TUMB

[RWR]

I know this thread is about a month old, but I decided to create an account to clear things up seeing as how I was a member the past 4 years. Talent-wise the band is the best it has been since it came back. As far as numbers, 100-120 is the size Barry wants to eventually get to and is probably towards the max that a school like Tulane can achieve. Barry has nothing to do with the recent shrinking of the size. The main reason is it just isn't fun watching the team get slaughtered every home game and away game that the band travels to, so the kids leave. Other reasons have to do with just the differences between high school and college. The scholarships don't offer much money to any student and Barry doesn't get a say in who gets them. He can only recommend students and then the financial aid office ultimately decides.

As pointed out, Barry is very willing to just set down and talk with someone about the band and his vision for it. At a football game isn't exactly the right time.

I understand and appreciate your loyalty to him . He walked into the crowd w/a portion of the band who had changed out of their uniforms and would walk into sections and perform. I don't recall the name they used for this small group. He engaged fans . That's how I came in contact w/him. I asked a direct question as an interested observer. It was asked in a most respectful way. He refused to answer. Bottom line is he has had ample time and failed. I appreciate his efforts but it's clearly time for new leadership.

[Bigschtick]

Tulane Twister: Thank you for your post. I cannot blame the kids for not wanting to watch us get slaughtered every Saturday and I cannot imagine the problems that Barry has to deal with his at Tulane. He doesn't even have a say in who gets a scholarship? Must Tulane do everything half-ass backwards?

[billow]

I thought this was interesting about Notre Dame's Marching Band. Of course our problem now is the football team and it's coaching & leadership. Notre Dame has approximately 8,500 undergraduates. Yet they field a 275 piece band.

Membership in the band is open to all current students at Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College, and Holy Cross College. If you would like information on joining the Notre Dame Band, please visit our future members page for more information.
..

[tumbuuh]

I was in the band the first season it came back, up until I graduated, and yes, the stagnant numbers are frustrating. It's probably a mixture of reasons keeping the band from growing more, but the first and foremost is the football team doing terribly. No student wants to sit through that week after week, especially if they have to be in the cold, quiet Superdome from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. Aside from the lack of exciting game-day atmosphere, the scholarships awarded to members are the decision of admissions. They're relatively recent additions, so they've yet to have an effect on maintaining membership, which is the biggest issue. The freshman class is always the largest in a college marching band, as students tend to quit as they get older. But it's a bigger discrepancy at Tulane. This season saw the largest freshman class since the band started back in 2006, but they're not staying, so the band didn't grow at all. And the band doesn't seem to get better because it's constantly almost half freshmen, and it takes some time to catch up to the level of difficulty in college vs high school (for most people).

There are usually 35 or so freshmen, so really keeping most members would make the band well over 100. But that requires that (1) the team plays better, (2) more/larger scholarships are given by admissions so quitting the band is a bigger monetary loss to students, or (3) more people donate to the band so they can give larger stipends to members who stay after 2 years. The thing band alumni are working on now - because as frustrated as you are, we are 10x more so - is developing a strong alumni association that can support current members better, and we hope that keeps them involved longer as well. And if you have suggestions about anything, Barry is extremely willing to listen, so I suggest emailing or calling him.

It's good to see people care about having a good band
http://tulaneband.org

[Bigschtick]

Thank you so much for the info. Its clear that Barry is working under the same difficult conditions as the coaches in terms of Admin support. We do care about the band.

[tpstulane]

Jamming today at a Birmingham HS.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/footbal ... 925879845/

[DfromCT]

Jamming today at a Birmingham HS.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/footbal ... 925879845/

That was very cool. Great way to build a following. If 10 of their students go to the game tomorrow, and root for the Wave, that's 10 more that we didn't have. I wonder if we handed out any tix?

[golfnut69]

Thanks TUMB !!!! I kinda wish they were more like the "MOB" or the Stanford band with very "laid back" type uni's and a little more free expression...but I have to admit, each year they get better...what type of fund raising events do they have since I do not think Tulane has a music dept to give schollies

[winwave]

There are scholarships but the number is very low. I'm guessing they split those up into partials.

[UptWave91]

Our band sucks. They’ve been playing the same songs for 4 years now.

[GreenLantern]

Our band sucks. They’ve been playing the same songs for 4 years now.

Stupid band. They keep playing the Tulane Alma Mater and the Tulane Fight Song every blasted game. What's up with that?

Tulane has a number of very significant problems. The Tulane band and the music they play at football games is not one of them. If our football team had progressed as much as our band, we would be winning a lot more games.

[Bigschtick]

Our band sucks. They’ve been playing the same songs for 4 years now.

Stupid band. They keep playing the Tulane Alma Mater and the Tulane Fight Song every blasted game. What's up with that?

Tulane has a number of very significant problems. The Tulane band and the music they play at football games is not one of them. If our football team had progressed as much as our band, we would be winning a lot more games.

Well Said Lantern!

[Bicoastalwave]

Strongly agree, the band is great. Man I love when we can be complimentary when discussing something Tulane related. I wish all the vitriol and toxicity could be reduced on these boards by vocal few and we could bring in some main stream fans. I guess the answer, as always, is just WIN!

[Houma de Wave]

The band is just fine. I laud those kids and their director. 2 of my sons majored in music and were in their college marching bands. They made great friends and had the respect from the fans.

[NOLABigSteve]

Love the band. That being said, and this isn't a knock, I would like to see some new songs / beats added to the mix.

And this is more of a general statement and just my opinion, but I wish the band, the Saints, and the city of New Orleans would retire Stand Up and Get Crunk. It worked for 2009. Can't stand it now.

BUT... can we just get a damn COMPETITIVE win?

[tpstulane]

Potential bright spot for fans in Yulman this season.

[NOLABigSteve]

Love the band. That being said, and this isn't a knock, I would like to see some new songs / beats added to the mix.

And this is more of a general statement and just my opinion, but I wish the band, the Saints, and the city of New Orleans would retire Stand Up and Get Crunk. It worked for 2009. Can't stand it now.

BUT... can we just get a damn COMPETITIVE win?

This aged well

[Wave Fan]

I guess we need a new fight song, alma mater, hullabaloo etc etc every year to keep everybody happy.

[posse]

I guess we need a new fight song, alma mater, hullabaloo etc etc every year to keep everybody happy.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO OUR FOOTBALL FIGHT SONG "ROLL GREEN WAVE" !!!
ONE OF THE GREAT FIGHT SONGS IN THE COUNTRY. I BELIEVE THE MICHIGAN BAND
INCLUDED IT ON THEIR GREATEST FIGHT SONG ALBLUM... COULD IT BE DISSED
BECAUSE THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WANTS TO CHANGE IT TO "ROLL BLUE WAVE"?

[GreenLantern]

I guess we need a new fight song, alma mater, hullabaloo etc etc every year to keep everybody happy.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO OUR FOOTBALL FIGHT SONG "ROLL GREEN WAVE" !!!
ONE OF THE GREAT FIGHT SONGS IN THE COUNTRY. I BELIEVE THE MICHIGAN BAND
INCLUDED IT ON THEIR GREATEST FIGHT SONG ALBLUM... COULD IT BE DISSED
BECAUSE THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WANTS TO CHANGE IT TO "BLUE WAVE"?

Can anyone remember when this song played at Yulman?

Pre-covid, before the games the TUMB would march to the quad and perform a couple of songs, always ending with the Tulane Fight Song. Before the kickoff, the band plays the fight song again, usually from the field. After each TD, the fight song is repeated (hasn’t been nearly enough of those).

I agree with you. It’s one of the best fight songs in the nation:

[tpstulane]

Wow. TUMB was the opening for tonight’s American Idol. Amazing!!! They were marching in the streets of the French Qtr and playing for the 3 Idol judges. A good couple of minutes. Hopefully it’s online somewhere.

[tpstulane]

Here it is American Idol opening this past Sunday night. That was only a clip. It went on for two minutes

[HoustonWave]

Here it is American Idol opening this past Sunday night. That was only a clip. It went on for two minutes

Forward it to Kliavkoff and the PAC 12 meeting today.