Ask The AD

[The Jackal]

Ask the AD what he envisions, along with CCH, for future OOC football regular season scheduling. Maybe that has already been addressed recently in “Ask the AD”.
Also ask for thoughts related to possible SoCon expansion, such as possibly pulling in 1, 2, 3, or more, from CAA.

I'd be interested to know about SoCon expansion.

I know there's a lot to like about a 9 team league that plays everyone, but our set up puts us at a disadvantage over these mega conferences that can get 4 or 5 post season teams in without their best teams playing one another.

[Davemeister]

Pep Band has attended 1 home basketball game out of 4 all season, that's pretty disappointing

I agree with you, My Friend. I was not aware of that, and that IS pretty disappointing.

I asked my Q to the AD in hope of shedding light on the relationship between the Bands and the Athletic Department at Furman. Hopefully he will address it and have a good answer for us.

[FU Hoopla]

[DoomedDin1127]

As someone who IS currently in the band, I'd love to share some insight into how we operate...

I saw someone ask what other obligations are more important than playing at the athletic games. While we love playing these games because they are A LOT of fun, it isn't our only obligation. The symphonic band, jazz ensembles, orchestra, and other ensembles have rehearsals and concerts throughout the year. This doesn't even mention individual recitals. This isn't Clemson, we don't have the numbers to have 200 people JUST focus on the marching band. Most of us have to stretch out our time to be everywhere, because there are only so many of us.

We audition for scholarships, obviously, music majors are going to receive more than non-music majors because... this is their future career. Not everyone receives a scholarship but the typical requirement is to be in marching band, and two other large ensembles while also taking private lessons. To my knowledge, basketball band does NOT count as one of those two ensembles. As you can see, it is a large commitment.

The basketball band is a favorite for a lot of us. we have so much fun cheering the basketball teams on. We have a predetermined list of all the games that we will be attending. We try our best to be at as many games as possible but remember we are students. Music students alone have to overload almost every semester to graduate. We have finals and outside obligations. We LOVE being there but it is nowhere near everything we do here musically at Furman.

With that said, I hope I could shed some light on what we do. See ya'll Saturday

[FU Hoopla]

As someone who IS currently in the band, I'd love to share some insight into how we operate...

I saw someone ask what other obligations are more important than playing at the athletic games. While we love playing these games because they are A LOT of fun, it isn't our only obligation. The symphonic band, jazz ensembles, orchestra, and other ensembles have rehearsals and concerts throughout the year. This doesn't even mention individual recitals. This isn't Clemson, we don't have the numbers to have 200 people JUST focus on the marching band. Most of us have to stretch out our time to be everywhere, because there are only so many of us.

We audition for scholarships, obviously, music majors are going to receive more than non-music majors because... this is their future career. Not everyone receives a scholarship but the typical requirement is to be in marching band, and two other large ensembles while also taking private lessons. To my knowledge, basketball band does NOT count as one of those two ensembles. As you can see, it is a large commitment.

The basketball band is a favorite for a lot of us. we have so much fun cheering the basketball teams on. We have a predetermined list of all the games that we will be attending. We try our best to be at as many games as possible but remember we are students. Music students alone have to overload almost every semester to graduate. We have finals and outside obligations. We LOVE being there but it is nowhere near everything we do here musically at Furman.

With that said, I hope I could shed some light on what we do. See ya'll Saturday

Thank you for the insights!
Seems the very least the University could do for now is to allow basketball Pep Band to count as an ensemble moving forward.

[QCGlue]

As someone who IS currently in the band, I'd love to share some insight into how we operate...

I saw someone ask what other obligations are more important than playing at the athletic games. While we love playing these games because they are A LOT of fun, it isn't our only obligation. The symphonic band, jazz ensembles, orchestra, and other ensembles have rehearsals and concerts throughout the year. This doesn't even mention individual recitals. This isn't Clemson, we don't have the numbers to have 200 people JUST focus on the marching band. Most of us have to stretch out our time to be everywhere, because there are only so many of us.

We audition for scholarships, obviously, music majors are going to receive more than non-music majors because... this is their future career. Not everyone receives a scholarship but the typical requirement is to be in marching band, and two other large ensembles while also taking private lessons. To my knowledge, basketball band does NOT count as one of those two ensembles. As you can see, it is a large commitment.

The basketball band is a favorite for a lot of us. we have so much fun cheering the basketball teams on. We have a predetermined list of all the games that we will be attending. We try our best to be at as many games as possible but remember we are students. Music students alone have to overload almost every semester to graduate. We have finals and outside obligations. We LOVE being there but it is nowhere near everything we do here musically at Furman.

With that said, I hope I could shed some light on what we do. See ya'll Saturday

Thanks so much for sharing what y'all do! I was in the marching band, symphonic band and basketball pep band during my years at Furman in the early 80s. I loved every minute of every ensemble. Marching on the field and supporting the football team at home and away games was exhilarating and playing with the basketball pep band at the "Big Brown Box" in downtown Greenville was so much fun. I can still remember the smell of the popcorn when you walked in the back doors! We were fortunate enough to take the marching band to NC State, Georgia Tech and USC, where we beat those bigger schools! Have to say we had the better band also! Band mates became my best friends and family. Let me just say that band members work hard too, just like the athletes do. I hope everyone will appreciate the commitment that our band members make to our athletic teams. Yay band, and Go Paladins!

[apaladin]

Thanks DoomedDin.. I have a question. Can you shed some light on why the band is so much smaller than it used to be? Correct me if I am wrong but we used to have app. 100 playing members and at a recent game I counted only 60 playing members which is a 40 percent drop in playing memvpbers. TIA

[The Jackal]

Thanks DoomedDin.. I have a question. Can you shed some light on why the band is so much smaller than it used to be? Correct me if I am wrong but we used to have app. 100 playing members and at a recent game I counted only 60 playing members which is a 40 percent drop in playing memvpbers. TIA

Don't know if it changed, but I believe those in the music program had to be in the band.

[JohnKX512]

Can we start a new thread on the band?

I am so interested in this and am wondering if there is a way to fund a pep band.

There are many valid points above and different viewpoints from different eras. As I have mentioned before, my experience was many of the band members have obligations to their Music major and other requirements more important than athletics. However, I was not aware there were non-music majors that were not being compensated for their participation.

Is there current pep band support/funding?

Maybe we can get FuHoopla and FU3 a trombone?

[FUBeAR]

FUBeAR is interested in learning more about band camp. He’s heard things.

[Sad Din]

Thanks DoomedDin.. I have a question. Can you shed some light on why the band is so much smaller than it used to be? Correct me if I am wrong but we used to have app. 100 playing members and at a recent game I counted only 60 playing members which is a 40 percent drop in playing memvpbers. TIA

strategic move so they can travel 1st class to Ireland next year

[JohnKX512]

Thanks DoomedDin.. I have a question. Can you shed some light on why the band is so much smaller than it used to be? Correct me if I am wrong but we used to have app. 100 playing members and at a recent game I counted only 60 playing members which is a 40 percent drop in playing memvpbers. TIA

strategic move so they can travel 1st class to Ireland next year

Doomed din and sad din. Boo hoo.

Stop complaining.

Cry babies are over on the baseball thread.

[Paul C]

Thanks DoomedDin.. I have a question. Can you shed some light on why the band is so much smaller than it used to be? Correct me if I am wrong but we used to have app. 100 playing members and at a recent game I counted only 60 playing members which is a 40 percent drop in playing memvpbers. TIA

strategic move so they can travel 1st class to Ireland next year

Doomed din and sad din. Boo hoo.

Stop complaining.

Cry babies are over on the baseball thread.

I think you are reading too much into DoomedDin name....its got nothing to do with what you think it does

[Affirm]

As someone who IS currently in the band, I'd love to share some insight into how we operate...

I saw someone ask what other obligations are more important than playing at the athletic games. While we love playing these games because they are A LOT of fun, it isn't our only obligation. The symphonic band, jazz ensembles, orchestra, and other ensembles have rehearsals and concerts throughout the year. This doesn't even mention individual recitals. This isn't Clemson, we don't have the numbers to have 200 people JUST focus on the marching band. Most of us have to stretch out our time to be everywhere, because there are only so many of us.

We audition for scholarships, obviously, music majors are going to receive more than non-music majors because... this is their future career. Not everyone receives a scholarship but the typical requirement is to be in marching band, and two other large ensembles while also taking private lessons. To my knowledge, basketball band does NOT count as one of those two ensembles. As you can see, it is a large commitment.

The basketball band is a favorite for a lot of us. we have so much fun cheering the basketball teams on. We have a predetermined list of all the games that we will be attending. We try our best to be at as many games as possible but remember we are students. Music students alone have to overload almost every semester to graduate. We have finals and outside obligations. We LOVE being there but it is nowhere near everything we do here musically at Furman.

With that said, I hope I could shed some light on what we do. See ya'll Saturday

Thanks so much for sharing what y'all do! I was in the marching band, symphonic band and basketball pep band during my years at Furman in the early 80s. I loved every minute of every ensemble. Marching on the field and supporting the football team at home and away games was exhilarating and playing with the basketball pep band at the "Big Brown Box" in downtown Greenville was so much fun. I can still remember the smell of the popcorn when you walked in the back doors! We were fortunate enough to take the marching band to NC State, Georgia Tech and USC, where we beat those bigger schools! Have to say we had the better band also! Band mates became my best friends and family. Let me just say that band members work hard too, just like the athletes do. I hope everyone will appreciate the commitment that our band members make to our athletic teams. Yay band, and Go Paladins!

It appears that Cheerleading receives its funding at least partly through Paladin Athletics Fund. I suggest something should be worked out so that the same sort of arrangement would exist to help fund “band support” at football and basketball games. The funding for that should not come totally from Music Department scholarship funds. Also, I expect that there are some serious music majors who have no interest whatsoever, or at most very little interest, in attending Furman athletics events - and that is fine. I expect there are serious students in every academic major who have no interest, or very little, in Furman athletics event.

[FUBeAR]

I expect there are serious students in every academic major who have no interest, or very little, in Furman athletics event.

Precisely why Athletics Events should qualify for CLP credit