Oh, absolutely. I was referring strictly to the Aggie Band itself. Another reason they're so bad is only about 1 out of every 4 people carrying an instrument is actually playing their instrument....you don't have to play at all to be in that band. There are a few jazz ensembles there that are fairly good, to say the least. But, like you said, considering the tradition that is the Aggie Band, that lack of support they receive from the school and on-field talent and ability is freaking horrible. As much as Aggies talk about their band, you'd think they'd have at least a decent marching band and oh, I don't know, maybe a reputable school of music or something.
Uhh...where did you get the 1 out of 4 thing from? I hear what you're saying, Lynus, but it's not just Aggies who like the band. Even at away games the other team's fans show more interest and give more applause to the A&M band than their own. How do you explain that? Are people just stupid and simple-minded? Also, A&M is one of the few schools to send their band to EVERY away game. Do you know how much money that costs? I don't know how that could be considered a lack of support?
I dislike aTm but you gotta respect them, I've been to a few Aggie games over the years in Kyle field and it was simply amazing. They might have some silly tradtions but everybody does, thats part of any college. I used to have sterotypes about differnt schools and their students but imo all texas schools are the same. I go to tech, and also visited aTm and UT, the students that make up the schools are no differnt or better than the other students.
Its a well-known fact (in the music world, anyway) that a significant number of the members of the Aggie Band cannot play an instrument. If I had to guess, in a given year probably 15%-20% of the band members you see on the field are marching without reeds or even mouthpieces. The reason they do this is to keep the band huge and to fill out any potential holes in the marching order. This and the band's propensity to line up according to height for appearance purposes contributes to them having zero balance and direction. To the Aggie Band, musical performance and ability is a distant second to looking good. This also plays into why so many people applaud them: they're big, they're loud, and they look good when they march. The sheer size of it is impressive. The uniforms are impressive. The tradition is impressive. The marching routine is even impressive, until you've seen it more than a few times, that is. Then it all just becomes, well, boring. What most people don't realize is that they play the same song and march the same show (which isn't a difficult routine, by any means) year after year after year. And to answer your question, yes, the general public doesn't know much about music, which is evident in the popularity of all the cookie-cutter rock bands, pop bands, boy bands, etc. I once borrowed a friends "100th Anniversary" CD of the Aggie Band playing various selections. They sounded like a damn junior-high band, which is unacceptable, IMO, for an institution that hypes itself so friggin' much. For all the hoopla, they have by far the worst band of any college, and nearly most high schools I've ever heard. And my dad was a band director, and I'm nearly 28 and I was in the band during all my schooling including college, so I have PLENTY to compare them to. And to clarify, I'll concede that the Aggie Band as an institution receives ridiculous support. But as far as support to get better and excel as any form of top-notch musical organization, they don't get a damn thing. And they do still claim to be a band, don't they?
In fact i've noticed some band members simply using scuba diving snorkles while marching across the field.
They are unique, that's why. Most other bands have a more modern and complex marching style so perhaps it's harder for the average football fan to appreciate. After all, people are there to watch a football game not watch a band. The Aggie band is one of the very few schools that march "military" style. It's a much simpler less modern style. Most opposing teams fans don't see it that often (if ever), so they react. BTW, UT's band ain't all that either. They sound great, but they're so big that they take up the whole field. That limits their ability to do anything interesting marching-wise. Most of the time they just "park and blow" ie. stand in place and play, which is pretty boring.
And the same goes for your average football fan. I could understand your frustration more if we were talking about concerts, but we're not. We're talking about halftime performances, where the main purpose is to entertain the fans. The A&M band succeeds at this more than almost any other school, so I don't see why they should change anything? If anything, maybe other schools need to modify their own performances at halftimes so they're not so boring. Do you really think that many people care about the music at halftimes of football games? The band's spread out all over the field...there's absolutely no acoustics...how the hell can you even rate a band's musical performance based on that? The way I see it, you have two options. Be a dull marching band who performs flawless renditions of classical music while the fans go get Nachos during your performance. Or be a musically flawed, yet entertaining marching band with fans who stay and actually watch the performance? I guess it's distinguishing between a good <i>band</i> and a good band for marching during halftimes at college football games. The Aggies are the latter...and that's all I, and about 99% of other fans, really care about. This is probably why you see the band as being "overhyped," because people are rating them based on their entertainment value...not their musicianship. I can definitely see why someone with a great appreciation for music, like you appear to have, would have a hard time accepting that.
That's just because most Asians focus a lot more academics and UT just have better academic reputation.
This is true. It's just funny that the main reason A&M and Texas minority enrollment is so different is because A LOT more Asians apply to Texas than apply to A&M. Most people would have you believe it's much more sinister than that.
By sinister do you mean "alot of minorities are uncomfortable or would be uncomfortable at ATM?" That may be true.
I'll concede, that's an interesting point. BUT STILL....dammit, the Aggie Band stinks musically (on the field and in concert) and it irks me to no end to hear Aggie's (who I have a TON of respect for) talk about that band as though it's some Holy Grail of musical bliss. They should never be allowed to play a Sousa march after the ways I've heard them butcher one of the most important composers in American history. Musically, they aren't any different from the Backstreet Boys: All show, all style, and zero substance. [/rant]
No, that point may still be true, but it's a little subjective. I'm just saying some people jump to conclusions based on enrollment numbers, when really almost all of the schools in Texas are close to the same as far as demographics. Texas Tech has 82% white students, Baylor has 76%, A&M has 82%, and if it wasn't for the large number of Asian students who go to Texas, there white population would be similar.
This is oficially the most ignorant, dumbass thing I have ever seen posted on this board. It was contrived wholly to be inflammatory...nothing more. There are THOUSANDS of students who go to A&M that are not "rednecks." Sure there are some. But to say what you did would be like me saying that every student in Austin is one of the freaks you see on 6th street.
I really have no idea where you are going with this. Should the Asian population at UT not be counted? Asians are minorities too...why are you discounting UT's minority population for having a lot of Asians?
The person who started this thread insists that he started it because: "No I started the thread, because it was funny in my opinion-- period." And then goes on to make the statements: "With all the controversy surrounding human cloning, hasn't anyone noticed that A&M has been cloning the same knuckleheads for the better part of a century? Texas A&M the only school in the country that you can major in "Catfish Noodling"." "On A&M-- whether its their name "Aggies" their constant whining about UT or something else I have not a clue. All I know is M&A fans/alum set themselves up for ridicule with traditions that are at best dim-witted. On another note I have never not once heard a humerous joke about UT produced by an Aggie. While Aggie jokes seem to magically write themselves- kind of like Bush Jr. jokes." Obviously demonstrating that his real intention was to be inflammatory. This is reinforced by the fact that this thread has already been posted, numerous times, and that fact was brought up immediately. As a graduate of Texas A&M I will be the first to tell you that I believe that the University of Texas has a superior football team and academic program. It is located in a bigger and more diverse city, a city I happen to have worked in and loved. That is exactly the reason why Aggies have such a strong desire to defeat UT, because it feels like a great accomplishment. Just like UT wants to beat teams that are consistently stronger than themselves such as OU and Nebraska. Aggies have a lot of jokes made about them because they have a sense of humor. I can even laugh at parts of the letter Rome read because it was clearly a joke. But the person who started this thread is lying when he says he was not trying to be inflammatory - period. I don't mind if you want to be inflammatory but I have a hard time not pointing out to you that you were trying to get a rise, and unfortunately I was posting drunk and let you get away with it.
That's not what I'm saying at all. It just seems kind of unfair that A&M is sometimes bashed for it's lack of diversity while Texas is acclaimed for it, when really all it is more Asians want to go to UT because of the "better academic reputation." Nothing A&M can really do about that.
