:36 AM
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robertfoshizzle Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
I love the hire. It fits right in with the energy Fickell and staff are bringing to the program. Sounds like the band is going to bring it as well.
 
05-03-2017 11:46 AM
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TubaCat Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
(05-03-2017 11:25 AM)UCBearcat4ever Wrote:  https://www.christophernichter.com/

Letter of recommendation sent to Search committee https://www.christophernichter.com/testimonials

Fantastic find UCBearcat4ever. There are examples of his music arrangements on that site as well as a great background photo of the combined UC & WVU marching bands' on-field performance in 2010. I'm in that photo somewhere. Since he literally has a picture of me on his website, he obviously already knows who I am. 03-lmfao

His example arrangements are an Usher medley, Man of La Mancha, Katy Perry's Firework, and In Flight. That's some good variety between big and exciting (yet still quality) music and fun, current pop music that the young people enjoy.

Some repeated words that stick out on his testimonials page are devoted, high-energy, organized, and enthusiastic. I and many people felt this is the kind of leadership this band needed.
 
05-03-2017 11:48 AM
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Bruce Monnin Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
Looking forward to the new director. I just hope it was impressed on him that he is not going to be getting hundreds of music majors who have hours and hours of time available. He is getting a bunch of engineers, architects and interior designers who will work in band around their more important school requirements (which is how athletics should also be, but we all know better).
 
(This post was last modified: 05-03-2017 12:16 PM by Bruce Monnin.)
05-03-2017 12:15 PM
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JackieTreehorn Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
From WVU, Huh? Are we gonna feature people playing washboards and moonshine jugs?
 
05-03-2017 12:20 PM
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
(05-03-2017 11:48 AM)TubaCat Wrote:  
(05-03-2017 11:25 AM)UCBearcat4ever Wrote:  https://www.christophernichter.com/

Letter of recommendation sent to Search committee https://www.christophernichter.com/testimonials

Fantastic find UCBearcat4ever. There are examples of his music arrangements on that site as well as a great background photo of the combined UC & WVU marching bands' on-field performance in 2010. I'm in that photo somewhere. Since he literally has a picture of me on his website, he obviously already knows who I am. 03-lmfao

His example arrangements are an Usher medley, Man of La Mancha, Katy Perry's Firework, and In Flight. That's some good variety between big and exciting (yet still quality) music and fun, current pop music that the young people enjoy.

Some repeated words that stick out on his testimonials page are devoted, high-energy, organized, and enthusiastic. I and many people felt this is the kind of leadership this band needed.

Good news.

I always got the impression the UC band folks I met and talked to hated the dreamy lilting orchestra method we used so often and wanted to stand and blow (their term). If I heard "put your hands together for The Piano Man!" Over the PA one more time in that 2014 season I was going to choke someone.

One of my brothers spent 4 years in Ohio State's marching band so I was around it from the age of 7. The band should be used to fire people up, not to do a concerto.
 
05-03-2017 12:23 PM
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Ahhhorsepoo Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
Tubas always win! Why do you even try?

As long as he doesn't try to bring some Star Wars fanfare on 3rd down I think it could be a really fun process.. as his first order of business, he is defending/figuring out where to put the band in the stadium though..
 
05-03-2017 12:41 PM
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
(05-03-2017 12:15 PM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  Looking forward to the new director. I just hope it was impressed on him that he is not going to be getting hundreds of music majors who have hours and hours of time available. He is getting a bunch of engineers, architects and interior designers who will work in band around their more important school requirements (which is how athletics should also be, but we all know better).

I always wondered how a university with a major conservatory could have such a hard time putting a top-notch marching band together, but then I read somewhere that CCM students weren't allowed to participate. Is this true, and if so, how does it make sense?
 
05-03-2017 12:43 PM
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Ahhhorsepoo Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
(05-03-2017 12:43 PM)Former Lurker Wrote:  
(05-03-2017 12:15 PM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  Looking forward to the new director. I just hope it was impressed on him that he is not going to be getting hundreds of music majors who have hours and hours of time available. He is getting a bunch of engineers, architects and interior designers who will work in band around their more important school requirements (which is how athletics should also be, but we all know better).

I always wondered how a university with a major conservatory could have such a hard time putting a top-notch marching band together, but then I read somewhere that CCM students weren't allowed to participate. Is this true, and if so, how does it make sense?

CCM students were VERY much discouraged from performing, I think in the last few years that has relaxed a little, but at Miami they make every music major do the MB for 2 years.. at UC they actively recruit against the MB.. very odd indeed since most music educators will teach a MB at some point..
 
05-03-2017 12:45 PM
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bearcat72 Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
My brother is a CCM graduate. The only time he ever set foot in Nippert was the day he graduated. One must remember that the word Conservatory is in the name CCM. Students admitted to CCM consider themselves on a path to professional performance. Marching band doesn't meet that objective. I knew quite a few of CCM people thru my brother and not all agree with my above comments. I'm also sure back when Hornyak was the marching band director there were more CCM majors in the band. Just my take.
 
05-03-2017 12:47 PM
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BearcatJerry Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
(05-03-2017 12:41 PM)Ahhhorsepoo Wrote:  Tubas always win! Why do you even try?

As long as he doesn't try to bring some Star Wars fanfare on 3rd down I think it could be a really fun process.. as his first order of business, he is defending/figuring out where to put the band in the stadium though..

Chris is a really, really sharp guy.

Honestly, I would expect him to:
1) Take the traditions already in place, and play up their strengths. And the UC Band has A LOT of traditions already there...so, I expect things like the Fanfare and charging the field, "Down the Drive," and "Cheer Cincinnati" will ONLY be played up. The "Pride of West Virginia" is used as the "exclamation point" in WVU football games and I expect the Bearcat Band will be used likewise. I think Chris will start from "What's already working" as opposed to "Let's pitch it all in the trash and start over from scratch."

2) I think Chris will lobby...hard...for MORE music scholarships and resources, including trying to build a closer relationship with the CCM. Chris is known in Morgantown for demanding the BEST musicianship...and while he's not averse to "pop" influences, he is above all a fine musician. When I think of Chris, I always end up thinking about the director character in the movie "Drumline," who demands that his musicians master their craft. (This is not a reflection on Dr. Frenz.) But I hope and think Nichter will approach the CCM in the spirit of fine musicianship and seek to broach some of the walls that have divided the CCM from the Bands program.

3) I think Chris will also bring more dynamic formations to the Band's programs and drill...and drill...and drill his Bands on marching discipline and precision. He is the type of Marching Band guy who is about precision marching. The Band will really shine and snap under his direction.

4) Finally, his musicians up here love him... I mean, there is real sorrow and regret up in Morgantown at the moment. He is a guy who kids WANT to play and work for. He earns the devotion and trust of his kids...which is not always an easy thing.

Just saying...This is a really good thing for the band, IMO.
 
05-03-2017 12:56 PM
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TubaCat Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
(05-03-2017 12:45 PM)Ahhhorsepoo Wrote:  
(05-03-2017 12:43 PM)Former Lurker Wrote:  
(05-03-2017 12:15 PM)Bruce Monnin Wrote:  Looking forward to the new director. I just hope it was impressed on him that he is not going to be getting hundreds of music majors who have hours and hours of time available. He is getting a bunch of engineers, architects and interior designers who will work in band around their more important school requirements (which is how athletics should also be, but we all know better).

I always wondered how a university with a major conservatory could have such a hard time putting a top-notch marching band together, but then I read somewhere that CCM students weren't allowed to participate. Is this true, and if so, how does it make sense?

CCM students were VERY much discouraged from performing, I think in the last few years that has relaxed a little, but at Miami they make every music major do the MB for 2 years.. at UC they actively recruit against the MB.. very odd indeed since most music educators will teach a MB at some point..

Seconded, CCM faculty do their best to prevent or discourage students from joining the marching band. Both students and faculty at CCM are known to make snide remarks to any CCM student that is in the marching band.

Imagine if CEAS wouldn't allow engineering students to have internships or co-ops in their free time/summer semesters. That's exactly what CCM has been doing for decades, preventing their students from getting real world experience in favor of their own private "bubble." Sure, instrument majors who will never direct a band get more time to practice, but music education majors need that marching band experience... because if they ever teach at the high school level, they will probably have to teach marching band.

I believe Miami, OU, and OSU all require their music education students to participate in their marching bands.
 
05-03-2017 12:58 PM
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
I don't doubt it's good for the band.. I know Frenz basically dealt with Kids who were All State(had opportunities to play in CCM like schools, I know because I was one of them, Northcut at UC asked me on more than one occasion why I wasn't going to UC to study at CCM instead of Engineering), all the way down to kids who had never picked up the instrument they were playing.. so as long as he knows that is some of the stuff he will have to deal with.. unfortunately Frenz basically just focused on getting people to play the same thing, as opposed to pushing each member to be the best they could be(part of that was budgetary, and part was I think he just felt overwhelmed)
 
05-03-2017 01:02 PM
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bearcatfan Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
I saw WVU's band play at UC perhaps the last time the two teams played at Nippert.

They played prior to the game on the commons area. That is a huge band a LOUD band.

If he brings some of that to UC it should go over well.
 
05-03-2017 01:13 PM
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George Kaplan Offline
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
If they don't take this opportunity to also "freshen" the presentation of the band by replacing the Voice of the Bearcat Band, then that would be a MAJOR miss. Randy Smith is a great and committed Bearcat, but it is time that his Voice gives way to one that better reflects these changes and doesn't have such a mockable delivery.
 
05-03-2017 02:34 PM
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RE: Christopher Nichter hired as 14th Director of the UC Bearcat Bands
(05-03-2017 12:20 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  From WVU, Huh? Are we gonna feature people playing washboards and moonshine jugs?

An improvement?
 
05-03-2017 02:36 PM
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