Brain,
Why are you so negative about music piped in at the football games? If you are 10 rows away from the band, you can't hear them. In fact, as they march down the field playing the greatest college fight song of all time, you can't here them as they pass you.
I think it is a good idea to awaken the masses with music they can actually hear. The gand is so stuck on playing classical, boring music and sounding great that it puts the crowd to sleep.
Other bands come to the stadium (from that school that will not be named down south) and you can hear them everywhere. When I was a student we complained about not being able to hear the band for the entire four years.
I say, change can be good. Michigan was stuck in the 80's with football strategy and Rich Rod will try and pull us into the 21st century. I say, do the same with the band. Either wake the band up or play some good music.
And, finally, what about firing the crowd up? No question some good rock and roll can get the job done.
Don't fear change! This is not your father's football team nor your father's stadium. Move forward, don't look backward!
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Music at Michigan Games
September 7th, 2009 at 3:24 PM
#1
Music at Michigan Games
September 7th, 2009 at 3:32 PM
#2
This thread is turn into a
This thread is turn into a flame filled opinion fest in short order I fear. No one will win this fight (unless Michigan's Athletic Director lurks on mgoblog...) and no one will change their own personal opinions. Please keep that in mind while typing out your 500 word essay backing up whichever side of the debate.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:33 PM
#3
My first thought:
He could have just emailed Brian. It's not like there isn't a few threads about this already.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:41 PM
#5
I personally was indifferent of the RAWK music
If the band would play louder then I'd be fine with just them playing but they don't... So I have no idea what to think about the piped in music. Personally I'd rather not have it, but something else needs to happen to get the crowd into the game.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:59 PM
#6
Having been a season ticket holder since the late 80's
I think it's safe to say that performances like Biakabatuka's 300+ yards against Ohio State, Woodson's punt return against the same, Desmond's catches, etc. may be the "something else" that gets a crowd into the game. I'm pretty sure the performance on Saturday would have stood for itself in terms of crowd noise. Sweet Caroline didn't do it.
September 7th, 2009 at 4:11 PM
#7
I think it's awesome
that I got negged for mentioning (in a positive way) the likes of Biakabatuka, Woodson, and Desmond. Best. Loss. Of. Points. Ever.
September 7th, 2009 at 4:20 PM
#8
I agree with you that the game should be the reason to get
pumped but hey when the team doesn't look good some fans might need a little something something to get back into it.
And like I've been saying for a while it seems like there is some joker who just negs people for shits and giggles because there is no reason for you to get negged for posting that. It seems like it's been happening a lot more too.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:47 PM
#9
This diary has to be a joke
Please, tell me it's a joke. "Brain?" A diary about music an hour after Brian devotes part of another thread on it?
September 7th, 2009 at 3:47 PM
#10
Your sentence about the
Your sentence about the "gand" playing "classical music" notwithstanding, let me once again point out that the issue of RAWK MUSIC has to do with being unable to hear the band. If you are against RAWK MUSIC, want to hear the band better, or both, please address these concerns with Profs. Boerma or Haithcock. I am curious to what theys ay.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:34 AM
#11
Haithcock's response
Here is what I received as a reply from Haithcock:
The band can play no louder, it is not physically possible to replicate the sound of those speakers as acoustical instruments are very directional. Enhancing the sound electronically, from the band, is against Big 10 conference rules as was recently confirmed by the athletic administration when the football staff discussed amplifying the MMB. All sports are programmed by the athletic game day management staff. The band is "not allowing" this to happen, it is being dictated to us by the people who are in charge of the event. The coaches, the coaches wives, and the players are all clamoring for piped in music. The athletic department is trying to have a balance between the traditional and what is "new". The expectation at professional events is trickling down to the college ranks and what is collegiate is trickling up to the pro's (as in the Pistons drum line).
Regret that we can not make you happy on this one. Thanks for your interest and taking the time to write.
Michael Haithcock
September 8th, 2009 at 1:52 PM
#12
The Band can (and has) played
The Band can (and has) played louder. Unfortunately he's probably right on the rest of it, but at the same time, if the Band played louder and attempted to stay relevant over the past couple years, this probably wouldn't have happened.
Passing the blame completely to Athletics/the coaching staff/Rita Rodriguez is a pretty convenient out for the Band administration to cover their shortcomings.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:52 PM
#13
I'm not Brian, but I think
I'm not Brian, but I think his point (which I agree with) is that this is college football, not pro, and that we should try to keep as much of a college atmosphere as possible. Go to pro sporting events anywhere in the country and you'll hear pretty much the same playlist of piped-in music ("Rock and Roll Pt. 2," "Shout," "YMCA," "Who Let the Dogs Out," "You Shook Me All Night Long," etc.). When you don't have a marching band or student section, you need to find artificial sources of noise than can rally the fans, so pro sports teams turn to the playlists. College sports teams really don't need this. We should embrace what separates us from the bland, manufactured world of pro sports, not become more like it.
(Several posters have argued that we need to do this to compensate for the difficulty of hearing the band in the much of the stadium. I agree that that's a serious concern, but I don't think this is the best solution.)
September 7th, 2009 at 4:43 PM
#14
The only way it works in college
is if you have some sort of tradition associated with a particular song. For example, the Wisconsin tradition of playing "jump around" at the beginning of the 4th quarter is pretty sweet.
September 7th, 2009 at 6:49 PM
#15
Wisco
The fact that the Wisconsin band isn't involved, the fact that House Of Pain has no Wisconsin ties (assumedly), and that any school in any stadium could have done it if they just thought of it first, makes it lame to me.
Now, if House Of Pain performed it LIVE every 4th quarter...now that would be a tradition.
September 7th, 2009 at 4:43 PM
#16
I vote for ac current
It wouldn't be that hard just to electrify the wooden benches. That would get the geriatric/theatre crowd up and screaming. No piped in music=no problem =)
September 8th, 2009 at 9:42 AM
#17
They did play Hail to the
They did play Hail to the Victors, about a week before the game in 2006. If they play any Chili Peppers song it should be Especially in Michigan, IME.
September 7th, 2009 at 9:12 PM
#18
You have to remember that the
You have to remember that the band is very directional. Meaning, acoustically its impossible for the band to play to each and every person throughout the stadium. Also, you have you to remember that 110,000 people absorb ALOT of sound. The band does all they can do to play loud, they play soo much throughout the day that physically they tire. Luckily enough the towers help reverberate the sound. No matter what they are still the band with the best fight song.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:39 AM
#19
This is one thing I didn't want the stadium to do.
Piping in music destroys the purity that is/was Michigan stadium. I took pride in knowing that my school upheld the very tradition of college football by allowing the band to provide the music. I look at other stadiums and cringe at the sound of Hell's Bells on third down (it is SO lame). I understand that piped music traditions work well for Wisc and PSU, but I think UM should stick to what it's good at and keep the tradition.
If they are worried about merging tradition with the "new" then they just need to look up and notice the monstrous renovation going on. Haven't experienced it yet this year for myself, but I heard the crowd noise is noticeably louder with the new boxes.
If they're going to continue to pipe in music, what's next? Advertisements?
I'd hate Michigan to be defined as the stadium that plays Bon Jovi at the start of the 2nd quarter or Sweet Caroline halfway through the 3rd, etc. AA already has one Rick's cafe. It should be defined as the hostile environment it will become as the team returns to it's domination.
