Michigan Marching Band Noise (or lack thereof)
Many times already this season we have heard references of the lack of noise coming from the MMB.
Of all years when the increased crowd noise from the enclosed new buildings is heralded as the glorious new savior of our elder fan woes, how can we now be talking about how softly the band is playing? Would not the sound emanating from the band also be reverberating back down to the field?
I may have an answer.
Has anyone noticed that this year's introduction of the band from Carl Grapentine is, "Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Michigan Marching Band. Band take the field." Did you notice anything missing? Correct! Give the guy wearing the block M in the front a cookie.
Answer: The number of members in the band.
Perhaps no longer announcing the total members of the band is because they have fewer members in the band this year. Fewer members would equal quieter band!
September 15th, 2009 at 2:34 PM ^
How about cutting and pasting this post in the story currently on the front page about crowd noise, rawk music and the band.
Do that and lets delete this thread? Deal?
September 15th, 2009 at 2:54 PM ^
The number they announce has been too small for a number of years. Eliminating the announcement of the number was, if nothing else, an exercise in honesty.
September 15th, 2009 at 3:03 PM ^
I don't think the band is any smaller, nor do I think they are playing any "softer".
The new structures are reverberating the crowd noise across and throughout the stadium. The din of the crowd noise seems to just stay inside the stadium now. Before the construction, it would rise into the air like the smoke of a grill.
I have been going to home game for many years and I sit in sec 44 (33 yd line) across from the press box closer to the band. I find the band harder to hear this year.(No, I'm not going deaf).
I believe the one negative side effect of the new structures is the band is harder to hear. I am not a sound engineer, but is it possible that the frequencies of the instruments doesn't carry as well with the crowd noise?
The band sounds are amplified on TV so why can't they be amplified within the stadium? Someone said they do it USC. That band always seems really loud.
After the ND game I have sort of jumped on the piped-in music bandwagon to fire up the crowd durin the long TV timeouts.
September 15th, 2009 at 3:05 PM ^
the band before the ND game as the 235-member MMB.
September 15th, 2009 at 6:55 PM ^
I photographed the Western game and I know for absolute certainty the number was not announced.
September 15th, 2009 at 3:32 PM ^
I've never noticed it not announced.
I thought they say 235 member MMB, because that is how many are on the field for the block M.
There are actually 300+, but the others are sitting in the stands, because they didn't make the pregame performance block that week. (There are weekly tryouts for the pregame and halftime slots)
September 15th, 2009 at 4:04 PM ^
There are actually almost 400 band members every year. But only 235 do the pregame. That number has been a tradition since the early 70's. It hasn't been revamped since.