Band Activity at the Victors Walk, and More

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August 28th, 2008 at 2:48 PM
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mvp
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 439
Band Activity at the Victors Walk, and More

From the Michigan Marching Band E-newsletter sent today:

The 2008 Season
The MMB is excited to welcome Coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff to the University of Michigan and will continue to support the team in any way possible.

One of the exciting new activities this season will be the Victors Walk, which will take place roughly two hours prior to kick-off of home football games.  Select members of the MMB (approximately 25) will be on hand to play The Victors as the team arrives at Michigan Stadium and enters the locker room.

Also new this year will be the tune performed by the MMB at the end of the third quarter.  Coach Rod has asked for the Band to get the crowd fired up and ready for the fourth quarter.  To that end, we're going to give you all a fever! Bring your cowbell and play along to Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper.

Finally, at the request of the coaching staff, to assist with the team's new no-huddle offense, the MMB will no longer play in between downs while Michigan is on offense during the football games.  We have some great new defensive cheers ready to go, so be sure to listen for those and participate with the MMB as we cheer our team on to victory!

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August 28th, 2008 at 3:06 PM | lmao is the Blue Oyster (Score:1)
kgh10
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 227

lmao is the Blue Oyster Cult thing for real?! I personally love when the band plays livin on a prayer...everyone gets really into it.

August 28th, 2008 at 3:26 PM | Yeah, it's real. (Score:1)
JLo
JLo's picture
Joined: 07/19/2008
MGoPoints: 235

They're doing it instead of Respect, I believe.  That was a fun song to play, but I never could understand what the heck it had to do with football... I guess this is a little better fit.  (Although I think 'Fear the Reaper' would be a great slogan for this year's defense...) 

August 28th, 2008 at 3:51 PM | Any chance..... (Score:1)
jamiemac
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 7517

Any chance we'll be able to actually HEAR the band this season. Sure, my seats are way up in Section 14, but we could not hear the band all season long. Somebody commented last year to me that it was because the director asked the band to play in softer tones.

Hope that changes and you guys get to play your rocks off!!

Looking forward to the MMB on Saturday!

Help My Friend Allison Fight ALS 

CFB, Week 1 Lines at the

August 28th, 2008 at 4:04 PM | Yeah none of us could even (Score:1)
kgh10
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 227

Yeah none of us could even hear the beginning of HTTV until the people right next to the band got it going. I was just one section away last season (right next to them this season) and I still could barely hear them. I think Boerma likes the softer tones, but I'm hoping he realizes that nobody else in the football stadium really does.

August 28th, 2008 at 4:21 PM | Yep (Score:1)
jamiemac
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 7517

Glad I was not the only one noticing. I spent all last year wondering about this and assuming I was just going old and deaf....and I am only in my mid 30's....yikes!

Here's hoping the play with a bit more verve this year!!!

Help My Friend Allison Fight ALS 

CFB, Week 1 Lines at the

August 28th, 2008 at 8:52 PM | Yep, nothing like being told (Score:1)
Bando Calrissian
Bando Calrissian's picture
Joined: 07/02/2008
MGoPoints: 7388

Yep, nothing like being told to not play loud...

I'm guessing this will not change this year.

August 28th, 2008 at 3:52 PM | "I gotta have more cowbell!" (Score:1)
Rush N Attack
Joined: 07/07/2008
MGoPoints: 517

Funniest. Skit. Ever.

August 28th, 2008 at 4:01 PM | Re: Not playing in between downs (Score:1)
esipp
esipp's picture
Joined: 07/01/2008
MGoPoints: 815

Crap, I guess this includes the short piece that the band plays then the students join in "oooo...oooo...oooo...o! Let's Go Blue!" (x2) while pumping their palms/fists. Sure did like that one.

August 28th, 2008 at 4:10 PM | Seriously? That sucks...it's (Score:1)
kgh10
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 227

Seriously? That sucks...it's literally my favorite cheer (other than HTTV). I love the two seconds of drum solo at the end.

August 28th, 2008 at 4:06 PM | Reaper? (Score:1)
Onas
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 257

That song is too slow to get the crowd fired up.  But is has a good message for all of the 'over-70' alumni in the audience.  Maybe it will give them the courage to cheer for once.

August 28th, 2008 at 4:11 PM | What about first downs? (Score:1)
baleedat
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Joined: 07/10/2008
MGoPoints: 272

What about first downs?

IMHE

August 28th, 2008 at 4:13 PM | Boerma (Score:1)
JLo
JLo's picture
Joined: 07/19/2008
MGoPoints: 235

I graduated in 07, so I didn't march under the new guy last year.  Nix, the old director, was REALLY into football, so he didn't mind sacrificing some musicality in order to get more noise.  My impression from talking to Boerma, though, is that he's 95% musician, 5% football fan. I don't know if he realizes that the crowd doesn't care how beautiful your pianissimos are while playing the Cirque de Soleil show - they want loud noises and songs they recognize. 

To be fair, though, the band is in the worst possible place for the student section to hear them.  It's a nice idea to get all the loudest fans in one section, but I think the band and students could feed off each other better in the old arrangement, when we faced each other in the north endzone.

August 28th, 2008 at 4:23 PM | Thanks for the analysis (Score:1)
jamiemac
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 7517

JLo,

that is almost exactly how someone else explained it to me last year. Hope the "new guy" finally comes around as the MMB is there to add to the atmosphere and not provide a classical musical concert!!

Help My Friend Allison Fight ALS 

CFB, Week 1 Lines at the

August 28th, 2008 at 4:30 PM | You're preaching to the (Score:1)
JLo
JLo's picture
Joined: 07/19/2008
MGoPoints: 235

You're preaching to the converted, my friend.  Hopefully he'll figure it out soon.

More damn sound!

August 28th, 2008 at 10:34 PM | I want to hear them play (Score:1)
Chewer D
Chewer D's picture
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 600

I want to hear them play "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits..

"It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!!"

August 29th, 2008 at 10:42 PM | From what I'm hearing from (Score:1)
Bando Calrissian
Bando Calrissian's picture
Joined: 07/02/2008
MGoPoints: 7388

From what I'm hearing from band members, there could be some really, really, really cheesy and un-Michigan-esque stuff happening between the 3rd and 4th quarters.

The video board should never be used like it's going to be used tomorrow.  Ever.  Even if it's Bruce Dickinson.

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