My favorite band in Stillwater tonight
You know how some 40somethings still run around the country, following old rock bands? I have very little first-hand knowledge of such activity, but I’ve heard stories.
I’ve sort of got my groupie deal going, though. I love the Texas A&M band. The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Marching Band.
I try to see the Aggies twice a year. Doesn’t always work out, but I love seeing the A&M band, which will be in Stillwater tonight and will be the highlight for the Aggies. A&M will get drubbed in the first half, and the second half won’t matter, but the Ags always win halftime.
Anyway, I’ve thought about why I love the A&M band, and here’s why.
1. It plays songs you know. Halftime isn’t music appreciation class. Bands should play songs that fans can identify with.
2. It plays songs that inspire. Nothing wrong with Broadway. Nothing wrong with classics. Except Broadway songs belong on Broadway, and classical music belongs at poetry readings and concert halls.
A football field demands music that makes you stand up and cheer. Which the A&M band does. “The Aggie War Hymn.” “The Noble Men of Kyle.” “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again.”
3. The A&M band marches. Watch the Aggie band tonight. Its members do not step sideways. Or backwards. They march forward, and if they want to go a different direction, they turn. This is no small thing.
Watch a regular marching band sometime. The side-steps and cross-steps inhibit the music. There’s no dancing with the Aggie band. It’s marching all the way.
Now, there are some problems with the Aggie band. Mostly, its alums are nuts. I’ve written several times about the A&M band, always in the same vein as this blog, and I routinely get emails from Aggie band alums, ready to fight over their honor being disparaged.
If I rip you, fine. But if you can’t even figure out when someone is praising you, I don’t know how to deal with that.
But that’s a small price to pay for the pleasure of having the A&M band in the Big 12 Conference.
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Comments
Berry Tramel,
There you go again! On behalf of Aggie band members everywhere, I must call on you to stop disparaging us!
– The 12th Marcher
I couldn’t agree with you more Berry. The aggy band is tops! Real, classic, traditional football marching music . . . just like the old days.
it’s also very easy to do. It’s a different style and everyone loves it, but you cannot compare what The Pride and Cowboy bands do because it is completely different. All you have to do is follow the person in front of you Any collegiate band could learn their shows in two days. Fun to watch, sure. But not hard.
Actually, a modern marching band does not turn so it can deliver a superior musical performance compared to the old way of marching which always faces the direction that it is going. And a modern marching band uses the same type of marching steps that the A&M band uses, they just turn their torsos to face the audience so the sound can be better heard. Also, most college marching bands will play very recognizable music so they can please the audience. It’s when you get to competitive marching ensembles that the music is not always recognizable because marching is an art form in itself for those groups and not used to get the crowd excited about football. The competitive groups are there to get the audience excited about the combination of visual and musical artistry presented by the athletic musicians.
I have to agree with you Berry. I like their choice of music. I like their marching style, but I love to watch the Pride in their pre-game routine. It sends chills down my back every time.