Ramah - what's wrong with your keyboard? Or is it your eyes. Dang, man, that's some mighty large fonts you've got there. Hope you're o.k. I'm pulling for ya! :wave:
The high school and college bands I played in (not LSU, though I wish I'd had the privilege and honor) in the 1970's had instructions for each squad. Every step by every squad was all worked out by the band director or his assts. on huge sheets. Once everything was worked out, the instructions were typed up and issued to each musician, where we would then walk it through. Then we would write abbreviated instructions on our music, and practice formations while we played. Finally we would perform in front of the fans.
hmmmmm.... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD6-pNCD06Q&feature=related"]Texas A&M Halftime Full Band Performance Vs. OU - YouTube[/ame] I see lots of follow the leader. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkzPIItb9YM&feature=fvwrel"]DCI on ESPN - YouTube[/ame] Drum Corps International...tell me thats not impressive. Also, its not easy to memorize all the steps and music. Usually the band stops marching while the Golden Girls perform. GBFT '94 Snare Drum:tigerhead
How about cumbia style marching???? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjufJH0_-Z4]Rose Parade 2010 Guatemalan marching band - YouTube[/ame]
Nope. William F. Swor required military haircuts and no beards, there were no hippies in Tiger Band in the 70's. But I have watched Tiger Band closely for 35 years and I'm a careful observer. Swor's bands marched far better and had more impressive halftime shows. Wickes' bands had more soundpower and were far better at keeping the crowd going when they played in the grandstands.
Can't help myself, everytime someone talks about the LSU band, this one comes to mind........ [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AWyX5BbeN8]Dont Screw with the Band Gator Fans - YouTube[/ame]
Someone seriously should've knocked that phucker out. I promise had I seen that between the ages of 17 & 25ish I would have. That video reminded me of another thing I'd love to know about bands. What hand movements mean what in conducting.
I spent a couple years with Magic of Orlando before Tiger Band. All conductors are different. In that video, the drum major is just marking the beats and keeping tempo. Different time signatures have a different number of beats per measure, and the first beat of each measure is signaled by the conductor's hand moving straight down from the top of the last beat of the measure. Some signatures require less "straight" movements than others, though. Other than that, they cue different sections to begin playing or to crescendo or decrescendo (louder or softer). Every conductor takes some getting used to though, and not all signals mean the same things between different ones. Drum majors, on the other hand are generally pretty rigid and regimented.
Also, modern drum corps style shows are far more complicated than follow the leader, then stand still and play. You sell Tiger Band short, Red.
This is pretty much how it was around 2000, too, except we had fancy computer programs, and Moorehouse didn't draw, she just yelled.
