The Marching Deacs ( ? )

[HONDO2]

BC’s enrollment is almost double Wake’s.

BC band has about 150 members. Been steady at that number for at least a decade. That’s just under 2% of BC’d current undergrad enrollment.

2% of Wake’s undergrad enrollment would give us a band of about 110 members. I’ll take that over maybe 50 we’ve shrunk to over the past few years.

This isn’t advanced calculus. Currie can get this turned around in less than a week with some dedicated effort and a donor with about $30,000 for a matching gift effort.

 

[morrison2951]

Once upon a time, all music majors were required to participate in marching band. Also, marching band participation was a prerequisite for basketball pep band. Pep band was sought after at the time.

Yep. Trumpet player in SOTOGAB and it was very competitive back then to be in the pep band back when basketball was king- and in the NCAAT Elite 8.

Played in both bands all four years.... and both bands were good sizes at the time.

 

[GaK]

Band $NIL !!!!!!

 

[PhDeac]

Why do you people think UNC-G kids want to be in the WFU marching band ?

To be in a marching band.

 

[Biff Tannen]

If they wanted to be in a marching band then why did they go to UNC-G ? And who would want to drive back in forth to W-S multiple times a week in afternoon traffic for marching band practice for $100 a week or whatever we can afford ?

 

[PhDeac]

Why do people think Wake Forest students would want an engineering degree?

Why do people think they would drive up to Blacksburg?

You’re missing the whole point of intercampus partnerships.

 

[thatguy2016]

BC band has about 150 members. Been steady at that number for at least a decade. That’s just under 2% of BC’d current undergrad enrollment.

2% of Wake’s undergrad enrollment would give us a band of about 110 members. I’ll take that over maybe 50 we’ve shrunk to over the past few years.

This isn’t advanced calculus. Currie can get this turned around in less than a week with some dedicated effort and a donor with about $30,000 for a matching gift effort.

$30,000 covers 36% of WF's published cost of attendance for 2022-23 (of course the percentage will shrink every year)
$30,000 times 110 members = $3,300,000
to have that every year, assuming a 6% risk-free return, all we need is $55,000,000

 

[Biff Tannen]

Why do people think Wake Forest students would want an engineering degree?

Why do people think they would drive up to Blacksburg?

You’re missing the whole point of intercampus partnerships.

Yeah because getting a degree in mechanical engineering and walking around a football field tooting a horn are pretty much the same thing.

 

[PhDeac]

If they establish the program and figure out what would appeal to students, it can be a draw for UNC-G students. It’s not about current students. It’s about future students and stimulating demand.

 

[Shake]

Biff they’re music majors…they go to UNCG because it has a top 10 music program. I don’t think wake has that major. I also believe some of them would think playing at 6 football games a year in front of 25,000 plus people would be pretty cool. I’m sure with a little thought there could be incentives and a win win for both.

 

[Biff Tannen]

Wake has a music major. Again, call me crazy, but if I wanted to be in a marching band, I would go to a school with a marching band. There's no way you're going to get an additional 50 marching band members from UNC-G, Guilford College, and Salem. You'd have a better chance with Forsyth Tech.

Bring on the frisbee dogs.

 

[banddeac]

We have this discussion every year :-(

To summarize the current situation, and to speak to the suggestions of all the experts on this thread: There are about 75 students currently participating in SOTOGAB. Mostly WF students, but a few from Salem, and a few from Forsyth Tech and various other CC's in the area. Salem students can get academic credit...CC students cannot. They're just there because they want to be there, and they don't have the opportunity at their CC.

With the exception of ONE student in each academic class (who gets a minimal scholarship that might cover the cost of their textbooks for a semester), there are NO scholarships. There have never been scholarships for marching band at WF.

WF does offer a music major, but you can count the number of music majors annually on your fingers, and you can count the number of instrumentalists who major in music on one hand, and have fingers left over. Requiring instrumental music majors to be in marching band is not going to happen, and even if it did, it would not increase the numbers much.

High school students? No. Too much potential liability for WF, and they are committed to their own high school bands, who practice at the same time as SOTOGAB. Also, Saturday football conflicts with Saturday high school marching band contests.

WSSU/UNCG/NCSA students: WSSU has their own band, and would have the same rehearsal schedule/Saturday conflicts as the high school students. NCSA students are not of the marching band mentality...they are there to become professional musicians. UNCG? The invitation has always been there, with few students taking up the offer. Music ensembles at UNCG meet in the afternoons, and their music students are required to play in those ensembles. Also, who is going to give up 4 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus several Saturdays, to participate in SOTOGAB for no credit?

The issues plaguing enrollment numbers lie with the administration's unwillingness to share student information with the directors, and the lack of scholarship money. Just imagine if Dave Clawson and Steve Forbes didn't have any scholarships, and weren't allowed to know which students that were admitted based on their own academic accomplishments (and their ability to afford WF), and had to wait until the students contacted them about playing for WF. That is pretty much where the band is right now.

 

[Complacent Deac]

Seems like Admissions and maybe Advancement fundraising need to realize most alumni and fans would love and take pride in a much better and larger band.

I mean when we score on the road I used to sort of hear the fight song. Now I don't recall hearing it for road or home games. On TV that is.

 

[wakegrrl]

There are about 75 students currently participating in SOTOGAB.

Banddeac, I know you're doing the best you can given the hand you're dealt. But tbh this is smaller than this year's Campbell University marching band (which started in 2019). I wonder how well that would sit with WF administration.

(Of course there is nothing else to do in Buies Creek, but my point stands.)

 

[banddeac]

Banddeac, I know you're doing the best you can given the hand you're dealt. But tbh this is smaller than this year's Campbell University marching band (which started in 2019). I wonder how well that would sit with WF administration.

(Of course there is nothing else to do in Buies Creek, but my point stands.)

Haha, true, there is NOTHING to do in Buies Creek I don't know what CU is doing to encourage students to participate, but apparently there is more incentive there than there is here. The administration's decision on protecting the students' information is really killing the recruiting efforts. There simply are not enough WF students who reach out to the directors about joining. If you leave it to the prospective band members to make the first contact, you're going to be dealing with small numbers. Nobody seems to understand that disconnect.

 

[Deacfreak07]

We have this discussion every year :-(

To summarize the current situation, and to speak to the suggestions of all the experts on this thread: There are about 75 students currently participating in SOTOGAB. Mostly WF students, but a few from Salem, and a few from Forsyth Tech and various other CC's in the area. Salem students can get academic credit...CC students cannot. They're just there because they want to be there, and they don't have the opportunity at their CC.

With the exception of ONE student in each academic class (who gets a minimal scholarship that might cover the cost of their textbooks for a semester), there are NO scholarships. There have never been scholarships for marching band at WF.

WF does offer a music major, but you can count the number of music majors annually on your fingers, and you can count the number of instrumentalists who major in music on one hand, and have fingers left over. Requiring instrumental music majors to be in marching band is not going to happen, and even if it did, it would not increase the numbers much.

High school students? No. Too much potential liability for WF, and they are committed to their own high school bands, who practice at the same time as SOTOGAB. Also, Saturday football conflicts with Saturday high school marching band contests.

WSSU/UNCG/NCSA students: WSSU has their own band, and would have the same rehearsal schedule/Saturday conflicts as the high school students. NCSA students are not of the marching band mentality...they are there to become professional musicians. UNCG? The invitation has always been there, with few students taking up the offer. Music ensembles at UNCG meet in the afternoons, and their music students are required to play in those ensembles. Also, who is going to give up 4 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus several Saturdays, to participate in SOTOGAB for no credit?

The issues plaguing enrollment numbers lie with the administration's unwillingness to share student information with the directors, and the lack of scholarship money. Just imagine if Dave Clawson and Steve Forbes didn't have any scholarships, and weren't allowed to know which students that were admitted based on their own academic accomplishments (and their ability to afford WF), and had to wait until the students contacted them about playing for WF. That is pretty much where the band is right now.

What would be the minimum annual stipend that would move the needle to incentivize participation in your opinion?

 

[Complacent Deac]

Start the Band Fund.

 

[TheAbster]

Haha, true, there is NOTHING to do in Buies Creek I don't know what CU is doing to encourage students to participate, but apparently there is more incentive there than there is here. The administration's decision on protecting the students' information is really killing the recruiting efforts. There simply are not enough WF students who reach out to the directors about joining. If you leave it to the prospective band members to make the first contact, you're going to be dealing with small numbers. Nobody seems to understand that disconnect.

To your knowledge, has Currie been involved with this issue in an attempt to broker some cooperation or to help influence the administration? He seems to be getting lots done and loves a challenge. From an eyeball perspective, it seems this needs to be addressed as a priority.

 

[banddeac]

What would be the minimum annual stipend that would move the needle to incentivize participation in your opinion?

10K per WF student per year, with the requirement that they play in marching band AND pep band.

 

[wakegrrl]

Haha, true, there is NOTHING to do in Buies Creek I don't know what CU is doing to encourage students to participate, but apparently there is more incentive there than there is here. The administration's decision on protecting the students' information is really killing the recruiting efforts. There simply are not enough WF students who reach out to the directors about joining. If you leave it to the prospective band members to make the first contact, you're going to be dealing with small numbers. Nobody seems to understand that disconnect.

My son's in the Campbell band, so I know a bit about what they're doing, and for the most part it's not anything spectacular. First, they do have info coming in from Admissions. Then, there's scholarship $ on the basis of playing in marching band AND at least one other ensemble (typically wind ensemble or similar) for the semester. Plus, of course, all kinds of nice swag (North Face backpacks!). Then the thing they do that I think is particularly helpful (and costs nothing) is that band members get the same early registration access as student-athletes.