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Very small, like a high school band. But, in all fairness Purdue has such a large band that most would look small compared to them. But, they sounded good and I think it was great of Purdue to let us bring them.
 
The band is smaller than last by probably 15-20 members. A few reasons for this:

We have another new director this year. Nicole Gross ( http://indstate.edu/music/faculty/gross.html ) was hired this summer into a 3 year contract as the director of Athletic Bands. Turnover in a position like a music director causes as much damage as a change in coaching staff every year in an athletic team. You can't build something unless there is consistency and support from the leadership. Hopefully, this 3 year contract is the start of something good, but expect to see a small band this year. It sucks. But it is what it is.

Secondly, recruitment efforts and funding are still perennial issues in the music department for a variety of reasons, and the athletic bands seem to be the first groups affected...if no one recruits for the band, or if only very little is done, then we can't expect a large ensemble. If the band isn't funded well, we can't expect them to have a large staff that can focus on individual sections much like a football team has coaches for each individual position, or have new uniforms when they desperately need new ones, let alone new instruments.

Write a letter, make a phone call. If you, the audience and general public care, it does make a difference.
 
6 directors in 7 years will do that to ANY program. Hopefully this 3-year contract will add some much needed stability.
 
LoudNProud said:
The band is smaller than last by probably 15-20 members. A few reasons for this:

We have another new director this year. Nicole Gross ( http://indstate.edu/music/faculty/gross.html ) was hired this summer into a 3 year contract as the director of Athletic Bands. Turnover in a position like a music director causes as much damage as a change in coaching staff every year in an athletic team. You can't build something unless there is consistency and support from the leadership. Hopefully, this 3 year contract is the start of something good, but expect to see a small band this year. It sucks. But it is what it is.

Secondly, recruitment efforts and funding are still perennial issues in the music department for a variety of reasons, and the athletic bands seem to be the first groups affected...if no one recruits for the band, or if only very little is done, then we can't expect a large ensemble. If the band isn't funded well, we can't expect them to have a large staff that can focus on individual sections much like a football team has coaches for each individual position, or have new uniforms when they desperately need new ones, let alone new instruments.

Write a letter, make a phone call. If you, the audience and general public care, it does make a difference.
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I wrote Dr. Bradley last year. Guess I could have talked to my dog and got as far. Makes me sad, I love a nice, big marching band. You can't have real college football without one...
 

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I sure miss DK. He was very good at what he did and I never really heard why he left (or was removed). He was great to work with when it came to the Out-of-Towner's Classic and other functions I was involved in as well. I could tell in the first basketball game I attended that the band had already missed his presence. If he listens in here, best of luck to you in the future.
 
DK is still at ISU in the School of Music, but health reasons forced him to step aside from the job he truly loved. If I remember correctly, I think he is in charge of student teachers from the School of Music. You'll still be able to see DK in the stands rooting on his Sycamores if he's not out of town visiting Indiana schools. You won't find a finer man than Doug Keiser. As always funding is at the heart of the director turn over.
 
BlueHeart said:
DK is still at ISU in the School of Music, but health reasons forced him to step aside from the job he truly loved. If I remember correctly, I think he is in charge of student teachers from the School of Music. You'll still be able to see DK in the stands rooting on his Sycamores if he's not out of town visiting Indiana schools. You won't find a finer man than Doug Keiser. As always funding is at the heart of the director turn over.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, Blue. I appreciate that. I saw him at HC at a ball game last season once but by the time I got to where he was at, he had disappeared. When the band was in it's hay day back in the 70's, it always seems it is a controversy with the director that causes a rift and then everyone has to virtually start over when they hire a new one. I will withhold an opinion on the new one until I watch them this weekend. If this year's band lost 15-20 members, it WOULD look like a high school band, and in Indiana, a small one at that. That's a shame. I have said for years, "Quality over Quantity" when speaking of the band and they always SOUND great but I will always visualize the band with 275 members (Sparkettes, Flag twirlers et al) playing for the Bengals in the 70's and getting a standing ovation from the fans and my sister turning to me and saying that they were as good as Ohio State's band. 70 just doesn't cut it for a college band.
 

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LoudNProud said:
The band is smaller than last by probably 15-20 members. A few reasons for this:

We have another new director this year. Nicole Gross ( http://indstate.edu/music/faculty/gross.html ) was hired this summer into a 3 year contract as the director of Athletic Bands. Turnover in a position like a music director causes as much damage as a change in coaching staff every year in an athletic team. You can't build something unless there is consistency and support from the leadership. Hopefully, this 3 year contract is the start of something good, but expect to see a small band this year. It sucks. But it is what it is.

Secondly, recruitment efforts and funding are still perennial issues in the music department for a variety of reasons, and the athletic bands seem to be the first groups affected...if no one recruits for the band, or if only very little is done, then we can't expect a large ensemble. If the band isn't funded well, we can't expect them to have a large staff that can focus on individual sections much like a football team has coaches for each individual position, or have new uniforms when they desperately need new ones, let alone new instruments.

Write a letter, make a phone call. If you, the audience and general public care, it does make a difference.
Click to expand...

What accounts for the director turnover? It is simply a pay issue?

As for the second part, what kind of funding are we talking about?
 
Jason Svoboda said:
What accounts for the director turnover? It is simply a pay issue?

As for the second part, what kind of funding are we talking about?
Click to expand...

Lack of departmental support, (until this year) trying to make the position an adjunct position, fighting professors who openly tell their students to not be in athletic bands, the infighting and drama with the departmental faculty, refusal to purchase new uniforms/equipment, constant fighting for rehearsal space in inclement weather, and I could go on and on. Basically, an overall lack of respect for athletic bands in general from the department.

This coming from the student side as a recent graduate. Who knows what is going on behind closed doors on the faculty side.
 
SamWild said:
Lack of departmental support, (until this year) trying to make the position an adjunct position, fighting professors who openly tell their students to not be in athletic bands, the infighting and drama with the departmental faculty, refusal to purchase new uniforms/equipment, constant fighting for rehearsal space in inclement weather, and I could go on and on. Basically, an overall lack of respect for athletic bands in general from the department.

This coming from the student side as a recent graduate. Who knows what is going on behind closed doors on the faculty side.
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So why don't some band alums contact the new director and offer to start a fund raising campaign? I'm not a band alum but would be willing to contribute IF I knew what kind of money is needed. I'll bet there are plenty of others too. Would $500,000 be enough to buy new uniforms and instruments? How many additional musicians do we need? 100? 150?
 
Bally #46 said:
Thanks for the info, Blue. I appreciate that. I saw him at HC at a ball game last season once but by the time I got to where he was at, he had disappeared. When the band was in it's hay day back in the 70's, it always seems it is a controversy with the director that causes a rift and then everyone has to virtually start over when they hire a new one. I will withhold an opinion on the new one until I watch them this weekend. If this year's band lost 15-20 members, it WOULD look like a high school band, and in Indiana, a small one at that. That's a shame. I have said for years, "Quality over Quantity" when speaking of the band and they always SOUND great but I will always visualize the band with 275 members (Sparkettes, Flag twirlers et al) playing for the Bengals in the 70's and getting a standing ovation from the fans and my sister turning to me and saying that they were as good as Ohio State's band. 70 just doesn't cut it for a college band.
Click to expand...
Glad someone remembers the Bengals game. I was in marching band back then. We were backstage standing right next to the baseball world series pitching mound too as the Big Red Machine was in the world series during that time. We also got a standing ovation at Ball State that same year. Their band got a polite applause. It is sad to see the band today. But, we acted like a College marching band back in the heyday. Today, our band looks like and marches like high school band. They need to ditch the bugle corp stuff and be a college band again. I was at Purdue and was impressed with the modern pop songs the Boiler band played.
 
SamWild said:
Lack of departmental support, (until this year) trying to make the position an adjunct position, fighting professors who openly tell their students to not be in athletic bands, the infighting and drama with the departmental faculty, refusal to purchase new uniforms/equipment, constant fighting for rehearsal space in inclement weather, and I could go on and on. Basically, an overall lack of respect for athletic bands in general from the department.

This coming from the student side as a recent graduate. Who knows what is going on behind closed doors on the faculty side.
Click to expand...

Wait, what? Why would professors tell their students not to be in athletic bands? Infighting between professors and the former director? What is this... high school?
 

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Pacercolt99 said:
Glad someone remembers the Bengals game. I was in marching band back then. We were backstage standing right next to the baseball world series pitching mound too as the Big Red Machine was in the world series during that time. We also got a standing ovation at Ball State that same year. Their band got a polite applause. It is sad to see the band today. But, we acted like a College marching band back in the heyday. Today, our band looks like and marches like high school band. They need to ditch the bugle corp stuff and be a college band again. I was at Purdue and was impressed with the modern pop songs the Boiler band played.
Click to expand...
Actually, 99....I have seen them play TWO times there over the years. Glad I could recall something that meant as much to you as it did to me. Also remember a trip to Detroit to play when the Marching Trees played for the Lions that I got to see on TV. There was a reason you made those type of appearances back then. You were fricking GREAT! (....and by the way, I was also at Ball State as well and recall the whole ovation story there too).
 
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