SDSU Pep Band

[Nidaros]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

I have heard that it is "the administration" that is basically sitting on the pep band and not allowing them to get "too crazy" and have fun like the other bands.

Now who, exactly, "the administration" is, I do not know. The person I was talking to did not know for certain, either.

I do, however, have a pretty good idea who's responsible for the playlist. And I do think it should be a goal, for the next five years, to retire two songs and add two more modern songs each year to the playlist, to update things and bring the pep band into the '90's.

Actually, I think that there should be one person, in the athletic department, who is responsible for the cheerleaders, the dance team, and the pep band--specifically, to coordinate those three teams to act as a single unit during game events to "get the crowd going" and "provide a fun, spirited college athletics environment" or whatever bureaucratese spin you want to put on it to add it to the job description of someone involved with event management. This would, specifically, include approval of the pep band's playlist.

It would also include using the pep band to get the cheerleaders to speed up the damn cheers. All of them. I'm sitting up in the balcony of the Sioux Falls Arena, and the 60-year-olds (and older) around me are chuckling because the cheerleaders insist on

cheering

very

slowly

and

deliberately;

much

more

slowly

than

the

crowd

wants

to

cheer.

The cheerleaders obviously have no idea how irritating and demotivating it is to fans when the old farts in the stands want to do the cheers faster than the cheerleaders do them.

Oh, on that subject, by the way, at the first pre-game rally in Sioux Falls, I started State Cadence. (Yes, my pet peeve is back again.)

Several people came over to me immediately afterwards and congratulated me for starting it the way it was supposed to be started.

Fast and snappy.

Rant over.

This slow and inactive cheering has bugged me for a long time. We need to bring Roy back to campus to show how it is done. Maybe it was anothe era, but Roy and his group seemed to take this so serious and the team got the cheering support that they needed, with the Rooter Bell and the cheer squad that was smaller. They did spread themselves out and actually led the cheers. There was no going through the motion and then standing at the court end like potted plants. I was in high school at the time, but the student section in the barn was always packed and noisey during the game. Somewhere along the way, the spirit of cheering died and to revive it is going to take some effort. Speeding up the cheers seems to be a good starter. Yes I am 60 plus so been around for a while. Its tough to be a cheerleader. Years ago, I went to a DePaul game at Alumni Hall before they went to the Rosement to play, and if I recollect correctly, they had no cheerleaders or pep band and a sound system played their fight song when the team came on the floor. I would hate to see SDSU retreat to this level, but we seem to be heading this way. I think for the admin to try and control the pep band is wrong. Its about the students and what they want to do. Let them do it.,

[jacksfaninne]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

If:
"We're Not Gonna Take It" = Old

Then:
Me = Old

Uh-oh.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

so who was playing and got interupted? So oakland starting playing while we were? Thanks for making my point.

Everything is scripted. If SDSU was playing first then it was SDSU's turn to play.

Yes but in the IPFW game, the SDSU men ran out on the floor while IPFW was playing a song and SDSU started playing the school song and the IPFW band quit playing in the middle of the song, out of courtesy. And SDSU's band didn't return the favor.

[SoDakJack]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

Yes but in the IPFW game, the SDSU men ran out on the floor while IPFW was playing a song and SDSU started playing the school song and the IPFW band quit playing in the middle of the song, out of courtesy. And SDSU's band didn't return the favor.

But..but...SDSU can do no wrong. If it seems like they did, then it must have been the other school's fault.

I agree that the playlists are a little tired. They are playing the same songs in the stands, and to a certain extent on the field, that I played in the Pride almost 10 years ago.

[91jack]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

Yes but in the IPFW game, the SDSU men ran out on the floor while IPFW was playing a song and SDSU started playing the school song and the IPFW band quit playing in the middle of the song, out of courtesy. And SDSU's band didn't return the favor.

I think that the bands are supposed to take turns but which ever team runs on the court 1st, their band should play their school song 1st. I remember the Oakland band playing out of turn a couple times. I thought SDSU did it too but don't remember for sure.
I think the Oral Roberts band was the best.

[goon]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

I think that the bands are supposed to take turns but which ever team runs on the court 1st, their band should play their school song 1st. I remember the Oakland band playing out of turn a couple times. I thought SDSU did it too but don't remember for sure.
I think the Oral Roberts band was the best.

I thought musically they were all good. Maybe I am biased but I felt the Drummer for SDSU was a little more impressive, had more fills, and more variety in style drumming compared to the others were were standard rythem for the band. I like hearing songs that I played when I was in the Pride years ago. I like seeing the tradition that the band plays songs year after year. I know others dont care for things like tradition, but The selections they play are fine with me, maybe could add a few new ones to add but I feel its worked for years using the same songs.

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

I think that the bands are supposed to take turns but which ever team runs on the court 1st, their band should play their school song 1st. I remember the Oakland band playing out of turn a couple times. I thought SDSU did it too but don't remember for sure.
I think the Oral Roberts band was the best.

I disagree. I think the Oakland cheerleaders were the best.

We were all winners then!

On a serious note: I could really care less what they play, but you can tell other schools are much more above what SDSU does as far as production goes (Pep band and cheerleaders). There's some work to do.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

I thought musically they were all good. Maybe I am biased but I felt the Drummer for SDSU was a little more impressive, had more fills, and more variety in style drumming compared to the others were were standard rythem for the band. I like hearing songs that I played when I was in the Pride years ago. I like seeing the tradition that the band plays songs year after year. I know others dont care for things like tradition, but The selections they play are fine with me, maybe could add a few new ones to add but I feel its worked for years using the same songs.

I agree to an extent that continuing the traditions is good. The playlist NEVER changes though. Every song they play is very well arranged, performed by very talented musicians, and things are done with class.

The energy that the other bands displayed flat whipped our band. Many had coordinated with the cheer team to make a cohesive routine. Thought that was cool.

ONE THING I LOVED THAT THE PEP BAND DID WAS THROW IN A "STATE CADENCE" AT THE END OF "RING THE BELLS" AND AT A PROPER TEMPO!!! It started awkwardly the first time they did it but by the end of the weekend the fans were yelling it out and pumping their fists in the air. I hope that stays in the plans. To me, that is tradition.

SUPERBUNNY

[goon]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

I agree to an extent that continuing the traditions is good. The playlist NEVER changes though. Every song they play is very well arranged, performed by very talented musicians, and things are done with class.

The energy that the other bands displayed flat whipped our band. Many had coordinated with the cheer team to make a cohesive routine. Thought that was cool.

ONE THING I LOVED THAT THE PEP BAND DID WAS THROW IN A "STATE CADENCE" AT THE END OF "RING THE BELLS" AND AT A PROPER TEMPO!!! It started awkwardly the first time they did it but by the end of the weekend the fans were yelling it out and pumping their fists in the air. I hope that stays in the plans. To me, that is tradition.

SUPERBUNNY

I think why many have the cordination is because of lack of student support. Not saying SDSU has student support, but its usually the bands and cheerleaders that are the majority of students at the games. I would like to see more out of the cheerleaders for sure, but as long as the band plays and it sounds good, thats what I like too see, but you are right, it couldnt hurt for the band to participate in the cheers. Do the cheer leaders even do the lets go rabbits during the game? I don't recall, but usually it seems fans start those. I agree the state cadence and the tempo is something we can all support and would love to see done correctly.

[JimmyJack]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

SDSU's pep band plays many of the same songs today that they played in the 1980s when I was in college. Those blue shirts are awful, and they bring no enthusiasm for the game. Other than a few whoops when opponents are shooting free throws or wild hollering for themselves when they show up in the "Be Great Start Here" ad, they sit there silently.

Anybody can see clearly that SDSU's pep band is exactly the same as it was when we were D2. I want SDSU to have a D1 pep band.

[Nidaros]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

Looks like we need to start a fund for some new shirts for the pep band. I would be a willing contributor.

[propar80]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

SDSU's pep band plays many of the same songs today that they played in the 1980s when I was in college. Those blue shirts are awful, and they bring no enthusiasm for the game. Other than a few whoops when opponents are shooting free throws or wild hollering for themselves when they show up in the "Be Great Start Here" ad, they sit there silently.

Anybody can see clearly that SDSU's pep band is exactly the same as it was when we were D2. I want SDSU to have a D1 pep band.

This sums up EXACTLY what we don't have compared to the rest of the band and cheerleaders. Especially ORU and Oakland. I hope our band and cheer team was taking notes...but alas, I believe I may have typed the same thing last year.
IMO, THE PRIDE and the pep bands are resting on past lorals(sp?). It's time to step it up a couple of notches, you've had quite a few years now to figure it out. And if it's that you don't care and are forced to be there, then stay home, the sound system in Frost kicks ass if you want it too.

Sorry for the rant...I hear year after the year stories of how much a pain in the ass the pride and the pep band are and this subject trips my trigger every time.

Go Jacks!!

[bigticket1]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

I want to begin this post by saying it is not meant to demean the music department or the current director - he does an excellent job with the Pride. And I think the problems with the Pride were reduced significantly with the change in power a couple of years ago. That being said,would it be possible to put a younger staff person,or even a grad assistant type in charge of the pep band ? If you looked at the directors of the other bands at the tourney,they looked like they were in the 30-40 age group. Maybe having a younger director would bring a more modern,more enthusiastic attitude to the group as a whole. Even at our local high school,the band director allows the student drum majors to take turns directing the pep band.

[LakeJack]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

They need to give Eric the athletic bands.

[Nidaros]

Re: SDSU Pep Band

They need to give Eric the athletic bands.

Who might Eric be?