Incoming students are going through orientation tonight without the Band-uh to play Aggie Fight song... There goes the first generation that'll never know their college had an identity beyond academics and research.
yes. Lighter blue and with male symbol on back. Was co-ed when I was there but symbol left over from earlier I think and they were likely finishing off lots. . I could have done double duty and also ticked off title IX coordinator.
I was in the downtown outlet store today. I asked the student working what her take was on the band situation. She said she was gone all summer and thought it was strange that administrators canned the band during summer break when the students were gone. She also said all band items such as shirts were removed.
Bob Dunning has a new article on the Cal Aggie Band. It appears there is doublespeak going on, very strange.
Bob Dunning: Do you hear what I hear?
"...A week later, as I walked through the massive North Dakota State tailgate party in Fargo, one long-time Bison fan, upon learning I was from Davis, said excitedly, “UC Davis has the best pep band in the country, bar none.”
"He then went on to recount the several times the Aggie Band had driven all the way to Fargo and put on shows so stirring that they were not soon forgotten. In fact, never forgotten...."
"...Could it be that the band is back? Well, yes and no. And trust me, answers are hard to come by at the University Farm.
"Trying to connect the dots through a series of email exchanges, I learned from one vice chancellor that “The new university-sponsored band will continue the CAMB’s (Cal Aggie Marching Band) mission of supporting our athletes, beginning with a game at the end of September.” "
"...However, when I inquired a bit further up the food chain, I was told in no uncertain terms that this particular vice chancellor “is not with Student Affairs,” which is apparently in charge of resolving this ongoing saga. Why the vice chancellor was so specific and so direct about the band playing at the Montana game remains a mystery.
"The new official word became: “The band will not perform while the search continues for a musical director.” "
"...“We also gave the students the opportunity to play some of their approved songs with staff supervision.”
"Approved songs? With staff supervision? Mother may I?
“The only element that is on hold at the moment are public performances.” "
"...I think they’ll be called the UC Davis Marching Music Makers, but what do I know?
“We are currently without a music director and all public performances have been put on hold until the position has been filled.”
"We are excited to announce the appointment of Garrett Rigsby as interim assistant director for the UC Davis Marching Band and that the band’s first performance will be at the Aggies home football game this Saturday, September 28."
I was walking around campus today during my lunch, saw Hawk at the Coaches Show, and I also saw a lady instructing another lady on how to march...which she was humming cadence, I think we're back on for Montana.
The whole mess makes me sad, culminating with the September 3 announcement that the university was disbanding the Band-uh, and blackballing the Band-uh Alumni. I am heartened by the backpedaling by the administration, and the prospect of the Band-uh performing tomorrow at the Montana game.
I am old enough to recall the inclusion of women into the band, and the controversy that entailed. At the time I thought this was an obviously necessary reform, as society was gradually realizing in nearly all areas of life segregated by gender. (I really can't remember I was in high school at the time, or if it occurred after I enrolled in '74. I clearly remember women in the band when I was a student.)
I have not reviewed the public information regarding this current situation, but I readily concede the likely necessity to make some changes in Band-uh structure, administration and even Band-uh culture (to the extent that such culture can be engineered from authorities above, but there is a lot of that going on these days, at colleges/universities, and in the rest of society these days). The decisions to form committees, appoint new layers of administration, codify values into behavioral codes, and rebranding is pretty much the way university regimes as well as bureaucracies throughout our society typically behave. Shouldn't expect anything but, I suppose.
I happened to notice an article on deadspin the other day, about Columbia University eliminating their band as their football program has emerged from decades of being non-competitive in the Ivy.
Deadspin even has a category for articles tagged The War on Marching Bands . (I rarely read Deadspin, until Ray Ratto joined them a couple of months ago).
So that is some interesting context. College administrators really don't like not being in control (or indulging in the delusion of control).
I am hopeful for a satisfactory resolution. Make some changes to discourage/prevent abusive behavior keep the soul and spirit of the Band-uh tradition and history intact going forward, rescind this asinine banning of the Band-uh Alumni Association, should be doable. Fingers crossed.
We had some sort of band yesterday. The Band members don't have uniforms yet. They also stuffed that Sacramento Drumline in with them since the University probably already paid them. It was nice to hear the band again but they were severely stripped down. And whoever does the music needs to get rid of the piped in music and let the band play. It's COLLEGE football, not the NFL.