• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

The Marching Deacs ( ? )

H

HONDO2

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 9, 2012
Messages
1,923
Reaction score
58
After the past couple seasons, almost afraid to ask....

Any chance we’ll have at least 100 musicians?
 
always a chance, but it doesn't look like it here:

 
We really should disband the band and go with frisbee dogs for halftime entertainment.
 
BiffTannen said:
We really should disband the band and go with frisbee dogs for halftime entertainment.
Click to expand...

It just takes a little creativity. Have a core of Wake student musicians and augment by paying students from WSSU and UNC-G.
 
Didn't the band get considerably smaller when they stopped giving out scholarships for Marching Band?
 
Looks like about 50 or so. Would love some aggressive recruiting in the band department perhaps incentives of some kind. Also I think someone has said that admissions won’t even coordinate with the band to let them even know that some played an instrument in high school. That also needs to change.
 
Currie has done so much in such a short time, sorta surprised he hasn’t done some work on the band.

No reason we shouldn’t have 150 piece band. If BC can do it so can we!
 
BBDeac said:
Looks like about 50 or so. Would love some aggressive recruiting in the band department perhaps incentives of some kind. Also I think someone has said that admissions won’t even coordinate with the band to let them even know that some played an instrument in high school. That also needs to change.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Deaconblue said:
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.
Click to expand...

Once upon a time, there was demand to be in pep band because basketball didn’t suck.

Hopefully, we’re on the path back.
 
HONDO2 said:
Currie has done so much in such a short time, sorta surprised he hasn’t done some work on the band.

No reason we shouldn’t have 150 piece band. If BC can do it so can we!
Click to expand...

BC’s enrollment is almost double Wake’s.
 
We have this thread every year, and the answer is always the same. Things need to change at the administrative level for the band to ever be more than a (quiet) background track for socializing during halftime. Basketball getting good again will help, and I'm a bit surprised that the football team's success and bowl game travel hasn't helped more. Ultimately, the band is an afterthought for pretty much everyone in a position of power at Wake. There is no desire to make it even a minor priority, so there is no real way for them to improve enrollment.

Other schools have chosen to have a meaningful band program. They have fans who know that making the band successful is about having the right facilities and directors. They aren't content just sitting in the stands with their kids and their dogs while fifty kids stand on the field playing Don't Stop Believin' and Word Up. If our administration would hire up and coming coaches from mid major schools instead of guys in their 40s and 50s that have already peaked, maybe we would have a competitive marching band. But no. We've already decided that we are happy with mediocrity. So we get what we deserve. Look at Duke. They chose to make their band the most obnoxious band this side of UVA. And 40 years ago, they hired a basketball coach who became a Hall of Famer, making sure there was a steady draw of musicians that wanted to be in the band. Why didn't Wake hire a hall of fame coach 40 years ago? Obviously because Wake fans don't want a good band.
 
redwing42 said:
We have this thread every year, and the answer is always the same. Things need to change at the administrative level for the band to ever be more than a (quiet) background track for socializing during halftime. Basketball getting good again will help, and I'm a bit surprised that the football team's success and bowl game travel hasn't helped more. Ultimately, the band is an afterthought for pretty much everyone in a position of power at Wake. There is no desire to make it even a minor priority, so there is no real way for them to improve enrollment.

Other schools have chosen to have a meaningful band program. They have fans who know that making the band successful is about having the right facilities and directors. They aren't content just sitting in the stands with their kids and their dogs while fifty kids stand on the field playing Don't Stop Believin' and Word Up. If our administration would hire up and coming coaches from mid major schools instead of guys in their 40s and 50s that have already peaked, maybe we would have a competitive marching band. But no. We've already decided that we are happy with mediocrity. So we get what we deserve. Look at Duke. They chose to make their band the most obnoxious band this side of UVA. And 40 years ago, they hired a basketball coach who became a Hall of Famer, making sure there was a steady draw of musicians that wanted to be in the band. Why didn't Wake hire a hall of fame coach 40 years ago? Obviously because Wake fans don't want a good band.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The band is too busy playing monster truck shows.
 
There was a long thread on this after the ACC championship game last winter. Seems as though the band has really been handicapped in its recruiting efforts over the last few years. That needs to get fixed. We'll never be TAMU or Ohio State but Wake can have a great band if the right people put in the effort.
 
Said this a couple years go, UNCG with a top 5 music school in the country and no football team…could be a good partnership. WSSU only works if you have a couple Saturday’s where Wake is at home and Rams on the road…I’m for this too.
 
The UNCG idea makes so much sense that there has to be a reason it's not happening. Didn't there used to be Salem and NCSA students in the band as well?
 
PhDeac said:
The UNCG idea makes so much sense that there has to be a reason it's not happening. Didn't there used to be Salem and NCSA students in the band as well?
Click to expand...

Covid bubble shrunk out some of the other partnerships. The current band director has experience at Alabama and some great ideas. It really comes down to funding and what’s made available to them. Wake has seen some breakdown in extracurricular activities since we were there. I think the increased sticker price brings an increased pressure to perform in the classroom.

Long-term sustained success is the best motivator (outside of scholarship dollars). I’ve often thought that a big donor could make an impact on the band for a relatively small investment in the endowment. Relatively small in relation to the overall impact on the gameday experience.
 
What about offering a college credit to local high school seniors?
 
Why do you people think UNC-G kids want to be in the WFU marching band ?
 
A chance to get away Greensboro for a few hours?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top