Music, Music, Music
The site below both saddens and angers me.
www.marchingravens.com
No, it's not what you may think. In fact, it's the absolute opposite. For those who don't feel like clicking the link. It's an anti-Marching Ravens (the official marching band of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens) site who thinks the band should be done away with, their main tenets being a) they're taking seats away from potential fans, b) they suck, and c) marching bands have no place in the NFL.
Now not surprisingly, I'm fundamentally opposed to this. But I can't help but think, do I really have reason to be? I have never seen or heard the Marching Ravens in action. Are they any good? Do they suck? Somewhere in between? Do they march corps style? Traditional? Show? Military? Most importantly, do the thrill an audience, which I fundamentally believe (c'mon, I marched at AI, I can't help it) is an athletic bands damn-near-sole purpose? If there's no evidence that they do, then unfortunately, even I, as a band fan above all, but a sports fan and a realist as well, would have to argue that they have to go. Obviously, you're not going ot please everyone, but ify ou cna't please (at least most of) your audience, what good are you? What's further, if they do suck as is claimed, are they potentially harming chances for other bands? If such, it would make sense for them to go for the greater good. I don't know any of these things, however--someone in B-more wanna help me out on an assessment of the Marching Ravens?
Further, NFL seats are a hot commodity. I can see how this would be angering--it's most of the reason I've switched focus on my goal of marching bands in professional sports from the NFL to Arena Football, the NIFL, and other smaller ventures with not-already-saturated fanbases.
One of the things that I noticed also, reading through the boards, is that, well, there seem to be band dorks defending it. Now, I'm a band dork and proud of it. That being said, I will say it wasn't until after I finished high school (perhaps the summer after) that I realized there were band dorks of a different type. I humbly like to think I'm more band than dork. The other breed is more dork than band. Therein lies the problem. I'm not saying we should know our role, but... well maybe that's exactly what I'm saying. If you think the band is bigger than the sport it supports, you won't be taken seriously and will be met with incredulity, contempt, and resentment. And in all seriousness, maybe you should.
Let's change gears. A few weeks ago, I went to Edward McKay's, a used book store around here. I picked up the book Karaoke Nights: An Ethnographic Rhapsody (hmm, now that I hunted it down on Amazon, it's $27.95. I got it for 3 bucks) Only about a chapter deep so far, but it's kinda cool--particularly because there are a few connections to places where I've karaoked and some of my favorite karaokists. The author's from Philly, where I used to karaoke with my momma at the place across from her work (the Philadelphia Inquirer). The Ethnographic Alternatives Book Series, of which this is a part, was edited by two faculty members at the University of South Florida (alma mater, hail to thee) in Tampa FL where I kicked it with Hollie and Holly and many others at various places in Cigar City. The book is pretty interesting so far, though I can see where it could be used as a text book or something as well--mine's actually got highlighting in it.
Anyway, back to my redneck day with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road.
www.marchingravens.com
No, it's not what you may think. In fact, it's the absolute opposite. For those who don't feel like clicking the link. It's an anti-Marching Ravens (the official marching band of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens) site who thinks the band should be done away with, their main tenets being a) they're taking seats away from potential fans, b) they suck, and c) marching bands have no place in the NFL.
Now not surprisingly, I'm fundamentally opposed to this. But I can't help but think, do I really have reason to be? I have never seen or heard the Marching Ravens in action. Are they any good? Do they suck? Somewhere in between? Do they march corps style? Traditional? Show? Military? Most importantly, do the thrill an audience, which I fundamentally believe (c'mon, I marched at AI, I can't help it) is an athletic bands damn-near-sole purpose? If there's no evidence that they do, then unfortunately, even I, as a band fan above all, but a sports fan and a realist as well, would have to argue that they have to go. Obviously, you're not going ot please everyone, but ify ou cna't please (at least most of) your audience, what good are you? What's further, if they do suck as is claimed, are they potentially harming chances for other bands? If such, it would make sense for them to go for the greater good. I don't know any of these things, however--someone in B-more wanna help me out on an assessment of the Marching Ravens?
Further, NFL seats are a hot commodity. I can see how this would be angering--it's most of the reason I've switched focus on my goal of marching bands in professional sports from the NFL to Arena Football, the NIFL, and other smaller ventures with not-already-saturated fanbases.
One of the things that I noticed also, reading through the boards, is that, well, there seem to be band dorks defending it. Now, I'm a band dork and proud of it. That being said, I will say it wasn't until after I finished high school (perhaps the summer after) that I realized there were band dorks of a different type. I humbly like to think I'm more band than dork. The other breed is more dork than band. Therein lies the problem. I'm not saying we should know our role, but... well maybe that's exactly what I'm saying. If you think the band is bigger than the sport it supports, you won't be taken seriously and will be met with incredulity, contempt, and resentment. And in all seriousness, maybe you should.
Let's change gears. A few weeks ago, I went to Edward McKay's, a used book store around here. I picked up the book Karaoke Nights: An Ethnographic Rhapsody (hmm, now that I hunted it down on Amazon, it's $27.95. I got it for 3 bucks) Only about a chapter deep so far, but it's kinda cool--particularly because there are a few connections to places where I've karaoked and some of my favorite karaokists. The author's from Philly, where I used to karaoke with my momma at the place across from her work (the Philadelphia Inquirer). The Ethnographic Alternatives Book Series, of which this is a part, was edited by two faculty members at the University of South Florida (alma mater, hail to thee) in Tampa FL where I kicked it with Hollie and Holly and many others at various places in Cigar City. The book is pretty interesting so far, though I can see where it could be used as a text book or something as well--mine's actually got highlighting in it.
Anyway, back to my redneck day with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road.