I had the opportunity to sit 10 rows up from the field on the home side at the UConn game.

I thought the band sounded great.

The song selections appeal to a younger audience. I think the band has a fuller sound this year.

Definitely. They sound like they actually enjoy playing this music, which wasn't always the case in the past. New director Chris Nichter gets an A from me this year.

He has a TON of ideas for growing the program. He has already started mending ties with CCM, which is a huge development that probably can't be overstated.

He has also been growing relationships with the local high schools (sounds familiar), which could be a boon for bringing in more talent. There are plenty of top notch high school bands around here.

(11-28-2017 09:36 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Definitely. They sound like they actually enjoy playing this music, which wasn't always the case in the past. New director Chris Nichter gets an A from me this year.

He has a TON of ideas for growing the program. He has already started mending ties with CCM, which is a huge development that probably can't be overstated.

He has also been growing relationships with the local high schools (sounds familiar), which could be a boon for bringing in more talent. There are plenty of top notch high school bands around here.

I'm going to go ahead and say "I told you so..." because I said that he'd do most of this stuff when he was hired. But it's a good natured sort of "told you so."

I think both Chris and the Bearcat Bands have a bright future in the years to come.

(From 5-03-17)

Quote:Chris is a really, really sharp guy.

Honestly, I would expect him to:
1) Take the traditions already in place, and play up their strengths. And the UC Band has A LOT of traditions already there...so, I expect things like the Fanfare and charging the field, "Down the Drive," and "Cheer Cincinnati" will ONLY be played up. The "Pride of West Virginia" is used as the "exclamation point" in WVU football games and I expect the Bearcat Band will be used likewise. I think Chris will start from "What's already working" as opposed to "Let's pitch it all in the trash and start over from scratch."

2) I think Chris will lobby...hard...for MORE music scholarships and resources, including trying to build a closer relationship with the CCM. Chris is known in Morgantown for demanding the BEST musicianship...and while he's not averse to "pop" influences, he is above all a fine musician. When I think of Chris, I always end up thinking about the director character in the movie "Drumline," who demands that his musicians master their craft. (This is not a reflection on Dr. Frenz.) But I hope and think Nichter will approach the CCM in the spirit of fine musicianship and seek to broach some of the walls that have divided the CCM from the Bands program.

3) I think Chris will also bring more dynamic formations to the Band's programs and drill...and drill...and drill his Bands on marching discipline and precision. He is the type of Marching Band guy who is about precision marching. The Band will really shine and snap under his direction.

4) Finally, his musicians up here love him... I mean, there is real sorrow and regret up in Morgantown at the moment. He is a guy who kids WANT to play and work for. He earns the devotion and trust of his kids...which is not always an easy thing.

Just saying...This is a really good thing for the band, IMO.

One thing on the field that was greatly improved was the band.

Doctor Terrence L. Frenz's time had come. His music even for a 70 year old like me was dated. I like some Glenn Miller but not as a marching band over and over.

I heard better sounds and saw better movement.

While I'm sure people (myself included) are excited about the new direction, I still want to point out that even though the band hit a wall the past 10 years or so, Dr. Frenz did tremendous things for the band... more than I or anyone else will ever be able to fully appreciate.

He built a solid college band program on a high school budget, and did so with little support from the rest of the university. He fought just to get basic needs (like a freaking band room!) and privately raised money for much of the band's facilities. Dr. Terren Frenz belongs alongside Dr. Terrence Milligan and Dr. R. Robert Hornyak as the greatest band directors UC has ever had.

Not disagreeing with anyone here, just giving respect where respect is due.

When I was sitting in the stands last Saturday trying to think of things that had actually improved this year, the marching band was definitely one of them.

(11-29-2017 01:32 AM)TubaCat Wrote:  While I'm sure people (myself included) are excited about the new direction, I still want to point out that even though the band hit a wall the past 10 years or so, Dr. Frenz did tremendous things for the band... more than I or anyone else will ever be able to fully appreciate.

He built a solid college band program on a high school budget, and did so with little support from the rest of the university. He fought just to get basic needs (like a freaking band room!) and privately raised money for much of the band's facilities. Dr. Terren Frenz belongs alongside Dr. Terrence Milligan and Dr. R. Robert Hornyak as the greatest band directors UC has ever had.

Not disagreeing with anyone here, just giving respect where respect is due.

Good points. If there was film or video of the band from the seventies the difference today would be shocking. This has been a brick by brick approach and each director along the way gets some credit for the progression. Similarly, I think Minter put some bricks in the foundation for the coaches who followed and took UC football to the next level.

Having an excellent marching band is part of the whole package of being an outstanding major university. They looked and sounded pretty good up in Ann Arbor and held their own playing on the same field as Michigan's legendary band.

For whatever reason, I just can't get into marching bands. Love having the band in the stands during the game.

I'd rather see that monkey in a cowboy costume riding a dog at halftime.

(11-29-2017 10:00 AM)AeroCat Wrote:  For whatever reason, I just can't get into marching bands. Love having the band in the stands during the game.

I'd rather see that monkey in a cowboy costume riding a dog at halftime.

While you bring up bands in the stand....


I love hearing the band in the stands during the game. Is it just me, or are we hearing less and less of the band during the game? I have grown very weary of hearing Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, some rap and R&B music cranked to the gills during the game. I want to hear the band.

(11-29-2017 10:14 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:00 AM)AeroCat Wrote:  For whatever reason, I just can't get into marching bands. Love having the band in the stands during the game.

I'd rather see that monkey in a cowboy costume riding a dog at halftime.

While you bring up bands in the stand....


I love hearing the band in the stands during the game. Is it just me, or are we hearing less and less of the band during the game? I have grown very weary of hearing Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, some rap and R&B music cranked to the gills during the game. I want to hear the band.

That's one of the things I love about College Football, as opposed to the "NFL experience." I prefer hearing the Band as opposed to the canned junk.

Bring on more of the Fanfare, "Down the Drive," and "Cheer Cincinnati," and less of "Crazy Train" and that stuff.

I agree the band should be the featured soundtrack of college football. In radio, the worry was "dead air" as people tuned up and down the dial. It's almost as if this mindset has pervaded college football as we're bombarded with an unending stream of recorded music and commercials leaving the band simply fill in the gaps.

The marching band, dance team and cheerleaders are what create atmosphere in college football that the NFL can't replicate.

(11-29-2017 10:14 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  While you bring up bands in the stand....

I love hearing the band in the stands during the game. Is it just me, or are we hearing less and less of the band during the game? I have grown very weary of hearing Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, some rap and R&B music cranked to the gills during the game. I want to hear the band.

I've noticed that also. Seems like we only hear the band when we score.

(11-29-2017 10:22 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:14 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:00 AM)AeroCat Wrote:  For whatever reason, I just can't get into marching bands. Love having the band in the stands during the game.

I'd rather see that monkey in a cowboy costume riding a dog at halftime.

While you bring up bands in the stand....


I love hearing the band in the stands during the game. Is it just me, or are we hearing less and less of the band during the game? I have grown very weary of hearing Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, some rap and R&B music cranked to the gills during the game. I want to hear the band.

That's one of the things I love about College Football, as opposed to the "NFL experience." I prefer hearing the Band as opposed to the canned junk.

Bring on more of the Fanfare, "Down the Drive," and "Cheer Cincinnati," and less of "Crazy Train" and that stuff.

A lot of that is advertising... while most people would probably rather hear the band than another advertisement for overpriced barbecue, the band doesn't pay the university for air time. Being back in a P5 conference would help but even then, most schools do plenty of advertising during the game. I've heard that our level is comparable to WVU's, which is a bit surprising.

(11-29-2017 11:41 AM)TubaCat Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:22 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:14 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:00 AM)AeroCat Wrote:  For whatever reason, I just can't get into marching bands. Love having the band in the stands during the game.

I'd rather see that monkey in a cowboy costume riding a dog at halftime.

While you bring up bands in the stand....


I love hearing the band in the stands during the game. Is it just me, or are we hearing less and less of the band during the game? I have grown very weary of hearing Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, some rap and R&B music cranked to the gills during the game. I want to hear the band.

That's one of the things I love about College Football, as opposed to the "NFL experience." I prefer hearing the Band as opposed to the canned junk.

Bring on more of the Fanfare, "Down the Drive," and "Cheer Cincinnati," and less of "Crazy Train" and that stuff.

A lot of that is advertising... while most people would probably rather hear the band than another advertisement for overpriced barbecue, the band doesn't pay the university for air time. Being back in a P5 conference would help but even then, most schools do plenty of advertising during the game. I've heard that our level is comparable to WVU's, which is a bit surprising.

Well, UC folks certainly learned that the Big East wasn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and I don't think P5 is a panacea either. Costs scale up. Even hiring a tennis or golf coach becomes more costly in the Big 12 than the AAC as the bar has been raised when competing in this higher revenue marketplace. So I'm not surprised WVU still seeks more advertising revenue (and donor dollars too) as big time college athletics costs rise to meet revenues.

A successful athletic department must still cultivate donors and seek advertising revenue at every opportunity.

(11-29-2017 11:54 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 11:41 AM)TubaCat Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:22 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:14 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:00 AM)AeroCat Wrote:  For whatever reason, I just can't get into marching bands. Love having the band in the stands during the game.

I'd rather see that monkey in a cowboy costume riding a dog at halftime.

While you bring up bands in the stand....


I love hearing the band in the stands during the game. Is it just me, or are we hearing less and less of the band during the game? I have grown very weary of hearing Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, some rap and R&B music cranked to the gills during the game. I want to hear the band.

That's one of the things I love about College Football, as opposed to the "NFL experience." I prefer hearing the Band as opposed to the canned junk.

Bring on more of the Fanfare, "Down the Drive," and "Cheer Cincinnati," and less of "Crazy Train" and that stuff.

A lot of that is advertising... while most people would probably rather hear the band than another advertisement for overpriced barbecue, the band doesn't pay the university for air time. Being back in a P5 conference would help but even then, most schools do plenty of advertising during the game. I've heard that our level is comparable to WVU's, which is a bit surprising.

Well, UC folks certainly learned that the Big East wasn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and I don't think P5 is a panacea either. Costs scale up. Even hiring a tennis or golf coach becomes more costly in the Big 12 than the AAC as the bar has been raised when competing in this higher revenue marketplace. So I'm not surprised WVU still seeks more advertising revenue (and donor dollars too) as big time college athletics costs rise to meet revenues.

A successful athletic department must still cultivate donors and seek advertising revenue at every opportunity.

Definitely... the only programs that can afford to give their band priority over advertising are the ones you would expect.

(11-28-2017 09:36 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Definitely. They sound like they actually enjoy playing this music, which wasn't always the case in the past. New director Chris Nichter gets an A from me this year.

He has a TON of ideas for growing the program. He has already started mending ties with CCM, which is a huge development that probably can't be overstated.

He has also been growing relationships with the local high schools (sounds familiar), which could be a boon for bringing in more talent. There are plenty of top notch high school bands around here.

Is there actually a recruiting process that goes into the marching band? Or is it more of a tryout type situation for kids that come to UC? I'm in the dark on how all of that works with the band.

I get that connecting with High Schools will make us a more attractive option, just wasn't sure if there was actually more to it.

(11-29-2017 11:54 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 11:41 AM)TubaCat Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:22 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:14 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 10:00 AM)AeroCat Wrote:  For whatever reason, I just can't get into marching bands. Love having the band in the stands during the game.

I'd rather see that monkey in a cowboy costume riding a dog at halftime.

While you bring up bands in the stand....


I love hearing the band in the stands during the game. Is it just me, or are we hearing less and less of the band during the game? I have grown very weary of hearing Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, some rap and R&B music cranked to the gills during the game. I want to hear the band.

That's one of the things I love about College Football, as opposed to the "NFL experience." I prefer hearing the Band as opposed to the canned junk.

Bring on more of the Fanfare, "Down the Drive," and "Cheer Cincinnati," and less of "Crazy Train" and that stuff.

A lot of that is advertising... while most people would probably rather hear the band than another advertisement for overpriced barbecue, the band doesn't pay the university for air time. Being back in a P5 conference would help but even then, most schools do plenty of advertising during the game. I've heard that our level is comparable to WVU's, which is a bit surprising.

Well, UC folks certainly learned that the Big East wasn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and I don't think P5 is a panacea either. Costs scale up. Even hiring a tennis or golf coach becomes more costly in the Big 12 than the AAC as the bar has been raised when competing in this higher revenue marketplace. So I'm not surprised WVU still seeks more advertising revenue (and donor dollars too) as big time college athletics costs rise to meet revenues.

A successful athletic department must still cultivate donors and seek advertising revenue at every opportunity.

WVU also didn't get their 100% share of Big12 media revenue until this year. Unlike the ACC, the conference only gave about half to three-quarter of the revenue for the first give years.

(11-29-2017 01:08 PM)bearcatfan1211 Wrote:  

(11-28-2017 09:36 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Definitely. They sound like they actually enjoy playing this music, which wasn't always the case in the past. New director Chris Nichter gets an A from me this year.

He has a TON of ideas for growing the program. He has already started mending ties with CCM, which is a huge development that probably can't be overstated.

He has also been growing relationships with the local high schools (sounds familiar), which could be a boon for bringing in more talent. There are plenty of top notch high school bands around here.

Is there actually a recruiting process that goes into the marching band? Or is it more of a tryout type situation for kids that come to UC? I'm in the dark on how all of that works with the band.

I get that connecting with High Schools will make us a more attractive option, just wasn't sure if there was actually more to it.

For some kids (like me out of high school), marching band is a big factor to what college they go to. If a kid is looking at two or three colleges that are very similar in academics, the appeal of a great marching band (and/or great football team) can sway a decision in one way or another.

For Cincinnati, a lot of tremendously talented local high school kids already choose to attend UC, but never consider joining the band or quit after 1 year if they feel like their talents are being wasted. I've seen it happen many times, which is a tragedy.

I think the retention rate after 1 year in this new system will be a good indicator of what is to come.

(11-29-2017 01:44 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 01:08 PM)bearcatfan1211 Wrote:  

(11-28-2017 09:36 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Definitely. They sound like they actually enjoy playing this music, which wasn't always the case in the past. New director Chris Nichter gets an A from me this year.

He has a TON of ideas for growing the program. He has already started mending ties with CCM, which is a huge development that probably can't be overstated.

He has also been growing relationships with the local high schools (sounds familiar), which could be a boon for bringing in more talent. There are plenty of top notch high school bands around here.

Is there actually a recruiting process that goes into the marching band? Or is it more of a tryout type situation for kids that come to UC? I'm in the dark on how all of that works with the band.

I get that connecting with High Schools will make us a more attractive option, just wasn't sure if there was actually more to it.

For some kids (like me out of high school), marching band is a big factor to what college they go to. If a kid is looking at two or three colleges that are very similar in academics, the appeal of a great marching band (and/or great football team) can sway a decision in one way or another.

For Cincinnati, a lot of tremendously talented local high school kids already choose to attend UC, but never consider joining the band or quit after 1 year if they feel like their talents are being wasted. I've seen it happen many times, which is a tragedy.

I think the retention rate after 1 year in this new system will be a good indicator of what is to come.

Makes sense, thanks for the info!

(11-29-2017 01:59 PM)bearcatfan1211 Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 01:44 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  

(11-29-2017 01:08 PM)bearcatfan1211 Wrote:  

(11-28-2017 09:36 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Definitely. They sound like they actually enjoy playing this music, which wasn't always the case in the past. New director Chris Nichter gets an A from me this year.

He has a TON of ideas for growing the program. He has already started mending ties with CCM, which is a huge development that probably can't be overstated.

He has also been growing relationships with the local high schools (sounds familiar), which could be a boon for bringing in more talent. There are plenty of top notch high school bands around here.

Is there actually a recruiting process that goes into the marching band? Or is it more of a tryout type situation for kids that come to UC? I'm in the dark on how all of that works with the band.

I get that connecting with High Schools will make us a more attractive option, just wasn't sure if there was actually more to it.

For some kids (like me out of high school), marching band is a big factor to what college they go to. If a kid is looking at two or three colleges that are very similar in academics, the appeal of a great marching band (and/or great football team) can sway a decision in one way or another.

For Cincinnati, a lot of tremendously talented local high school kids already choose to attend UC, but never consider joining the band or quit after 1 year if they feel like their talents are being wasted. I've seen it happen many times, which is a tragedy.

I think the retention rate after 1 year in this new system will be a good indicator of what is to come.

Makes sense, thanks for the info!

No problem.