Super Bowl Honor

It is really interesting how much run the University of Arizona Marching Band has gotten this week, or the Wildcat Marching Band as it was called in 1967.It is great that current Pride of Arizona members are proud of that piece of their history.
The 1967 Wildcat Marching Band was invited to perform at halftime of the first Super Bowl. Jack Lee was the director,and they were a cutting edge band, very deserving of the honor of performing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.He brought Big 10 High Step and innovative,moving picture, halftime shows to Arizona,and everyone knows the story of him writing,Bear Down, on the flight back to Ohio, after his interview for the job.
Now is the time to return the Pride of Arizona back to national prominence!The Athletics Department needs to take a lead role in hiring the next band director. This position is unique in its demands,and can only really be compared to the Head Football Coach or Director of Athletics, as far as the wide range of skills necessary.
The person in charge of the athletics band has to hire a staff with the technical skills to arrange and teach music, and design and teach drill. Just dealing with performance,two associate directors would not be too many. It would probably take several teaching assistants also.The band would also command an extremely large budget. Management, equipment, logistics,code of conduct are things that can be handled by student infrastructure, mostly part time paid positions especially college work study. The accounting system would have to be air tight because it would consist of several different revenue sources.Relations with band alumni, band parents,  and high school band directors are also important.Development ,fund raising, is possibly the most important aspect of the modern marching band.
Now is the time! The university has upgraded the Athletics Department in unprecedented fashion, across the board.This final piece can energize the fan base, create more solid home field advantages, and sell more tickets. This university is in a unique position in this conference ,because of the size of this community, to galvanize support for its teams.Now is the time!

Answer to Jim Rome

Dear Mr.Rome:

Next Sunday The Academy Drum & Bugle Corps will hold an open house, to acquaint people with their audition requirements, in Tucson at Rincon/University High School .This is a great opportunity for anyone interested, or possibly interested,  to get all your questions answered, as to what it would entail, to have one of the most amazing experiences this summer, or a future summer, that will last you a lifetime. For more details go to www.arizonaacademy.org

There is a disturbing trend happening at college sporting events,having an excess of piped in music, played over large sound systems,instead of utilizing the school bands.The plan is to make the college games more like professional games.This is a major mistake.The atmosphere at pro games can not compare to college games. I can listen to loud music at home, but not a 50 piece brass band.The University of Arizona has hired an actual DJ to work McKale Center.Even USC has a message board at football games that takes away time from The Trojan Marching Band.Administrators need to understand their fan bases, and  why they go to games,and what makes their product unique and special.In the background right now, I have the Clemson at Georgia Tech game playing through my home theater system, and one of the two bands is just wailing every play, and it definitely sounds like College Football Saturday! Nothing else sounds like that.The marketing people and administrators at universities should not mess with the atmosphere.

Band Day this Saturday at the  University of Arizona. If anyone knows a band student who is particularly dedicated, be sure to check out The Academy booth, and pick up information. Find out about the Drum and Bugle Corps activity. Discover one of the greatest youth opportunities.                                           Anyone interested in the festival scores for high school bands  should check out: https:// www.aboda.org.                                      Anyone interested in audition materials for The Academy should go to:www.arizonaacademy.org.

New direction for The Pride of Arizona

With the departure of Jay Rees as director of The Pride of Arizona, there is a great opportunity to improve the game day experience. The person picked as his successor can have an immense impact. The Athletic Department needs to be involved with this selection process. The candidates need to be screened in a similar fashion to picking a coach. The next director needs to know how to support all athletics on campus. They need to have an understanding of fundraising, and a plan for recruitment.They need to have experience with a big time football program. A real marching band plays a new show for each home game as well as pregame and post game traditions.The band should be the focal point of most campus spirit activities, and be ambassadors of the entire university, to favorably promote the excellence of the university to the outside world.

A Legendary Coach,A Legendary Band

When the Trojans upset No.4 Stanford at the Coliseum on November 16,2013,Trojan fans rushed the field and crushed around Coach Ed Orgeron near midfield.Struggling through the throng,he boomed an order to everyone within earshot,"Let`s go to the band.Everybody go to the band!"After he pushed his way to the east endzone,he celebrated the win by hoisting the drum major`s sword above his head for a loud rendition of "Conquest!"
It was the pinnacle of a special relationship between the Trojan Marching Band and "Coach O" that began long before his ascension to interim head coach during the tumultuous 2013 season.In fact,Coach O`s respect for The Spirit of Troy and love for USC began 15 years before when he was mentored by one of the greatest Trojans of all time: Marv Goux.As he said in a November press conference:
"When I first came here,Marv Goux- the great Trojan assistant-told me,"Son,the band is part of the football team.They`re our heartbeat,and you treat them as such,`and Art Bartner is just like an assistant coach here on the team.And I love that.We love the band,we love the cheerleaders,we love the crowd,we love everybody...they`re part of our family."
Born and bred in Louisiana,Ed Orgeron had never coached west of the Mississippi when he was hired by head coach Paul Hackett in 1998.He coached the Trojans defensive line for two years and was one of a select few coaches retained when Pete Carroll took over in 2000.Carroll soon promoted Coach O to recruiting coordinator then assistant head coach.Carroll reinvigorated the relationship between the football team and the band especially at the Friday night "Jock Rallies" before home games.A fiery speech by Coach O was always a highlight with his inspirational exhortations made nearly indecipherable by his thick Cajun accent.He embraced the band as equals with the football team and the band loved him back.Band members added a drawn-out "Coach O" vocal to the Offspring song"Neocon" that the band played in the stands.It became his theme song.In return,Coach O gave leadership lessons to the band`s upperclassmen at band camp.
Coach O left USC for a time to be head coach of Mississippi but when he returned to campus for a visit,he made a point of visiting the band on Cromwell Field.For cymbal player Elizabeth So,it was a poignant moment."He came back and specifically visited the Trojan Marching Band during our practice to say he loved us and missed us.It`s my favorite Coach O memory."
Fast-forward to 2013 and the mid-season firing of Lane Kiffin.The "Coach O" chant was quickly resurrected and the band learned to play the hip hop hit"Halftime(Stand Up & Get Crunk)" he used to fire up the team before games.The Jock Rallies became full of energy and fun again and the Trojans` fortunes on the field followed.
The burst of Trojan spirit was not a coincidence.Coach O and Dr. Bartner were both mentored by Marv Goux.It fostered a special connection between the two.Before the Notre Dame game,Coach O took a moment with Dr. Bartner on the field to reflect on their friend."Marv really loved this game{with the Irish),"he said."He`d be proud of us."
After the big road win over Oregon State,Coach O was lifted up onto the shoulders of the football team at the 50-yard line but he really wanted the team and the band to celebrate together.Coach O ran over to the visitor`s section of Reser Stadium and Dr.Bartner gave him the sword to lead"Conquest!"
A couple of weeks later,leading up to the Stanford game,he sent each band member an individually addressed envelope with a card inside.It read:"The Trojan Marching Band is the heartbeat of the Trojan Family.Thank you for your support and hard work.Let`s rock the Coliseum Saturday!"It was an unprecedented act by a unique coach and members were genuinely touched.When Coach Orgeron left the university in December,it was a heartbreaking moment for band members who responded with a signed thank you note of their own. Like his mentor Marv Goux,Coach O shaped a new generation of Trojans.As one band member put it:"You taught me what it means to be a Trojan.Fight On Forever! Story by Bret Padelford