So much for the alternate version of The Victors
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/05/u-m_grads_amazing_rendition_of.html
The Department Chair requested that this video be taken down from Facebook for not being professional enough. Don't know about you but as an alum I get goose bumps with this beautiful version and the original version of The Victors. If I were a prospective student and saw this clip, I would be thinking, "UM is a cool place with talented kids and I would want to go there!"
Am I off base here or is this another DB / "get over yourself" UM moment that misses the point of college?
EDIT: Chair Wagner JUST responded that it shouldn't have been posted prior to their NYC show and was policy.
The musical theater department actually sings this version of the song fairly regularly. I'm sure if you hunt around on youtube you'll be able to find it again.
The low quality of it actually is what makes it awesome because it feels more genuine and spontanious. The arrangement would still be great but I'd give so much less of a crap about it if it was shot by a good dp and I had to see it in an overly saccharine "Simpsons" type Dr. Zaius song format.
Exactly.
bueno
It was just an AWESOME rendition, as I mentioned before, not only got goosebumps, but even a little teary eyed. Hope it comes back soon. I can't wait to see the MORE professional versions if this was not professional enough.
(at least for now) It's really hard to get something completely off the internet once it's put on there.
Does the videoclip in the link work? I'm clicking on it and getting nothing.
On a related note, have the Hail and Unite people thrown in the towel yet?
and it worked each time.
Brandon is gone right? I feel like this is the sort of brand-aware move we used to be able to blame on him.
Does Mr. Wagner understand how hard is it to organically create a viral video, and what kind of positive publicity such a video generates for the university? People kill (or pay tons of $$$) for publicity like that.
Seems like a pretty short-sighted move by someone whose thinking is seriously stuck in the past. I can't possibly see how that video was hurting anyone.
On January 2, 1988, Michigan's alumni group in the Northeast staged a twofer: Watch M take take on Cornell in New Haven for the Yale Hockey Classic, followed by a large site viewing of Michigan v. Alabama @ the Hall of Fame Bowl. (YAY, John Kolesar!)
A group of MMB alums (plus some high school ringers for instrumentation) grabbed their horns and showed up to play. Lots of Victors, Let's Go Blue and ending with the Yellow and Blue. The M Fans and Alums were thrilled. The players skated over at the end of game for The Victors. Players' parents en masse thanked us over and over.
Sadly, we were outlaws with the MMB who refused any help or recognition. They actively fought against us. Thankfully, a sympatheic insider snuck us some sheet music.
No one thought we were official representatives of the U. No one thought we were the MMB on a field trip. Were we warmly received and appreciated by the people there? You betcha.
MMB has grown since then and the Alumni Band is now an accepted contributor. One hopes the Musical theater folks learn to do the same.
I agree, but I see his point. Brent Wagner built the U-M MT department from the ground up. His careful construction of the MT program at Michigan has churned out Broadway performer after Broadway performer for decades. I think what Professor Wagner is more concerned about is the fact that the video could jeopardize the opinions of conservative agents and managers (who, frankly, might be the ones most deeply entrenched on Broadway), who see something like that and turn their noses up at it.
Nonetheless, your point is a good one; it's also true that in musical theater circles, the MT department doesn't really need much publicity. I like the video, and I'm glad I saw it. I'm frustrated by this decision. But Wagner's a serious guy--I get where he's coming from.
Perhaps HailAndUnite has Brent Wagner in their back pocket and they don't want this viral video taking away from HailAndUnite's pump up video????
But guys, we can only make good music if you invest a few thousand dollars and we get pop sensations like Eminem and Madonna to contribute! Plus how did they get thousands of views without an expensive marketing campaign? I don't undesrtsand how this happened. Did Scooter Braun produce it?
Right, because when you think "hyper relevance to the most current pop music," you think Eminem and Madonna, right??? Amirite??
/s
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2015/05/u-m_grads_renditi…
Links on FaceBook are back up.
Clearly all the credit should go to us for our random bitching on MGoBlog. :)
In all seriousness though, if he was able to take a second look and realize that he made the wrong call then good for him. A lot of people in charge have no ability to do that.