Dr. G's Marching Band Blog

Florida A&M Band Camp

2008-08-08T03:01:00.000-07:00

NYT Article

Wow, I have a hard enough time with 50 kids at Band Camp - imagine 500!!

Towson University Needs A New Fight Song

2008-08-08T02:58:00.000-07:00

News Link

How often do we see this these days?!

School Charity Website

2008-08-08T02:48:00.000-07:00

A pretty nifty idea to help out music programs in need:

http://www.donorschoose.org/

Some band related proposals:

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=189677&zone=0

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=194142&zone=0

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=187388&zone=0

New Stanford Band CD

2008-08-08T02:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.stanford.edu/group/lsjumb/home.html

http://egroups.stanford.edu/LSJUMBA

Shaw High School raises over $500,000 for its trip to China

2008-06-01T05:35:00.001-07:00

Marching Band Consultants

2008-06-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

Marching Band Consultants?! They're not as unusual as this news broadcast would suggest. All over the activity there is a common practice of hiring freelance arrangers and percussion writers and marching instructors and drill writers to help make the next great halftime show. It's become a significant industry. But this news broadcast (watch the video; the text doesn't do it justice!) just shows how weird the concept can be from the outsider view!

Script Ohio 1976

2008-06-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun clip to watch: Script Ohio 1976

Marching Band in "international incident"

2008-05-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

An "international incident" involving a marching band at the Ottawa Tulip Festival.

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-5-5/70247.html

Band files human rights complaint against fest

Falun Gong accuses festival of censorship after band pulled

Falun Gong band dropped from Ottawa tulip festival

Mean Band Members

2008-05-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

What a mean tuba player......

(thanks to Nat Kane for the link!)

Early Holiday Wish List for Dr. G

2008-05-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

Need to buy me a holiday gift? Look no further: the Complete Works of Funky Winkerbean - Harry L Dinkle, "World's Greatest Band Director"!

http://www.walkingfrog.com/home.php?cat=38

Oregon Band Uniforms

2008-05-04T19:50:00.001-07:00

Oops......

Marching Band Comics!

2008-05-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

Lots of fun stuff here at this website:

www.talesfrombandcamp.com

Rotary Music4Life

2008-04-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Rotary Music4Life

A great new program out at Seattle - their goal is to obtain *1200* musical instruments for students in the region!

Two March Honor Bands!

2008-04-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

Every year, the Penn Band runs two high school honor band events in the Winter months - The Palestra Honor Band and The Band Extravanganza(!).

Now that I've finally recovered from both events, I'm going to take a few moments to reflect on how much fun we had.

The Palestra Honor Band

Saturday, March 9th, 2008 - we had over 60 high school students from over 20 high schools across the Greater Philadelphia Region (including PA, NY, and NJ) join us for a day of music and mirth. Things were going great.....UNTIL A PIPE BURST IN A NEIGHBORING REHEARSAL ROOM 10 minutes into rehearsal! But it was all good - despite the large puddle of water and the associated chaos, we had a great time. We played songs such as Crazy Train, Free Bird, Final Countdown, Our House, and The Great Escape, among others. The group performed at the Penn-Columbia basketball game that evening at the Palestra - Penn won! The kids were featured at halftime on center court. A great performance in front of a great crowd.

Pictures from the day can be found here.

The Band Extravaganza(!)

Saturday, March 29th, 2008 - A much longer day with more to do! Almost 80 students were nominated to this ensemble, from over 30 high schools across the region. Now, we did have some problems with key absences, but in the "chaos" of readjusting, the students really shined. Hands down, musically, this was one of the best ensembles we've worked with to date. We played a challenging slate of music, including Red Skelton's Red's White and Blue March, Somewhere from West Side Story, and A Whiter Shade of Pale. We had the pleasure of having a wonderful guest conductor - Kevin Rodgers from the Creative and Performing Arts High School here in Philadelphia. We also had a special guest musician - Jeffery Barg (Penn 02'), who played the accordian(!) with the ensemble in the piece Lady of Spain. I am REALLY looking forward to hearing this concert CD! :)

Five Penn Band members (Kevin, Kyle, Ellen, Joe, and John - 'Top Brass") perform Penn songs for the crowd to open the concert. They did a fantastic job!

We had a horde of Penn Band members help with both events, and they really are the big reason all of the students had so much fun!

Pictures from the 2008 Band Extravaganza!

The Concert Program

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to the summer!

take it easy

Documentary to be created on Shaw High School group

2008-03-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

Link to Article

Another HS group thisclose to their fundraising goal for China trip

2008-03-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

Another China-bound HS group (in Detroit), not too far off from their fundraising goal

Music Licensing

2008-03-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.halleonard.com/mblicense/
http://www.copycatlicensing.com/
http://www.bands.org/Public/resourceroom/copyright/copyright_guide.asp

It's not Funky Winkerbean world anymore, folks. In the world of iTunes and Napster and the Internet, copyright issues have come to a forefront, dragging the marching band flip folder with it.

A group can't just chart and perform that song from the radio, without licensing and permission - the links above give a pretty good overview the expectations on marching bands everywhere.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2008-03-19T18:36:00.001-07:00

New York Times Article on Pep Bands at the NCAAs

The Green Machine!

2008-03-19T18:34:00.001-07:00

The Green Machine Goes to Denver for the NCAAs!

The Texas Southern Band is watching you....

2008-03-10T03:09:00.000-07:00

Check this out!

LOVE

THIS

SONG!

Potty Mouth?

2008-03-08T04:49:00.001-08:00

Freedom of Speech? Just being young? Bad Taste? You decide:

Sports Illustrated Article

Bands around the country have been directly or indirectly implicated in this (to varying degrees), even including here Penn!

Daily Pennsylvanian
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Around the country:

Harvard University Band:

"That's all right, That's OK, You'll all work for us some day" – Cheer for when team is losing. Was banned for HUB use by Harvard Administration.

(seriously?)

Iowa:

* Hawkeye Victory Polka - The HMB plays their rendition of the song "In Heaven There Is No Beer" after every Hawkeye victory. The band alternates between the verses instrumentally and vocally, along with Hawkeye fans. The song was originally played many times during a game when it was first introduced in the 1960's. However, controversy arose concerning the song's lyrics. Critics of the song claimed that the tune promoted the abuse of alcohol and that it was an inappropriate song for the band to play. In 2001, the University of Iowa President completely banned the song from being played, either instrumentally or vocally. However, overwhelming support for the song prompted the President to bring the song back to Hawkeye athletic events. The song is now performed only after Hawkeye victories and on special occasions. The HMB does not circulate sheet music of the "Hawkeye Victory Polka" or teach incoming members how to play it. Members must learn the song by ear. [4]

US News

Award Winning DePauw Fighting Tiger Indoor/Outdoor Professional? Cheering Pep Band & Spam Society Revue Unlimited!!!! at DePauw University

2008-03-03T03:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.thecabin.net/stories/030208/spo_0302080056.shtml

Welcome to the Club!

The Awesome Second Time Arounders Marching Band

2008-03-02T20:10:00.001-08:00

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5918248&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1

The 500-member St. Petersburg-based band has musicians from 40 states, and will make their music in this year's Thanksgiving Day Macy's parade.

http://www.secondtimearounders.com/

China - Marching Band Fundraising Success

2008-03-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/15371388/detail.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23412329#23412329

This high school was featured on the NBC News broadcast nationwide last night – they’re a predominantly African-American community in a lower income area of Cleveland. They fundraised the entire cost of the trip to China. WOW!

Only a Marching Band Could Go To China

2008-02-28T19:33:00.001-08:00

http://www.derrynews.com/londonderry/local_story_058072721.html