Million Dollar Band at Duke?

[saraelizabethua]

saraelizabeth...

I don't want to hijack the thread...but I was wondering if you and the rest of the band got to hang out with the PSU band at all. I saw them on TV when the camera panned around to them. I was glad they sent a band down. Just wondering if you all got to hang out before or after the game.

RTR!

When we left the field after pregame I SWORE I heard a pep band... But I kept looking and couldn't find them. I only learned Sunday that there was a band over there (and apparently one or two members were in the upper deck?!). Several of my friends spoke to PSU band members. There were 16 of them, I think, and they were very nice!! I wish we could have socialized a little with them!

When I was in the MDB, most of us were glad when a weekend came up that we didn't have a game or have to travel. That was our chance to go home and see families, see our old high school bands on Friday night, get caught up on assignments, blow off some steam, etc. Of course, I marched during the Shula years, so maybe it's different now.

Though I hate missing games, one or two weekends off means doing all of those things, and it can be a blessing. In 2008, I chose not to make the trip to Georgia and it was the only time I've regretting not signing up for a pep band trip (that game KILLED ME).


Someone else mentioned missing class, which is another downside to going to all of the far, far away games... "Fun" tidbit: I had a professor that made me take a political science exam DURING the 2008 Tennessee trip because I was going to miss his class and the exam. I had to wake up really early on gameday to take it in the hotel lobby.

 

[78Alum]

We took a bus for the 05 Cotton Bowl. That was one terribly long ride.

I don't know if the whole band flew or bused to Pasadena. I hope for their sanity they flew.

Yep, they flew. Some of the members on the trip told me that they had a great trip.

 

[OakMtn4Bama]

You also have to consider time missed from class. When the band travels on a longer trip (Florida, Florida State in Jax, LSU, Tennessee, etc.) they have to leave Friday mornings, causing us to miss classes. If the full band went like this to all 5 away games and we had to miss five days of class like that, plus throw in the SEC championship game.....


That being said, yeah it can be a little disappointing not getting to go to the game. Heck, as a 5th year MDB member this week will only be the 3rd game I have missed (Arkansas 06 and Kentucky last year the other two). Also I do agree about sometimes just enjoying the "free" weekend. We already spend 1.5 hours Monday-Friday in rehearsal, plus throw in a 2 hour rehearsal on gameday, basically losing all day Saturday, and losing entire weekends on some away trips, it can be very difficult to just keep up with everything.

And to the question about getting to Pasadena, we actually took 3 737s. Two were full of MDB, the other had I think 50 or so from the MDB, the cheerleaders, and some athletic dept staff.

people go to class on fri during football season??

 

[Vinny]

Where my seats are in U4, LL, I have a hard time hearing the MDB. I wish Bama would switch sidelines and the MDB could sit where the visiting band sits. I'm glad I won't have to worry about that until next season because we have see our 2 games this year.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[BamaDude06]

Placing the MDB where visiting bands sit would be a pretty bad idea, simply from the fact that whenever a visiting team brings their full band they actually are split into two sections, which makes it harder for the band to play together.

 

[Let's Roll Tide]

people go to class on fri during football season??

I'm with ya on that one...I had a Friday class fall semester of freshman year and I never made that mistake again throughout the rest of my undergraduate college career! :biggrin2:

 

[JohnnyCache]

I just want to say that I think it's awesome to have current and former members of the MDB as regular posters here. And I want to say thank you for all you do as representatives of the University of Alabama and I am so glad you are here to give us insight into an area that a lot of us have wondered about for a long time. It means so much.

 

[SCrammerjammer]

Ditto JohnnyC's comments.

On volume issues: Surely sound technology exists to broadcast the band's music so all the stadium can hear just as well as they can see. There seems to be no problem blaring the piped "music" at eardrum max at all times during the game. I really don't see the difference. It would enhance the experience of everyone.

I sit in Sec N and can hear the band when they face the West stands very well. When they face E or S, it is a mime experience to the listener.

Also, I can save visiting teams a lot of money. Don't bring your band. They will never get a chance to play. Any "battle of the bands" is a thing of the past, it appears. Piped stuff rules the scene, unfortunately (at least to me).

Also, my PSU friends who sat in N Uppers raved about the MDB pregame. Just passing that on..and thanks!

 

[swimparent]

This is coming in very late, but for the poster who asked about the Penn State band---My seats were in the upper north end zone with a lot of Penn State Fans. Some of the trumpet players from Penn State's pep band came up and stood down the aisle and played their fight song. It was in the second half so it was not really a way to "rally the troops"----more in the way of maybe a "thanks for making the trip" kind of thing. I thought it was great!

We also hung out with some Penn State fans prior to the game at the Bear Trap & we had a great time. I hope Alabama fans travel as well next year.