(10-18-2010 03:37 PM)HuskieFootball Addict Wrote:  

(10-18-2010 01:50 AM)sterling1man Wrote:  Great that so many students responded to the call!
HMM's vehicle even on Friday might have had a stronger impact than I predicted.
Sorry HMM was told off by an older student. Did she stay the whole game?
Maybe we need a section for super-fans.
When I shout on the West side, older fans look very uncomfortable.
I feel caught between a rock and a hard-stone.
I apologize get their permission and carry on shouting.

Our little group of "stadium family" always cheers & yells and makes a lot of noise.....and if the really old people near me don't like it.......tough s**t. I am not old - nor young either. (50's ) But I'd have to be DEAD to be quiet at our football games!

:uberbow:

(10-18-2010 11:35 AM)cyberdawg Wrote:  FWIW

I stayed for post game band show. It was quite good but not quite spectacular.

Cool to watch different ex members on podium leading band thru different tunes....

What struck me most was the sound --- like what a full fledged college band would sound like but with help from all the alums participating.

THAT is what a band with a full complement of members should sound like...

Perhaps someday when NIU athletics and football in particular have achieved a level of success similar to TCU or Boise and the band also elevates its game, life will be grand.

I was actually pleasantly surprised with the sound of the alumni band. Considering a lot of people didn't have their own instruments and had to borrow ones for that day and had no way of practicing the music. I know that I had 0 practice time before Saturday, I don't have a spare sousaphone in my pocket, but I was happy to be there.

I was really impressed with HC turnout. I loved looking in the middle 2/3rds of the students section and see students standing at the top of the bleachers. Most impressive. The one thing that disappointed me was that even though the crowd was big, it did not have the same intensity as crowds of the past, both with the students and west side.

(10-18-2010 11:35 AM)cyberdawg Wrote:  FWIW

I stayed for post game band show. It was quite good but not quite spectacular.

Cool to watch different ex members on podium leading band thru different tunes....

What struck me most was the sound --- like what a full fledged college band would sound like but with help from all the alums participating.

THAT is what a band with a full complement of members should sound like...

Perhaps someday when NIU athletics and football in particular have achieved a level of success similar to TCU or Boise and the band also elevates its game, life will be grand.

The band postgame was solid! If you say there's a problem you now realize it's quantity, not quality. We can dream of a larger group, but I don't know how realistic that is with band programs being cut at the HS level. I think size is also an issue because most are fresh or soph being that upper classmen don't have the time. That's not an assumption, but feedback from current members. Apparently every year (at least as of late) over 50% of the band are new to the group. I think this year it's more like 70% and they're 30 members or so larger than last year. Moving in the right direction!

(10-18-2010 08:08 PM)Big Redd Wrote:  

(10-18-2010 11:35 AM)cyberdawg Wrote:  FWIW

I stayed for post game band show. It was quite good but not quite spectacular.

Cool to watch different ex members on podium leading band thru different tunes....

What struck me most was the sound --- like what a full fledged college band would sound like but with help from all the alums participating.

THAT is what a band with a full complement of members should sound like...

Perhaps someday when NIU athletics and football in particular have achieved a level of success similar to TCU or Boise and the band also elevates its game, life will be grand.

The band postgame was solid! If you say there's a problem you now realize it's quantity, not quality. We can dream of a larger group, but I don't know how realistic that is with band programs being cut at the HS level. I think size is also an issue because most are fresh or soph being that upper classmen don't have the time. That's not an assumption, but feedback from current members. Apparently every year (at least as of late) over 50% of the band are new to the group. I think this year it's more like 70% and they're 30 members or so larger than last year. Moving in the right direction!

That's very true and I know I've mentioned it on this board before, but NIU also only requires music majors to be in marching band for 1 year. A lot of schools require at least 2.