Marching Band moved down on depth chart?

[Coach Janky Spanky]

And as much as I love the band, the singing by the fans is MUCH louder to the video board rendition because everyone can karoaky to the song which just rubs it in on the visiting team that we just scored on their ass.

So I have mixed emotions about eliminating the video version of the song. HTTR has never been sung as loud by the fans in any game at FedEx like it was last Sunday.

I agree it was loud. But the timing is off with the video version, as discussed above. And the other thing is that sometimes the band plays an extended version, and another round of the song that ends just before the Redskins kickoff after scoring. With this pre-recorded version, they cut it off after one go through, and start playing some rock song. I get that they're trying to amp the crowd up, but HTTR works for that.

[RFKFedEx]

A simple compromise would be to bring back the Redskins singers and have the lyrics on the jumbos while the band jams.

The singers of the band sang the lyrics quite well up until the mid 90s.

I'm not a fan of the 1950s studio recording we've been hearing in recent years.

Let the band jam loud and hard!

[thebluefood]

I love the band. I love the fact we even have a band.
It's old school football. It should be preserved.
We have a tradition. Lets keep it.

~Bang

Agreed. The Redskins Marching Band is a part of the team. They are one of the many things that make us unique.

Go to other NFL stadiums. You'll hear music pumped in through the PA speakers from start to finish. The same thing, apparently, happens at FedEx; but you'll hear something else: live music. Say what you will about the quality of it, but there is NOTHING like live music.

When you're at a Redskins game and we put points on the board, who really wants to hear "Hail to the Redskins" any other way than with bombastic brass and pounding drums?

I don't understand why the organization feels the need to conform more and more to the rest of the league. The Redskins are a special team and part of what makes us special is that marching band that has been with us since the depression.

Let the band play.

[Hdf561]

I would never not root for the SKins, but if the band went away it would be the final nail in the coffin for my trying to defend Dan Snyder....if he kills the band Im done with him (which is close anyway) That band and that song are historic football Icons....you might as well burn Sonny's jersey at mid field if you get rid of the band....it would just make what is not a fan friendly experience (for some) at FEDEX that much worse.

[grhqofb5]

I can't really give you an educated response because I've been out of the band since 2006. But while I was there, we never felt we were being phased out. And with the recent investment in uniforms, I can't imagine they are going anywhere any time soon.

Thanks. The only reason I was a bit concerned was because (as we are all painfully aware) there is a certain 5'6" 40something guy running the show now who is known to do some incredibly stupid things. In fact, I had heard (a rumor) that when he took over in the late 90s, he pissed off a number of the band members. Any truth to that, based on your knowledge?

[RFKFedEx]

I'd like to see the band between the uprights every time a ball is kicked toward the west goal poast on FGs and PATs. Put the tuba players in the top row of section 111.

[LeakeJS]

No way Danny would pay for band members. He wouldn't even pay for full-size flags on September 11th, 2011!!!



At least he got it right versus the Vikings on September 11th, 2006!

[Teller]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. Bugles are made of brass, the only difference is a traditional bugle doesn't have any valves and therefore has an extremely limited functionality, because most of the "notes" aren't available (think Revelry and Taps).

If you are refering to the horns played in a drum corp, which have valves, the sound may be a bit brigher. But I can assure you that the lack of 'powerfulness' of the Redskins Band trumpets has much more to do with the players than the instruments. The majority of these guys play their horns 4 months out of the year, twice a week (practice and games).

As someone with about 15 years of marching band/drum corps experience, I'd respectfully disagree. Bring your 100-piece marching band. I'll bring a 50-piece corps. We'll play different songs. Yours won't be heard.

[Boston Skins]

As someone with about 15 years of marching band/drum corps experience, I'd respectfully disagree. Bring your 100-piece marching band. I'll bring a 50-piece corps. We'll play different songs. Yours won't be heard.

I think what he meant was that the players themselves don't play very loudly, not particularly the size of the band.

I was in Marching Band and also a marching band instructor and I can't help but wince sometimes when the Redskins band is on the field. A lot of them march with their heads down and just seem poorly coached on how to play and march in a band.

---------- Post added September-16th-2011 at 05:27 PM ----------

I would never not root for the SKins, but if the band went away it would be the final nail in the coffin for my trying to defend Dan Snyder....if he kills the band Im done with him (which is close anyway) That band and that song are historic football Icons....you might as well burn Sonny's jersey at mid field if you get rid of the band....it would just make what is not a fan friendly experience (for some) at FEDEX that much worse.

This is ludicrous. Dan Snyder is not looking for a way to get rid of the marching band. If there is one thing that Daniel Snyder is not guilty of, it's trying to break up the Redskins traditions.

[Teller]

I think what he meant was that the players themselves don't play very loudly, not particularly the size of the band.

I was in Marching Band and also a marching band instructor and I can't help but wince sometimes when the Redskins band is on the field. A lot of them march with their heads down and just seem poorly coached on how to play and march in a band.

Oh, I agree with that entirely. But that's kind of what you get when you have a volunteer group that I'm sure doesn't get to practice a whole lot. I feel the same way: "have some pride, roll your feet, spacing, stick levels, tone, phasing, etc, etc. But then, given the circumstances, you can't expect a junior corps performance.

[RFKFedEx]

I don't even care all that much about the marching aspect of the band. That stuff takes a lot of time.

Just gimmie some more tunes I can actually hear.

[WSHRedskins3ATLBraves3]

This is ridiculous. The band is a Redskins tradition, and I would think Bruce Allen would be the first person to realize that.

Looks like I'm going to have to shoot him an e-mail

EDIT: But seriously, it's ridiculous that they play a recorded version of HTTR.

[Luca Brasi]

As someone with about 15 years of marching band/drum corps experience, I'd respectfully disagree. Bring your 100-piece marching band. I'll bring a 50-piece corps. We'll play different songs. Yours won't be heard.

I'm not exactly sure what you are disagreeing with. If your point is that a DCI drump corp is louder than a college marching band, then yeah of course they are. Those are the best young players in the country. They play loud and they play in tune. But if you are saying that any random military drum and bugle corp is louder than a marching band because they play bugles instead of standard trumpets, then I will tell you that you are absolutely wrong.

By the way, bring your bugle. I'll bring my trumpet. You are the one that won't be heard. :-)

[Teller]

I'm not exactly sure what you are disagreeing with. If your point is that a DCI drump corp is louder than a college marching band, then yeah of course they are. Those are the best young players in the country. They play loud and they play in tune. But if you are saying that any random military drum and bugle corp is louder than a marching band because they play bugles instead of standard trumpets, then I will tell you that you are absolutely wrong.

By the way, bring your bugle. I'll bring my trumpet. You are the one that won't be heard. :-)

You've clearly never heard the Commandant's Own. Or the ignorance of this post would have long ago sunk in.

[jpage520]

I do agree that a petition to improve the band is in order. They are one of the best traditions affiliated with this team and deserve to be treated with high honor and accolades. Definitely one of the things that makes going to see a Redskins game different than any other minus maybe the s***birds in Baltimore.