|
|
Post by LeanderMomma on Aug 29, 2022 6:04:30 GMT -6
I personally absolutely love high school football. The game, the sounds of the crowd, the excitement in the air, and of course the halftime entertainment. How about the band kids though? Do/did you all enjoy football season or could you do without it?
I hope everyone has had a great start to school wherever you may be, and that your school’s football team has a great season!
(I’m so excited about college football starting up next Saturday too, woo hoo!!!!!). Woo Pig Sooieeeee!
|
|
|
|
Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 29, 2022 14:11:14 GMT -6
To some degree the answer may depend on which band kids you're asking. For a sizeable majority of high school band members, football games are their bread and butter.
|
|
|
|
Post by boahistorybuff on Aug 29, 2022 20:18:39 GMT -6
Yes, I think it very much depends on the individual. In high school, our band was more in to the competition side of things. For most of us the football games were more of an obligation. I mostly remember the social aspect, especially after the game. There were a few that got into watching the game (of course it was high school and not college or NFL). In college marching band it was very different. Our job was entertainment at the football game. We were expected to remain attentive and be ready to play that fight song at a moments notice. Of course it was college football so a bit different from high school games. For me, watching and performing at the college football games was night and day difference from high school. So for me personally, I did not really enjoy sitting through the games in high school but I did in college. And being in the college band, we got really good seats. Now for a high school band that is not competitive and exists solely for the football half time show and playing the fight song, you may find more students that enjoy it.
|
|
|
|
Post by philodemus on Aug 29, 2022 21:01:06 GMT -6
Like everyone is saying, it's probably pretty individual... but it sure helps if the football team is good! Hard to get stoked to watch your friends and classmates get beat down every week.
|
|
|
|
Post by josephbandfan on Aug 29, 2022 21:10:30 GMT -6
From all the people I've asked, they loved football games. The vibe and energy, traveling to away games, hyping the crowd up, etc.
|
|
|
|
Post by saturdaynightlights on Aug 29, 2022 21:20:06 GMT -6
I would've enjoyed football games more if the football team wasn't terrible, not gonna lie.
|
|
|
|
Post by ilikeguard on Aug 29, 2022 21:43:29 GMT -6
As I mentioned in the food thread, we paid very little attention to the game in high school. It wasn’t until college that I actually learned how the game works. Coincidentally that was the same year the Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl 😆
Marching Mizzou introduced me to football and I’m a huge fan now! In high school, though, it was likely the last thing on our minds. I’m sure some kids enjoyed it, but it definitely was not part of the culture.
|
|
|
|
Post by vidal28rdg on Aug 29, 2022 22:25:46 GMT -6
Being in Texas helps, the fandom is infectious, if your state doesn’t have a super avid football culture at the high school level, maybe that’s where a bulk of hs kids say they don’t like or cared about games. For me, my high school had an abundance of school pride/spirit, the team was decent to really good, I’m a football fan, and the games were fun from a spirit band stand point so I had nothing to complain about!
|
|
|
|
Post by ilikeguard on Aug 29, 2022 23:27:03 GMT -6
Being in Texas helps, the fandom is infectious, if your state doesn’t have a super avid football culture at the high school level, maybe that’s where a bulk of hs kids say they don’t like or cared about games. For me, my high school had an abundance of school pride/spirit, the team was decent to really good, I’m a football fan, and the games were fun from a spirit band stand point so I had nothing to complain about! It’s totally a Texas thing! Boyfriend graduated from a Texas HS and had me mystified by how enthusiastic he is about high school football. I ended up digging a little deeper and it’s crazy to me how invested y’all will get in HS FB! Everything really IS bigger. Coming from a small hick town I had no idea that people that didn’t go to the high school would watch high school games. It’s been a really cool cultural phenomenon to observe! |
|
|
|
Post by Samuel Culper on Aug 30, 2022 8:03:45 GMT -6
I have three kids, all were band kids. They all loved football games, and only one of them is a sports fan. The games were always fun because of the camaraderie.
|
|
|
|
Post by paddy on Aug 30, 2022 8:15:32 GMT -6
I am sure some band kids would have more fun at football games if they were appreciated at football games.
|
|
|
|
Post by hewhowaits on Aug 30, 2022 8:32:20 GMT -6
I am sure some band kids would have more fun at football games if they were appreciated at football games. Sad, but true. I've been to HS games where nearly zero attention was paid to the band (halftime show or pep tunes during the game). On the other hand, when my kids were in the band it was not uncommon for a large proportion of students in attendance to spend the football game portion of the evening just milling around and hanging out with friends (ignoring the game) but many of them would stop and pay attention to the band's halftime performance. |
|
|
|
Post by thewho on Aug 30, 2022 9:22:25 GMT -6
Guess I'll go against the grain and say I absolutely despised Friday nights... I only joined marching band for literally... band!
Saturday competitions were some of the best days of my life.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shroom on Aug 30, 2022 10:55:12 GMT -6
I would've enjoyed football games more if the football team wasn't terrible, not gonna lie. Same lol. I quite vividly remember half the crowd leaving the stadium after our band played during halftime in football games. |
|
|
|
Post by dbdbdb on Aug 30, 2022 11:01:23 GMT -6
If the question was "do the band kids enjoy football?", I believe the answer would be that most don't like or understand the sport. I remember sitting in the stands and being the only band kid who was actually watching the game. I spent half my time trying to explain what was going on to my band friends who didn't really care much. My son is a senior in the band now, and his experience is pretty much the same.
Now to answer the actual question.... While I think most band kids love any activity that brings them together and gives them a chance to perform, I think the respect level the kids are given at the games can really impact their enjoyment. I LOVED band but I hated the fact that our student body threw ice at the band, didn't pay attention to us at all, and that the football team actually attempted to run over us when they ran through our formation during pre-game. I was embarrassed to be a part of that school and frustrated by how underappreciated we were. We were actually a good little band, and we worked too hard for that type of treatment.
At Dobyns-Bennett, it is a completely different experience for my kiddo. The band is a HUGE part of Friday night activities. The student body dances to their pep music. People line up all the way down the hill just to watch the band march in. People actually STAY and WATCH halftime - which is a special show just for the festivities. The drumline jams with the student section and cheerleaders. It's great! Sometimes I actually tear up a little because of how proud I am that my son gets to experience that respect level. It makes a HUGE difference.
|
|
|
|
Post by Marching Observer on Aug 30, 2022 11:57:12 GMT -6
For me. No. And I hated when the team was doing well because then we had to perform after the season was over and it just would be so cold. I hate the cold. Winter is my least favorite season lol. I would just be talking and hanging out with my bands friends not paying attention to the game. It's Indiana. We aren't a football state. Unless you're one of the big/good teams around Indy (Carmel, Center Grove, Ben Davis, Warren Central), yeah it be meh haha
|
|
|
|
Post by marimba11 on Aug 30, 2022 13:01:51 GMT -6
Martin Dickey at the old Fort Mill High had a very serious attitude to football games. When he left, it completely changed and we just had fun in the stands. Made uncharacteristic sounds, goofed around, danced and always stood.
As far as performances, SC has a very short halftime for games so it is rare to get a full run in and we’re only in uniforms October onward.
Once the competitive marching season was over we’d stop going to games. Our football team almost never made any sort of playoffs and I can only think of one time we went as a full band to an away game in 4 years.
|
|
|
|
Post by vidal28rdg on Aug 30, 2022 13:06:08 GMT -6
Being in Texas helps, the fandom is infectious, if your state doesn’t have a super avid football culture at the high school level, maybe that’s where a bulk of hs kids say they don’t like or cared about games. For me, my high school had an abundance of school pride/spirit, the team was decent to really good, I’m a football fan, and the games were fun from a spirit band stand point so I had nothing to complain about! It’s totally a Texas thing! Boyfriend graduated from a Texas HS and had me mystified by how enthusiastic he is about high school football. I ended up digging a little deeper and it’s crazy to me how invested y’all will get in HS FB! Everything really IS bigger. Coming from a small hick town I had no idea that people that didn’t go to the high school would watch high school games. It’s been a really cool cultural phenomenon to observe! I’ll also add to this in saying that High school bands in Texas benefit from the scale and the craze of HS football in that there’s more opportunities to play to a crowd that would be the size of a Saturday competition crowd, even if they’re not usually as attentive or appreciative😂With the increasing frequency of large school district stadiums that we’ve seen being built, there’s a buzz to it that really gets you into a performance mood at halftime for sure! My HS played several games/halftimes at AT&T stadium benefiting a lot from the fact that it was in my hometown! Good HS football does not always equal better band/more opportunities, but! Sometimes the elements can be a perfect storm that can benefit bands to varying levels! |
|
|
|
Post by Subito Fortissimo on Aug 30, 2022 19:53:34 GMT -6
For me I mostly liked football games as a band member. I enjoyed watching football but our teams were usually pretty bad so I just enjoyed playing in the stands and having fun with my friends. With the students I have taught and currently teach I think it just comes down to personal preference. Some of them get super into the games whether because of having friends on the team or just because of school spirit, which the school currently actually has a great culture for. But some of them have no idea what's going on on the field and don't care.
|
|
|
|
Post by realjsnacks on Aug 31, 2022 11:44:46 GMT -6
I'm sure it largely depends on the school, and the skill of the football team, but as for me, I personally didn't really care about the game itself, especially because our football team was generally hit or miss during the season (They're much better now from what I hear). I always saw the games as another opportunity to perform our show before another contest, since most people in town would come to the games to see the band anyways, and before/after halftime, just kinda time to hang around my band friends. I usually liked the away games where my directors would take a pep band though, because it was just time to hang out with my friends and play some stand tunes. So I never really paid attention to the games themselves, but liked having fun in the stands, so that has to count for something, I guess.  |
|
|
|
Post by statechamp1239 on Aug 31, 2022 12:39:09 GMT -6
One common theme I've notice is that all of our football teams sucked. I blame the football team for making me into a band kid.   |
|
|
|
Post by Marching Observer on Aug 31, 2022 12:58:40 GMT -6
One common theme I've notice is that all of our football teams sucked. I blame the football team for making me into a band kid. It's for the best anyway 😉 |
|
|
|
Post by vidal28rdg on Aug 31, 2022 20:36:00 GMT -6
Another fun question might be if band kids, former and current, cared about how the audience at a football game reacts/does or doesn’t pay attention(as long as it’s not too vitriolic)?
For me it honestly never mattered, never experienced a hostile, hateful crowd so I was fortunate there. If the crowd responded incredibly positively, then that was great for us, but I definitely didn’t care if many were indifferent, especially during late September through October when you had a more attentive and appreciative crowd you’d be performing for the very next day. I was always just looking at Friday runs as opportunities to get another run in! And i enjoyed it😌
|
|
|
|
Post by mk72 on Aug 31, 2022 21:02:41 GMT -6
Another fun question might be if band kids, former and current, cared about how the audience at a football game reacts/does or doesn’t pay attention(as long as it’s not too vitriolic)? For me it honestly never mattered, never experienced a hostile, hateful crowd so I was fortunate there. If the crowd responded incredibly positively, then that was great for us, but I definitely didn’t care if many were indifferent, especially during late September through October when you had a more attentive and appreciative crowd you’d be performing for the very next day. I was always just looking at Friday runs as opportunities to get another run in! And i enjoyed it😌 As a somewhat recent band alum, I saw the student section transition from being appreciative of the band to straight up mocking us over my 4 years. According to some friends still in the band, that mindset has only gotten worse. In that aspect, it did get more difficult to have a good attitude during games, but a lot of times, we were just having our own fun, so those feelings would get overshadowed quickly (thankfully). |
|
|
|
Post by es203 on Aug 31, 2022 22:50:40 GMT -6
Martin Dickey at the old Fort Mill High had a very serious attitude to football games. When he left, it completely changed and we just had fun in the stands. Made uncharacteristic sounds, goofed around, danced and always stood. As far as performances, SC has a very short halftime for games so it is rare to get a full run in and we’re only in uniforms October onward. Once the competitive marching season was over we’d stop going to games. Our football team almost never made any sort of playoffs and I can only think of one time we went as a full band to an away game in 4 years. Pretty sure Fort Mill has lost to NAFO every year since 2014, and haven’t won more than 2 games in a season since 2016 or 2017. They aren’t the best lol |
|
|
|
Post by philodemus on Sept 1, 2022 8:06:41 GMT -6
Perhaps it is because I am old, but I actually do think the band has an obligation to try and entertain the football crowd--if for no other reason than because a performer should always try to connect with their audience. Some groups, like Dobyns Bennett, apparently, have an entirely separate show for that purpose, but I actually don't think you have to choose between a show that will compete well and one which will entertain a football crowd.
This could just be my personal taste in show design, too. While I can dig an esoteric exploration of man's angst vis a vis an indifferent universe, I'd usually rather watch two cowboys beat each other up on top of a train... and I think most football fans are down for the second of those as well.
Like, this is art... but it's pop art, you know?
|
|
|
|
Post by Marching Observer on Sept 1, 2022 8:22:49 GMT -6
Perhaps it is because I am old, but I actually do think the band has an obligation to try and entertain the football crowd--if for no other reason than because a performer should always try to connect with their audience. Some groups, like Dobyns Bennett, apparently, have an entirely separate show for that purpose, but I actually don't think you have to choose between a show that will compete well and one which will entertain a football crowd. This could just be my personal taste in show design, too. While I can dig an esoteric exploration of man's angst vis a vis an indifferent universe, I'd usually rather watch two cowboys beat each other up on top of a train... and I think most football fans are down for the second of those as well. Like, this is art... but it's pop art, you know? That is a good argument. And Texas bands also generally learn two shows as well I know. I think if a MB is an established power, which is quite the minority, they can get away with having those more esoteric shows because the fans in the crowd, which also probably include a large number of bands parents for support or alumni, will know to cheer for them. Plus, schools do a pretty good job of hyping the band when they do something that is either State or Nationally recognized so the everyday fan knows. Also helps when the football team isn't great so you can say least cheer for the band lol. |
|
|
|
Post by MadScientist on Sept 1, 2022 8:56:43 GMT -6
My Junior year, we did a Disney-themed show. It was strange to see the students stay in the stands during halftime and actually sing along!
|
|
|
|
Post by ilikeguard on Sept 1, 2022 9:04:38 GMT -6
My Junior year, we did a Disney-themed show. It was strange to see the students stay in the stands during halftime and actually sing along! That's actually adorable! One of my favorite things about groups using contemporary music in their book is that you don't have to be a musician to recognize a piece. It's a fun way of engaging the crowd, especially parents who may not have been band kids themselves. And then there's always the use of meme-y songs that engage kids today 😆 |
|
|
|
Post by Allohak on Sept 5, 2022 18:05:40 GMT -6
One common theme I've notice is that all of our football teams sucked. I blame the football team for making me into a band kid. Dobyns-Bennett is something like the 14th winningest high school football program in the country But yeah seems more often than not the schools with serious bands don't have so much serious football |
|
