ST_Lawson wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2023 3:22 pm
pvk7072 wrote: Fri Oct 20, 2023 10:50 am
You also have to consider other effects of dropping football. E.g., I could be wrong, but USI sans football appears to have no marching band. They do have a jazz band, which is probably great for bball etc. Logical, though. Why have a band for a fall parade when you're Homecoming is indoors in early February with MBB/WBB games as the centerpiece? The whole concept of Homecoming -- and participants -- changes without football.
BTW, SIUE does have a "concert band." So I'd imagine the WIU band could perform several times in the new CPA.
Asking ST_Lawson ... how many students are in today's band, and when/where do they perform? Thanks.
Very true...you know I'd hate to see the Marching Leathernecks disappear.
We have quite a few if you're talking about just the number of bands.
Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and University Band are three different "levels" of your traditional "sit down concert-type band" (Wind Ensemble is the top concert band, University Band is at the other end and is more for non-music majors who played in HS and want to keep playing for fun).
Then there the WIU Chamber Players and WIU Chamber Winds, two "chamber ensembles" (smaller group of musicians...originally meant to be performed in palace chambers or a large room in someone's very nice/large home). There's also the WIU Symphony Orchestra (has string instruments...most of the previously mentioned ones don't)
On the "Jazz" front, we have the top level (Grammy-nominated) Jazz Studio Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Chamber Jazz (smaller group).
There's also more "specific" ensembles, such as the Steel Band, Brass Ensemble, President's International String Quartet, etc.
And finally the Athletic Bands: Marching Leathernecks (who have maybe about 80 or so members currently, I think) and the Pep Band.
The Marching Leathernecks perform at all home football games, for the faculty assembly and Western Welcome/Rocky After Dark at the beginning of the school year, Homecoming parade, and the WIU Marching Band Classic (HS Marching Band Competition...this year, that occurs tomorrow when 31 HS bands come and perform/compete at Hanson Field.
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Up late ( or early) but thanks for the hard work and great info.