[SuperJon]

I'm not saying we need to get a new band director by any means, but I would love if our band changed to do the things Coastal's band is doing.

Along with performing modern music, the band is broadening its offerings. The Spirit of the Chanticleer is playing more songs, but they’re shorter, allowing for spurts of music during the dead ball intermissions.

And instead of performing one halftime show throughout the season, the band is developing three shows. Along with the Timberlake theme, there are plans for a Latin showcase and a country performance.

Barcenes opted to go with the Timberlake show first because he thought the songs would immediately resonate with students and help the band make a splash.

Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2014/0 ... rylink=cpy

[BJWilliams]

I think part of that was kind of expected with the new director coming in...anyway, this weekend upcoming will be my first time hearing the band so I am curious how they sound. one of the tubas is a friend of mine and there are a few new songs in the repertoire (including Happy which I commented would be an awesome song to have after hearing another band playing it)

[bluejacket]

Why is this in football?

[Kolzilla41]

I think part of that was kind of expected with the new director coming in...anyway, this weekend upcoming will be my first time hearing the band so I am curious how they sound. one of the tubas is a friend of mine and there are a few new songs in the repertoire (including Happy which I commented would be an awesome song to have after hearing another band playing it)

It's not very good so go ahead and prepare yourself.

[michaeleyou]

I see nothing in that article that isn't already happening at Liberty. They have played shortend versions of songs during time outs since I was there in the 80's.

[SuperJon]

Why is this in football?

Because it's game day experience.

Coastal has changed their band to play popular songs and enhance the game day experience. Our band, while sounding good, doesn't play much that you would know.

[flameshaw]

I think part of that was kind of expected with the new director coming in...anyway, this weekend upcoming will be my first time hearing the band so I am curious how they sound. one of the tubas is a friend of mine and there are a few new songs in the repertoire (including Happy which I commented would be an awesome song to have after hearing another band playing it)

Really? You need to get out more.

[BJWilliams]

Eh...I've known him a few years actually. helped me through a difficult time while I was in seminary and he was one of the first friends my wife made when she moved to Virginia.

[SuperJon]

That went right over your head.

[HenryGale]

Don't get your hopes up...worst halftime show I have seen in quite awhile...

[BJWilliams]

Eh...no big thing to me.

Anyway, by the time Dr Kerr's daughter graduates, he will have been at the university 26 years (or 27, im not sure) so I'm sure retiring will enter into the discussion at some point

[thepostman]

The band has always been good. Just dreadfully boring.

[SuperJon]

That's the best descriptor of them. They sound really good, hit their spots, and are technically sound. They're more about the pageantry of the game than entertainment and that's boring.

[jbock13]

This years halftime show will put you to sleep if you're not careful.

[jimflamesfan]

That is good for Coastal. I hope that their band does well.

LU, however, does have a great marching band.

Two facebook quotes from AIA judges about Liberty's field show last year,

"LU's band...best outdoor college drumline I've seen in a decade." - Kent Baker (AIA judge)

"Quite possibly the best performance I've seen from a college marcing band. Ever." - Mike Aycock, also an AIA judge. Also referring to last year's show.

A saw a lot of Liberty Band shirts at the DCI show in Salem this year...that was good to see. I saw more LU band shirts than VA Tech band shirts...(What is the deal with Tech...how many bands do they have...why don't people wear Tech band shirts?) Anyway, It was mostly JMU, UVA, and LU band shirts that I saw at the state's biggest DCI competition. I saw one W&M band shirt as well.

The truth is...I've seen people come to Liberty games just to see the band...many non-band people would like a more contemporary fieldshow...but they're not there to see the band anyway...most use the bathroom and get their popcorn at halftime...so what difference does it make?

Even for myself...I don't care what the show is...if the band is playing the other way...I'm going to get my coffee and cookies at the flamesclub tent! I don't care if they're playing Led Zepplin or REO Speedwagon or What does the Fox say. If there are playing to the side I'm sitting on, then I'll stay and watch. That's only half of the home games that I see them.

To me, the last two fieldshows have been more subdued...they look better on tape than in person to me...I'd like more brass and percussion in your face...

But LU's band does an excellent job at a corps style show. They're good at what they do. The drill is very clean. I think the intro and stand music has gotten better.

The more I think about it...SJ is asking LU's band to become like the football team's offense...to merge a contemporary show style with a corps style show.

You either have to be show style or corps style...unless you are super, super talented...you merge the two and you get chaos.

I'm fine with the corps style. A lot of people like it. And I think the demgraphics of our school lean towards corps style...if we were Hampton...we'd have a show style band.

To look at it another way...a lot of people like NPR. Things that are popular on NPR are not going to be popular on America's Got Talent. It's just different.

This is also personal to me. I was in LU's band in 98 when LU was in financial crises..there were 58 people in the band that year. And I was there...

I was also there when LU was redoing the field in 97 (they did put down new turf in 1997 somehow), and we didn't even have a field to practice on...so we were carpooling over to Heritage high school. Steve Kerr was there. He was the assistant director at the time.

He's been faithful. The band is good. They might not play all the music you like...maybe they could change some of the stand music.

But to imply that LU does not have people excited...it's just not reality. It's just a different crowd. It doesn't hurt anything, and it makes the school look classy. Can we strive for excellence in something...or do we always have to be about marketing?

I'm tired of marketing and what's popular. I just want us to be good. Whether it's football or band.

[Flamesfanva]

Don't get your hopes up...worst halftime show I have seen in quite awhile...

I totally agree.

Went to VT's game on Saturday and saw how a band can really add to the game experience. Love LU, but wish the game day experience was better.

[jimflamesfan]

I disagree. So there.

[SuperJon]

Amount of people who want to see the band: 200.

Amount of people who want to be entertained by the band: 15,000.

No one cares about corps bands in college. The band is there to support the game experience.

I appreciate good marching band. I marched in high school. We are good, but we are boring.

[Flamesfanva]

A quote from the article I found amusing was:

"Along with a new sound, the latest version of the Coastal marching band has stronger ties to the athletic department".

Someone should have coordinated better last Saturday between the two at LU, as the drum line (which I find excellent) was playing to the students at the same time they were introducing the newest Hall of Fame inductees. At least from where I was sitting the drum line won out. As I said, I like the drum line, but found it disrespectful to the inductees.

[phoenix]

If you're going to do three shows, they're going to have to be pretty simplistic shows unless you've got a band full of music majors who have a LOT of time to put into practice. LU tried it my sophomore year - the first show was great, the second show stunk to high heaven. I think we ended up performing it once, maybe twice.

Very few people pay attention to the halftime show anyway. If you want to enhance gameday experience for everyone, focus on improving stand music.

Just happened to remember one game at City Stadium back in the day. Band was scheduled to head to New York to march an NFL halftime show (Giants/Cowboys) right after the game. Every time we tried to play stand music during a time out or something like that, the sidelines told us to shut up. We left before the end of the third quarter -- we were just wasting our time there, not being allowed to do what bands are supposed to do.

[jbock13]

I disagree only in this respect, many causal fans come to see the band, then leave after halftime.

[Kolzilla41]

I wanted to clarify my earlier statement. The band is light years better than when I first saw them Homecoming of 2005. The flags have even gotten better. The show for this year is frankly boring. The band needs to do better shows to show more life.

[Kolzilla41]

If you're going to do three shows, they're going to have to be pretty simplistic shows unless you've got a band full of music majors who have a LOT of time to put into practice. LU tried it my sophomore year - the first show was great, the second show stunk to high heaven. I think we ended up performing it once, maybe twice.

Very few people pay attention to the halftime show anyway. If you want to enhance gameday experience for everyone, focus on improving stand music.

:I chortle audibly.: :I chortle audibly.: Just happened to remember one game at City Stadium back in the day. Band was scheduled to head to New York to march an NFL halftime show (Giants/Cowboys) right after the game. Every time we tried to play stand music during a time out or something like that, the sidelines told us to shut up. We left before the end of the third quarter -- we were just wasting our time there, not being allowed to do what bands are supposed to do.

I remember a couple of years ago when they would play during 3rd down constantly while the offense was trying to call the play. They were silent when the defense was on the field during the same situation. Never understood that.

[4everfsu]

That is good for Coastal. I hope that their band does well.

LU, however, does have a great marching band.

Two facebook quotes from AIA judges about Liberty's field show last year,

"LU's band...best outdoor college drumline I've seen in a decade." - Kent Baker (AIA judge)

"Quite possibly the best performance I've seen from a college marcing band. Ever." - Mike Aycock, also an AIA judge. Also referring to last year's show.

A saw a lot of Liberty Band shirts at the DCI show in Salem this year...that was good to see. I saw more LU band shirts than VA Tech band shirts...(What is the deal with Tech...how many bands do they have...why don't people wear Tech band shirts?) Anyway, It was mostly JMU, UVA, and LU band shirts that I saw at the state's biggest DCI competition. I saw one W&M band shirt as well.

The truth is...I've seen people come to Liberty games just to see the band...many non-band people would like a more contemporary fieldshow...but they're not there to see the band anyway...most use the bathroom and get their popcorn at halftime...so what difference does it make?

Even for myself...I don't care what the show is...if the band is playing the other way...I'm going to get my coffee and cookies at the flamesclub tent! I don't care if they're playing Led Zepplin or REO Speedwagon or What does the Fox say. If there are playing to the side I'm sitting on, then I'll stay and watch. That's only half of the home games that I see them.

To me, the last two fieldshows have been more subdued...they look better on tape than in person to me...I'd like more brass and percussion in your face...

But LU's band does an excellent job at a corps style show. They're good at what they do. The drill is very clean. I think the intro and stand music has gotten better.

The more I think about it...SJ is asking LU's band to become like the football team's offense...to merge a contemporary show style with a corps style show.

You either have to be show style or corps style...unless you are super, super talented...you merge the two and you get chaos.

I'm fine with the corps style. A lot of people like it. And I think the demgraphics of our school lean towards corps style...if we were Hampton...we'd have a show style band.

To look at it another way...a lot of people like NPR. Things that are popular on NPR are not going to be popular on America's Got Talent. It's just different.

This is also personal to me. I was in LU's band in 98 when LU was in financial crises..there were 58 people in the band that year. And I was there...

I was also there when LU was redoing the field in 97 (they did put down new turf in 1997 somehow), and we didn't even have a field to practice on...so we were carpooling over to Heritage high school. Steve Kerr was there. He was the assistant director at the time.

He's been faithful. The band is good. They might not play all the music you like...maybe they could change some of the stand music.

But to imply that LU does not have people excited...it's just not reality. It's just a different crowd. It doesn't hurt anything, and it makes the school look classy. Can we strive for excellence in something...or do we always have to be about marketing?

I'm tired of marketing and what's popular. I just want us to be good. Whether it's football or band.

+1

[Purple Haize]

Can't we hire someone from USC or Stanford?