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Marching Owls Director moving on to UAB

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Not bad IMHO, if we are gonna be small, we CAN be different!!!!

Until we resemble a true marching band in numbers, go for it!!!!!! Be different!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have we hired a new band director yet? Like football I say we bring in a TOP HS marching band director and do whatever we have to to get the numbers up by 50 a year MINIMUM!!!!!!! So that 4 years from now we have 200+ instruments plus flags and majorettes.

And honestly, a 2 year growth plan would suit me better.
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A couple more things: $145 for Tuition?? Boy do I wish tuition was still that little. It's $201 a credit hour now and $719 for out of staters. I hate the Hawaiian shirts. Sure, they'd be cooler during day games, but you look like a joke when you wear them. If we want to have a REAL college band then going to that type of "uniform" would be a step backwards.

I think the job is posted now but it's probably going to be a few months. Remember, the Marching Band director is also the Associate Director of Bands and is a professor so it's not like we can go out and get someone just for marching band. That may be nice, but FAU doesn't have the budget for that.
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The major point made by FAUfasho, "I hate the Hawaiian shirts."  Case closed as an FAU marching band alum has spoken.  They weren't unique, they looked cheap.
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FAUfasho said

A couple more things: $145 for Tuition?? Boy do I wish tuition was still that little. It's $201 a credit hour now and $719 for out of staters. I hate the Hawaiian shirts. Sure, they'd be cooler during day games, but you look like a joke when you wear them. If we want to have a REAL college band then going to that type of "uniform" would be a step backwards.

I think the job is posted now but it's probably going to be a few months. Remember, the Marching Band director is also the Associate Director of Bands and is a professor so it's not like we can go out and get someone just for marching band. That may be nice, but FAU doesn't have the budget for that.
Posted On: Apr 13th 2017, 10:03 PM #368306
Good points! But there are TONS of highly qualified band directors at the major HS's whom would be qualified and I just hope we can get one of them who has LOTS of ambition to grow THIS puppy. NOT FOOTBALL BUT THE MARCHING BAND!

Don't get me wrong here either, I am proud an heck of out little band, that those individuals who have the will and ambition and GUTS to go out there and perform probably knowing many may make fun of our MAJOR UNIVERSITY with the little marching band.

And I personally would LOVE IT if the marching band were known as THE BLUE WAVE MARCHING BAND OF FAU! :cool:
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Blue Wave is the worse thing Cooney ever did for the university.  Hate it.  Yeah go get a high school band director, I remember ALL of them had Phd's!!!!!!!
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Ugh said

Blue Wave is the worse thing Cooney ever did for the university.  Hate it. 
Posted On: Apr 14th 2017, 3:00 PM #368313

So you're on the fence with Blue Wave Marching Band?

GO OWLS!
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dusky256fc said

So you're on the fence with Blue Wave Marching Band?
Posted On: Apr 14th 2017, 4:20 PM #368314

 :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Laughing:
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Ugh said

Blue Wave is the worse thing Cooney ever did for the university.  Hate it.  Yeah go get a high school band director, I remember ALL of them had Phd's!!!!!!!
Posted On: Apr 14th 2017, 3:00 PM #368313

Actually, you would be shocked at how many do! And most do have their Masters!!!
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As a Marching Owl alumni I can say the following helps in growing the band…

Money!!
-this can be in the form of more scholarship money (since tuition keeps going up)
-new, better equipment/instruments/uniforms
-travel…never going to away games (or having the music department have to scrounge up $$ for even an in-state game), and also not making post season (although in 2008 we made a bowl game, but the school didn't send the band) 

It doesn't help that we haven't had much to be spirited about. Winning helps all! Or that the stadium crew plays over top the band (especially post game when the band is waiting to play the alma mater). And on that point respect. Many top schools/teams send their band to the band and student section after the game (win or lose) to wait for the alma mater. Cheer and Dance are part of athletics and are treated with respect. The band is a course through the music department, and there is a difference in respect as game Day preference goes. These are all things that contribute to retention. Why dedicate your time to something that isn't valued. 

Going to high school band competitions and hosting band day is a great way to "recruit" new members but in the past these major competitions are hosted on home game days. Or in some cases where games are 2 weeks apart and the competition is in between then no one is getting a weekend off. Some may say "what's the issues, the football team plays almost every weekend"? Well they also get priority class scheduling, excused absences, study hall/tutoring, and much more in scholarships. And as you mentioned many band members have jobs, some of which are working with the high school bands. Shoot, before the stadium was built we had to drive ourselves to Lockhart and argue with CSC about where we could park. 

There's a lot of reasons why the band isn't larger…but really quickest way to grow it is to put some money towards it. Brogan put money into the marching band to get it started again, Howard used to always come by a few practices and thank us and pump us up for big up coming games, but I don't know how much attention has been given to the band in the recent years. 

I will miss Dr. Murray! He built some nice traditions for us and hope the new director will continue those and keep growing and improving. 

And I hate the Hawaiian shirts too. I honestly would like our current uniforms to get an upgrade. Many other universities have been getting new uniforms over the past few years. 

AEA
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dmarkey said

As a Marching Owl alumni I can say the following helps in growing the band…

Money!!
-this can be in the form of more scholarship money (since tuition keeps going up)
-new, better equipment/instruments/uniforms
-travel…never going to away games (or having the music department have to scrounge up $$ for even an in-state game), and also not making post season (although in 2008 we made a bowl game, but the school didn't send the band) 

It doesn't help that we haven't had much to be spirited about. Winning helps all! Or that the stadium crew plays over top the band (especially post game when the band is waiting to play the alma mater). And on that point respect. Many top schools/teams send their band to the band and student section after the game (win or lose) to wait for the alma mater. Cheer and Dance are part of athletics and are treated with respect. The band is a course through the music department, and there is a difference in respect as game Day preference goes. These are all things that contribute to retention. Why dedicate your time to something that isn't valued. 

Going to high school band competitions and hosting band day is a great way to "recruit" new members but in the past these major competitions are hosted on home game days. Or in some cases where games are 2 weeks apart and the competition is in between then no one is getting a weekend off. Some may say "what's the issues, the football team plays almost every weekend"? Well they also get priority class scheduling, excused absences, study hall/tutoring, and much more in scholarships. And as you mentioned many band members have jobs, some of which are working with the high school bands. Shoot, before the stadium was built we had to drive ourselves to Lockhart and argue with CSC about where we could park. 

There's a lot of reasons why the band isn't larger…but really quickest way to grow it is to put some money towards it. Brogan put money into the marching band to get it started again, Howard used to always come by a few practices and thank us and pump us up for big up coming games, but I don't know how much attention has been given to the band in the recent years. 

I will miss Dr. Murray! He built some nice traditions for us and hope the new director will continue those and keep growing and improving. 

And I hate the Hawaiian shirts too. I honestly would like our current uniforms to get an upgrade. Many other universities have been getting new uniforms over the past few years. 
Posted On: Apr 20th 2017, 2:09 PM #368409

Thanks for the informative post and you make lots of great points, as a former member would be able to being you were in those shoes!

Just another way that IF FAU wants to be considered  REAL University and not a commuter school it needs to commit to improving! As I have said, the size of the band hurts that image (not the quality - comments are very nice about that!).

Dr. Kelly hosts people all the time and in all the games at the Stadium and states that we really wants to improve the schools image and enrollment and standards and…..but then the guests see  a 1/4 size college MARCHING BAND as compared to the Power 5 schools and MANY smaller schools as well - including FCS! And THIS is part of our public image unfortunately, a small time commuter school still.

Fix it Dr. Kelly, bring in more band members, increase enrollment a bit, increase public image A LOT, upgrade the game experience A LOT, improve on-campus life and experience ALL at the same time!

Let's be proud of the Marching OWLS!!!!!!!!!!
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