New band director, now we have another good, off season topic, lol....

[ricepig]

http://m.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/may/19/ua-hires-new-director-razorback-band/

[NaturalStateReb]

Wonder what happened to the former director?  Hopefully this will mark a return to a more "show band" style instead of a DCI style.

[Rod6275]

Band?  what  does  this  have  to do with football ?     just kidding 

[HogFansReunited]

Wonder what happened to the former director?  Hopefully this will mark a return to a more "show band" style instead of a DCI style.

This

[Dr. Starcs]

Fire Lorenzo!!

[RebelliousHog]

I, personally, aren't a big fan of DCI. I don't mind show band as long as it's not silly. Hell, I still enjoy the Aggie Band, even though they are known to be a bunch of d***heads in the stands..

[Grag T]

I, personally, aren't a big fan of DCI. I don't mind show band as long as it's not silly. Hell, I still enjoy the Aggie Band, even though they are known to be a bunch of d***heads in the stands..

The aggie band sucks rancid balls.  They just play follow the leader up and down the field like a bunch of five year olds.

[100%HOG]

Word is that old band director was under investigation for hostile work environment, which makes complete sense because he was one of the most self-righteous people I've ever had the displeasure to meet and would scream at and belittle grad assistants and students. 

He then had a very convenient "mental breakdown" and was in the hospital for a while, tried to come back and teach but everyone had taken over his classes so he just sat around. Eventually I think he was asked to leave the university. He took a position at Xavier.

[100%HOG]

Also being a former member of a DCI corps and the Razorback marching band, I must say that The Razorback marching band shows are/were absolutely nothing like a drum corps show.

[RazorZach]

Good riddance. Someone very close to me was "let go" by Mr. Knighten shortly after his arrival at the U of A, and she was just amazing at her job. Had she wanted to sue his @$$ for wrongful termination, I believe she would have won her case. Actually, she was never really given an official reason for dismissal.

This guy has had issues since Day One, and personally I hope he spends the rest of his life in Musketeer Land never to see the beauty of Northwest Arkansas again. The U of A is better off with their new hire. Best of luck, Dr. Lorenzo!

[hoglady]

Good - at least it will be something different this year.
No where to go but up as far as I'm concerned.

[Poker_hog]

Maybe he'll kill the go hogs spell out at halftime. 

[idochog]

Wonder how many 4* or  5* band recruits we are in on?

[DeltaBoy]

I want that 1980-90's band.

[smb]

I want a band director with the Lone Ranger theme!

[idochog]

Only girls on the flag line

[100%HOG]

Good riddance. Someone very close to me was "let go" by Mr. Knighten shortly after his arrival at the U of A, and she was just amazing at her job. Had she wanted to sue his @$$ for wrongful termination, I believe she would have won her case. Actually, she was never really given an official reason for dismissal.

This guy has had issues since Day One, and personally I hope he spends the rest of his life in Musketeer Land never to see the beauty of Northwest Arkansas again. The U of A is better off with their new hire. Best of luck, Dr. Lorenzo!

Knighten is actually still there. The man that left was the director of Athletic bands.

[rkjones]

Good riddance. Someone very close to me was "let go" by Mr. Knighten shortly after his arrival at the U of A, and she was just amazing at her job. Had she wanted to sue his @$$ for wrongful termination, I believe she would have won her case. Actually, she was never really given an official reason for dismissal.

This guy has had issues since Day One, and personally I hope he spends the rest of his life in Musketeer Land never to see the beauty of Northwest Arkansas again. The U of A is better off with their new hire. Best of luck, Dr. Lorenzo!

She was not amazing at her job.  As another poster mentioned above, Dr. Knighten is here to stay, and it was Dr. Chamberlain who moved on. 

[RebelliousHog]

The aggie band sucks rancid balls.  They just play follow the leader up and down the field like a bunch of five year olds.

"Sucks rancid balls" is a bit of an overstatement. That's military style, and there are quite a few VERY GOOD High school bands in East Texas that still do it very well. I'm not saying I want a steady diet of marches and the style in general, but it has its place in marching history.

[RazorZach]

She was not amazing at her job.  As another poster mentioned above, Dr. Knighten is here to stay, and it was Dr. Chamberlain who moved on. 

And you know this how? I'll stick with what I know about this individual, as well as my own personal observations of the man (not to mention the other people who worked around the band office upon his hire). NONE of them had anything even remotely positive to say about the guy. Maybe he's changed since then, and hopefully he has.

And as for thinking he was leaving, I simply misunderstood the post from 100%HOG above. How "fortunate" we are to keep him around. 

[LRrazorback]

DCI?  What is this?

[jusgtohogs]

DCI?  What is this?

DCI is Drum Corps International.  But, unless you're a band-person, you probably wouldn't know that, so don't feel 'out of it'.

[The NewEra]

Wonder what happened to the former director?  Hopefully this will mark a return to a more "show band" style instead of a DCI style.

I hope he's Jim Robkin 2.0

[BorderPatrol]

I want that 1980-90's band.

They are all too old...

(wait, that means I am too old, too)....

Nevermind.

bp

[Hoggish1]

Good riddance. Someone very close to me was "let go" by Mr. Knighten shortly after his arrival at the U of A, and she was just amazing at her job. Had she wanted to sue his @$$ for wrongful termination, I believe she would have won her case. Actually, she was never really given an official reason for dismissal.

Being amazing at one's job can be one of the reasons for being let go.  It threatens a lot of folks at the You of A and always has...

Of course that can't be an official reason to let someone go.  Actually because faculty are 'at will' employees, no reason needs to be given. 

It can be a rough place to navigate through especially if you are too good at your job...

[Locutus_of_Boar]

I want a band director with the Lone Ranger theme!

I suggest Alfred Newman's How the West Was Won

I am still surprised no SEC West team ever thought to use that one.

[Inhogswetrust]

Wonder what happened to the former director?  Hopefully this will mark a return to a more "show band" style instead of a DCI style.

DCI style is much more difficult and entertaining. Show style is more akin to leather helmet days of football. But they haven't really been doing corp. style anyway. Some elements thereof but not even close to full-blown.

[Inhogswetrust]

I, personally, aren't a big fan of DCI. I don't mind show band as long as it's not silly. Hell, I still enjoy the Aggie Band, even though they are known to be a bunch of d***heads in the stands..

Which is ironic you don't like DCI because military style corp. marching like the aggies do is a type of drum corp style. Just not DCI type. DCI is my favorite. I marched that style before. 

[Inhogswetrust]

Also being a former member of a DCI corps and the Razorback marching band, I must say that The Razorback marching band shows are/were absolutely nothing like a drum corps show.

I'm curious as to which corp?

[SamBuckhart]

Only girls on the flag line

Preach it, brotha! Welcome Dr. Lorenzo.

[Inhogswetrust]

Maybe he'll kill the go hogs spell out at halftime. 

They've been doing that for a long, long time. I doubt it but I would like something different.

[Inhogswetrust]

Wonder how many 4* or  5* band recruits we are in on?

I can assure you they could do better recruiting. They get some from instate but not as many as they could. There are a LOT of all staters that go to other instate schools and out of state.

[Poker_hog]

They've been doing that for a long, long time. I doubt it but I would like something different.

Me too.  It's time has come and gone.  I would like to see something that wakes the crowd up and gets it hyped for the 2nd half.

[Darth Piggy]

I came in to the razorback band in the fall of 1991. I met Robken when I auditioned. I spent the next four years hearing about his legend from upper class men. The band was wild and fun then, but let's face it as great a pep person as JR was he was his own worst enemy. Personally I hated football season. The hogs sucked rancid balls.  I did it for one reason:  basketball season. I was a crappy musician who was there to watch a game. I loved my band experience though. I was in Charlotte in 94, but I still hold a grudge because I got screwed out of going in 95. Good luck to the new guy. Get rid of the god awful piped in music at basketball games.

Any band folks on here remember the Jack Crowe sugar speech to us in August of 92. Lol.

[josh_sec33]

I came in fall of 92. never got to meet Robken except briefly at a tournament or something. Got to go to 95, missed out being able to go to 94 by one person. and yes Football was terrible. Went to a bowl in Miami my senior year and it was the coldest it had been that week in like 7 years. And we lost the game. meh.

I don't remember the sugar speech. I do remember trying to figure out the damn key signature for rocky top as we played it all around the football team during practice. I half expected one of the QB's to start chucking footballs at us at one point because the GA working with us decided to do it really fast...then really slow, and god dammit I hate that song. I DO remember Kines coming to practice that next Monday and thanking us for helping him and the team out.

[Kamkaizen]

Wonder how many 4* or  5* band recruits we are in on?

I'm a U of A grad who was also in the band program.  I don't usually brag on myself, but if band "recruits" were rated on a star system similarly to athletics, I believe I would've been a 4* player.  However, I don't really feel as though I was heavily recruited by the U of A band, nor did I have to be.  I wanted to be a Hog - period.  I do believe that the U of A band program could improve its recruiting to snag at least the best in-state players.  Similarly to what we see happening in our basketball program and what we saw with previous football coaching staffs, a large portion of the best players choose to go elsewhere.  I would just like to see the state's flagship university actually be considered as such by in-state elite talent.  That could mean that the university's programs simply need to place more weight on recruiting. 

[Svrdhd]

Also being a former member of a DCI corps and the Razorback marching band, I must say that The Razorback marching band shows are/were absolutely nothing like a drum corps show.

I think people don't know what a DCI band is, if we even added a little DCI to the Arkansas program it would be much more entertaining for the crowd and the band members. Our halftime programs now are dry as toast.

[TomasPistola]

I love DCI. Of course, being a low brass player I love anytime we can dismiss the woodwinds to concert band.

[hoglady]

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Oklahoma+State+Marching+Band+2014&Form=VQFRVP#view=detail&mid=8FC0E759A0CD6E7EBF658FC0E759A0CD6E7EBF65

Here's a link to OSU - halftime show / honoring vets.
I thought it was great.
There's quite a few halftime show links on youtube.

[pg1862]

I also entered the Razorback/Hogwild bands in the fall of 1991 and was recruited by Robken. I got to go to both Final Fours.

[NaturalStateReb]

Also being a former member of a DCI corps and the Razorback marching band, I must say that The Razorback marching band shows are/were absolutely nothing like a drum corps show.

No, they're not like DCI shows literally, but the same pretension bug has had the propensity to bite the band recently.

[Uncle_dad]

No, they're not like DCI shows literally, but the same pretension bug has had the propensity to bite the band recently.

This nails it. I am a professional musician that marched in college. If you attend a DCI show most of the audience will be former band people. I have never really cared for DCI. I think that the former band crowd forgets that the band is there to entertain 70,000+ people, not just the former band folks.

Having said that, I haven't attended a DCI event since HS 30 years ago.

And to add to it, a great deal of your musicians that would be considered 4* and 5* never see the marching field. Ex-Trumpet and myself would be rare exceptions.

[Inhogswetrust]

This nails it. I am a professional musician that marched in college. If you attend a DCI show most of the audience will be former band people. I have never really cared for DCI. I think that the former band crowd forgets that the band is there to entertain 70,000+ people, not just the former band folks.

Having said that, I haven't attended a DCI event since HS 30 years ago.

And to add to it, a great deal of your musicians that would be considered 4* and 5* never see the marching field. Ex-Trumpet and myself would be rare exceptions.

30 years ago? you might want to try attending a DCI event again. It is no where near what it was like 30 years ago and yes I remember those days.............

[Uncle_dad]

30 years ago? you might want to try attending a DCI event again. It is no where near what it was like 30 years ago and yes I remember those days.............

I've seen video. And no, it's not for me. I have no interest in DCI whatsoever. I have many friends whom I respect very much that love it, and that's great. I'd rather go see the local symphony or drive to see a larger professional orchestra (which I also realize is not for everybody).

[Uncle_dad]

And I know this hasn't come up yet, but judging the music program based on the marching band is like judging the physical education and kinesiology programs based on the football team's performance.

[Inhogswetrust]

I've seen video. And no, it's not for me. I have no interest in DCI whatsoever. I have many friends whom I respect very much that love it, and that's great. I'd rather go see the local symphony or drive to see a larger professional orchestra (which I also realize is not for everybody).

I take it you are more in tune (pun intended) with concert type music instead of marching bands of any type. I have no problem with that. I do like a good symphony or orchestra though. The thing is you have to be very good to be in a top level corp. You don't have to be as good to march in a college band a lot of the time. Corps are usually much more selective in who they take. I'm not talking about those on scholarship. Most scholarship college band nerds ( I can say that since I was one) are fairly good but not always top talent just like athletics.

[Uncle_dad]

I take it you are more in tune (pun intended) with concert type music instead of marching bands of any type. I have no problem with that. I do like a good symphony or orchestra though. The thing is you have to be very good to be in a top level corp. You don't have to be as good to march in a college band a lot of the time. Corps are usually much more selective in who they take. I'm not talking about those on scholarship. Most scholarship college band nerds ( I can say that since I was one) are fairly good but not always top talent just like athletics.

Bingo. My friends who were hard core corps people were very good musicians. There is certainly no denying that. Also, I know several people who are great brass players who serve on the staffs of various corps.

I liken it to this: My orchestra gets invited to perform at an outdoor festival with tens of thousands in attendance. Blue Danube might go over a little better than Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, although I would much rather play Bartok, and the 10% in attendance that knows music might prefer to hear it.

BTW- It is very nice to have a civil disagreement on Hogville. A rarity indeed!

[Inhogswetrust]

I think people don't know what a DCI band is, if we even added a little DCI to the Arkansas program it would be much more entertaining for the crowd and the band members. Our halftime programs now are dry as toast.

There have been some really good DCI events in WMS and at Bentonville lately.

[Inhogswetrust]

Bingo. My friends who were hard core corps people were very good musicians. There is certainly no denying that. Also, I know several people who are great brass players who serve on the staffs of various corps.

I liken it to this: My orchestra gets invited to perform at an outdoor festival with tens of thousands in attendance. Blue Danube might go over a little better than Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, although I would much rather play Bartok, and the 10% in attendance that knows music might prefer to hear it.

BTW- It is very nice to have a civil disagreement on Hogville. A rarity indeed!

My overall favorite to play in concert band was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Not the most difficult for us drummers but the most fun because it really always got the crowd into it. Especially if they have cannons, gunfire or fireworks along with it.   

[Inhogswetrust]

And I know this hasn't come up yet, but judging the music program based on the marching band is like judging the physical education and kinesiology programs based on the football team's performance.

Agree except I'd compare it to more like different sports teams within the athletic department. The big issue though during athletic events and especially football games is that is what most people see and hear and know about the music departments. It also is there at events to support and help the teams and entertain and get the fans involved. Some marching bands and athletic bands are much better at that than others. Arkansas's is OK but not near as good as some of their counterparts from other schools. I will say that athletic departments appear to be leaning in a direction away from letting bands be as much a part of things as before with all the piped in music, advertisements and announcements and  such during games. Also depending on what type of music degree my child was wanting to major in at college I'd have to discuss with them if they would consider a different school besides the UA unfortunately.