Is it though? I mean the job title is, literally, "Director of Athletic Bands.." Gotta be a little "wiggle room" in there for the hiring process (I hope...).
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Rutgers Band Director Job Posted
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Is it though? I mean the job title is, literally, "Director of Athletic Bands.." Gotta be a little "wiggle room" in there for the hiring process (I hope...).
The athletic department will definitely be part of the hire although MGSA will take the lead. It also says in the job description that the position involves conducting one of the symphonic bands. Tim Smith conducted a symphonic band of solely non-music majors. The fact that the job description also discusses being in and working with music ed majors a good thing - to me it means that with the right hire that MGSA will no longer discourage music majors from participating in the marching band as they did with Tim Smith in charge. When I was on the search committee for a band director in 1989 MGSA had a big role in the hire- they ended up with John Hendricks who was pretty good but left to go to his alma mater which was WVU....this was after our prior director went to Mich State. After Hendricks and another director in the mid 90s it started to go downhill from there. I'm hoping the athletic department will kick in part of the directors salary and they can afford a quality hire, preferably with a doctorate.
Mike Leckrone is the absolute last person we would want a new hire to emulate. The UW band has been in a world of trouble over the last decade for its irresponsible behavior.
You sir, don't understand Wisconsin...
And obviously I was talking about from a music and showmanship standpoint.
I'd love to get someone like Doc Nix or Ryan Kopacsi around here. A little personality couldn't hurt.
These type of guys would be fine for the RAC and other pep band stuff but not for what we want to do going forward at FB games. Different environment/size IMO.
But I see what you mean.
Likewise anybody from the TBDBITL, as awesome as their on the field product is, is going to have to be rigorously vetted to ensure they had nothing to do with the former leadership and the hazing & sexual harassment that happened there.
For me, it is the Mich. assoc. director, and the best college marching band is the Texas Aggie , which would be totally unacceptable to the ..............
"Must be able to write drill" should be a requirement. I hope the new director has experience with large successful college marching bands. College bands have a different mindset than high school.
My take on FOOTBALL BAND music is as follows: ALL Drums and Brass.Tons of Rhythm,lots of LOUD.Stir the Soul.Go to WAR. Take NO Prisoners.If I want Pretty I will look at Impressionist Paintings,floral meadows and beautiful girls.
The problem has always Been that the marching band is part of the athletic bands and is funded by the athletic department, not the music department. Hopefully that will be fixed. The technical musical standards of the athletic department are low, and so the director for the last 12 years could be an administrator, not a real musician. Dont forget TGS was a drummer with a bachelors degree from MGSA which he earned during evenings as an employee after he got the job as the band administrator. In over 12 years he hasnt even become a tenured professor, and as a drummer he had no musical skills at all. THINK ABOUT WHY A RUTGERS EMPLOYEE WHO WORKS AT MGSA DOESNT HAVE A MASTERS DEGREE FROM THERE AFTER 15 years. He conducts the "non music major bands" because they wont let him near a real ensemble. He survived so long because Schiano was content with a well organized and likeable administrator, who could just "get by" on the musicanship of his assistants. Two problems have always haunted him: First, MGSA looks down upon the marching band ensemble because of its poorly qualified leadership. Second, the students in the band pick up on how lousy of an instructor TGS is and quit after year 1 or 2. No ear, poor conductor, cant improve the ensemble...no wonder its been so bad. Im thrilled for those hard working kids in the bad that DESERVE a real musican as their director.
I fully agree with you....and I think based on the job description and the requirement re: music ed majors means that MGSA will be a big part of this hire regardless of who's funding the position and that with the right hire they won't continue to discourage music majors from participating in the marching band. They also not that this is a tenure track position in MGSA which is telling considering Tim's (lack of) standing within MGSA.
I don't understand Wisconsin? I worked there from 2004-14. My office was on the first floor of Bascom. You do understand what that means? Leckrone cant retire soon enough as far as Bascom is concerned.
