Annual Marching Band Thread

[Fightingscot82]

Sorry IUP

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...st-in-country/

[Horror Child]

Indiana University won it in 2007

[IUPNation]

Sorry IUP

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...st-in-country/

[iupgroundhog]

Wouldn't it be very difficult to force a change in Band Directors? Isn't he just an employee and able to stay in that role until he retires if he wants?

[IUPNation]

Indiana University won it in 2007

Not IUP but the fake Indiana U in Bloomington.

[IUPNation]

Wouldn't it be very difficult to force a change in Band Directors? Isn't he just an employee and able to stay in that role until he retires if he wants?

They railroaded Doc out the door. So it must be possible.

[Fightingscot82]

Wouldn't it be very difficult to force a change in Band Directors? Isn't he just an employee and able to stay in that role until he retires if he wants?

Yeah its technically a course for 1 credit so the department would have to reassign him but it may be part of his contract to be the marching band director. Not exactly sure how that part of it works.

[GregD]

AMEN!
The band director is a professor in the music department plus being band director.
Doc Casaant's exit from IUP was due to an inhouse fight that in my view was simple jealousy by one department member.

The current director does not recognize or perhaps care that performance at a football game is entertainment not a concert.
There were many years when the IUP band was a great PR tool for IUP. Not now.
As an ex-band member decades ago, it is beyond frustrating to see/hear what we get at home games.
An IUP grad, Jon Woods, was the Ohio State band director for years. Jon got it and made the band's performance a must see at games.

[Horror Child]

AMEN!
The band director is a professor in the music department plus being band director.
Doc Casaant's exit from IUP was due to an inhouse fight that in my view was simple jealousy by one department member.

The current director does not recognize or perhaps care that performance at a football game is entertainment not a concert.
There were many years when the IUP band was a great PR tool for IUP. Not now.
As an ex-band member decades ago, it is beyond frustrating to see/hear what we get at home games.
An IUP grad, Jon Woods, was the Ohio State band director for years. Jon got it and made the band's performance a must see at games.

Ohio State won the Sudler Trophy in 1984 the year Woods became director there

West Chester is the first Division II school and second from Pennsylvania (Penn State in 2005) to win the trophy

[IUPbigINDIANS]

AMEN!
The band director is a professor in the music department plus being band director.
Doc Casaant's exit from IUP was due to an inhouse fight that in my view was simple jealousy by one department member.

The current director does not recognize or perhaps care that performance at a football game is entertainment not a concert.
There were many years when the IUP band was a great PR tool for IUP. Not now.
As an ex-band member decades ago, it is beyond frustrating to see/hear what we get at home games.
An IUP grad, Jon Woods, was the Ohio State band director for years. Jon got it and made the band's performance a must see at games.

They've become comic releif at the games. I can't help but chuckle every time they play Ghostbusters.

Or, when they play full blast with IUP driving in to their endzone.

Performance 'show' band ... yeah, they are good.

Football game band ... they beyond freaking blow chunks.

[IUPNation]

They've become comic releif at the games. I can't help but chuckle every time they play Ghostbusters.

Or, when they play full blast with IUP driving in to their endzone.

Performance 'show' band ... yeah, they are good.

Football game band ... they beyond freaking blow chunks.

[ironmaniup]

Yeah its technically a course for 1 credit so the department would have to reassign him but it may be part of his contract to be the marching band director. Not exactly sure how that part of it works.

The department chair assigns the courses, with the president being the ultimate authority. In principle, you can change these assignments whenever you want, but the band director could make formal grievances saying the change was unfair, or capricious, and parts with past practices - there may be some contractual aspect, but usually this is limited to the years prior to tenure. Its not nearly so hard to change these assignments as it is to fire someone. The thing is there has to be agreement between the pres, the Dean ,and the department chair to make such a thing happen. The last Dean really liked the band director. Add to that, the Gen Z kids don't like to schedule too many activities, because it stresses them out - so the band is much smaller than it used to be.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The department chair assigns the courses, with the president being the ultimate authority. In principle, you can change these assignments whenever you want, but the band director could make formal grievances saying the change was unfair, or capricious, and parts with past practices - there may be some contractual aspect, but usually this is limited to the years prior to tenure. Its not nearly so hard to change these assignments as it is to fire someone. The thing is there has to be agreement between the pres, the Dean ,and the department chair to make such a thing happen. The last Dean really liked the band director. Add to that, the Gen Z kids don't like to schedule too many activities, because it stresses them out - so the band is much smaller than it used to be.

Driscoll is a big sports guy. I wonder what would happen if some legitimate (heavy) donors pushed this issue with him.

Bands should play a huge role in football games ... not just during the game but fans love fight songs, etc.

I get Cherokee is never coming back. Such a shame. But, being honest, I'd rather they just pump in music on game day now.

[IUPBand8588]

As a former MB member at IUP, I was shocked by the small size of the current MB. It seems to be a shadow of its former self when Doc Casavant was in charge. It's disappointing to see the lack of engagement of the MB in the football games. This being the Slippery Rock football game week, I can remember some great times when we played Slippery Rock. It usually involved MB members capturing the Rock mascot and having mock fights with it. We had fun chanting politically incorrect things to the Rock. Our mock mascot fights were a crowd pleaser!

[IUPNation]

As a former MB member at IUP, I was shocked by the small size of the current MB. It seems to be a shadow of its former self when Doc Casavant was in charge. It's disappointing to see the lack of engagement of the MB in the football games. This being the Slippery Rock football game week, I can remember some great times when we played Slippery Rock. It usually involved MB members capturing the Rock mascot and having mock fights with it. We had fun chanting politically incorrect things to the Rock. Our mock mascot fights were a crowd pleaser!

The current Band Director has had his time. They need someone to rebuild the band.

The IUP Band under Doc was way better than the West Chester band of today...yet he was never given a Sudler Trophy.