ND's Band....

[RallySonsOfND]

They do. IIRC, usually they go to games w/in a reasonable drive (Michigan, Purdue, MSU) and one other, usually a big game like FSU. And I'm pretty sure they hit the Shamrock game. So that's really three road trips out of six non-home games a year. They don't do USC/Stanford because it's Thanksgiving.
Did they stop with the local HS band at the USC game? I thought they still did that, but I guess I didn't pay much attention last time we were out there, what with the national championship game on the line and all.
Everybody sends their band to our place, because it's Notre Dame. Whatever. Unless you're sitting right in front of them (as I was for USC a couple of years back) you barely notice.

They must go every so often to California. I know they were at USC a few years back.

 

[MNIrishman]

They must go every so often to California. I know they were at USC a few years back.

In my junior year, Charlie specifically requested football funds to send a small contingent of band members to California for the game.

 

[RallySonsOfND]

In my junior year, Charlie specifically requested football funds to send a small contingent of band members to California for the game.

This is the entire band. 2008

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Tl8MIjaG2q8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[MNIrishman]

This is the entire band. 2008

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Tl8MIjaG2q8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hmm. Memory may be wrong on the year. Let me see if I can dig something up.

 

[MNIrishman]

Yep. It was freshman year that fewer members traveled.
75 band members will travel to USC // The Observer

 

[condoms SUCk]

Wasn't the band at the FSU game?

 

[T Town Tommy]

ND does make use of charters but there is still 450 bodies and equipment to transport, lodge, and feed.

I also don't know who pays for their tickets, ND or the host school. But if their sitting in seats somebody is footing the bill. 400 or 450 tickets represents a sizeable piece of change. Or do you fly them to L.A. and have them stand in the parking lot until halftime then send them back to their hotels? A lot of expense for a 10-15 minute halftime segment.

About a decade ago or so thee was a controversy when AD White announced the band was not traveling to a bowl game. There was a loud uproar (particularly from band members and family) about not going. The AD commented that it cost, at that time, $1 million in total expenditures for the band and support staff to travel to an away game.

I can recall many games in the L.A. Coliseum going back to Ara's Era where the ND band director and the ND Club (Orange Co, I believe) selected a local Catholic HS marching band to represent UND at the game.

Didn't know that. Pretty cool idea. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Cackalacky]

ND does make use of charters but there is still 450 bodies and equipment to transport, lodge, and feed.

I also don't know who pays for their tickets, ND or the host school. But if their sitting in seats somebody is footing the bill. 400 or 450 tickets represents a sizeable piece of change. Or do you fly them to L.A. and have them stand in the parking lot until halftime then send them back to their hotels? A lot of expense for a 10-15 minute halftime segment.

About a decade ago or so thee was a controversy when AD White announced the band was not traveling to a bowl game. There was a loud uproar (particularly from band members and family) about not going. The AD commented that it cost, at that time, $1 million in total expenditures for the band and support staff to travel to an away game.

I can recall many games in the L.A. Coliseum going back to Ara's Era where the ND band director and the ND Club (Orange Co, I believe) selected a local Catholic HS marching band to represent UND at the game.

This sounds like a tradition worth reinstating. Anything to keep the high school kids involved .

 

[RallySonsOfND]

Wasn't the band at the FSU game?

I think so.

They do go to one "far" away game a year.

They even made the trip to Dublin.

 

[irishu]

If the directors can’t recruit the Southeast, we need to bring in someone who can. Plain and simple

 

[TheProspector]

View attachment 3059102

If the directors can’t recruit the Southeast, we need to bring in someone who can. Plain and simple

Fire Ken Dye.

 

[Irish#1]

Over 10 years between posts. Let’s have some respect for these kids. Lol

 

[Sea Turtle]

None of the bands there play a Les Paul or even know that Duane Allman was the actual guitar player on Layla. I mean, it's dicey.

 

[ulukinatme]

Over 10 years between posts. Let’s have some respect for these kids. Lol

Honestly, I'm honestly a little sad for the band, they've taken a bit of a back seat in the name of progress. It used to be the band got the crowd going between plays, or kept them somewhat engaged during TV timeouts (When the women's soccer teams and other sports weren't being introduced). Now with the advent of the Jumbotron the band gets kind of drowned out in favor of video segments and music being piped through the stadium speakers. I love that the stadium improvements have helped engage the fans, but I feel for the band playing 2nd fiddle.

They've also had to give up a few traditions in recent years, like my favorite the Trumpets Under the Dome. That was one of my favorite pregame rituals and I recorded a few performances over the years, although the recordings were always from a phone camera and subpar compared to professional setups. They apparently did away with the Trumpets Under the Dome sometime in the last 5 years because of structural concerns having too many people in the building. I'll never forget how damn loud it was and packed for the 2015 USC Trumpets Under the Dome, best one I ever was there for. The energy was unreal, and the echoes in the dome of "Beat SC! Beat SC!" after the trumpets played was amazing!

 

[stlnd01]

They don't do Trumpets Under the Dome any more? That sucks.

Agree the band has taken a backseat in recent years, and that's unfortunate. Yes the Jumbotron and rowdier music, but IMO it all started when they built that visitors team tunnel in that corner and moved the band into the stands.
I realize many other schools put their bands in the stands, but there was something about them having on the field right along the sideline, and directly across from the student section - basically playing at the student section - that made the band a part of the game in a way they're not, quite, anymore.

 

[Blazers46]

Over 10 years between posts. Let’s have some respect for these kids. Lol

I heard they just signed a 5 star trumpet player

 

[GrangerIrish24]

I heard they just signed a 5 star trumpet player

Before we sign a 5 star dt?! Fire Al Washington.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Wasn’t there an accident during Trumpets Under the Dome in the last decade or so? Thought that was rumored before a game and it’s been crickets since then.

 

[Bluto]

Before we sign a 5 star dt?! Fire Al Washington.

There’s gotta be an rkg out there somewhere that can do both.

Golson played the piano and Redfield played the ukulele or something so there is some precedent.

 

[ulukinatme]

They don't do Trumpets Under the Dome any more? That sucks.

Agree the band has taken a backseat in recent years, and that's unfortunate. Yes the Jumbotron and rowdier music, but IMO it all started when they built that visitors team tunnel in that corner and moved the band into the stands.
I realize many other schools put their bands in the stands, but there was something about them having on the field right along the sideline, and directly across from the student section - basically playing at the student section - that made the band a part of the game in a way they're not, quite, anymore.

Yeah, the last game I went to where I was able to go inside was Georgia in 2017 I think. That was the last video I got, there were a ton of Georgia fans that actually came to see the performance. They may have done the trumpets for another year or two after that, but I'm not certain because I didn't get to a home game in 2019 for the first time since '93 (Went to Louisville Away instead), and in 2018 I got to campus late for FSU. Now they do the Trumpets AT the Dome on the steps outside but it's not nearly as awesome without the acoustics that they had inside. I still go to support the trumpet peeps though. I'm usually there anyway, I like to follow the band to the stadium all the way to the gate.

Wasn’t there an accident during Trumpets Under the Dome in the last decade or so? Thought that was rumored before a game and it’s been crickets since then.

Yeah, I forgot about that. I think that might have been USC in 2015. Someone fell I think over an upper floor banister in a stairwell. It wasn't as a result of the trumpets or because of the trumpets, it just occurred close to the same time. That wasn't why I heard they stopped doing it inside though, and they continued doing it for a few years after the fall. I was told it had something to do with the old buildings guts and structural integrity from all the people on the upper floors.

 

[calvegas04]

Yeah, the last game I went to where I was able to go inside was Georgia in 2017 I think. That was the last video I got, there were a ton of Georgia fans that actually came to see the performance. They may have done the trumpets for another year or two after that, but I'm not certain because I didn't get to a home game in 2019 for the first time since '93 (Went to Louisville Away instead), and in 2018 I got to campus late for FSU. Now they do the Trumpets AT the Dome on the steps outside but it's not nearly as awesome without the acoustics that they had inside. I still go to support the trumpet peeps though. I'm usually there anyway, I like to follow the band to the stadium all the way to the gate.


Yeah, I forgot about that. I think that might have been USC in 2015. Someone fell I think over an upper floor banister in a stairwell. It wasn't as a result of the trumpets or because of the trumpets, it just occurred close to the same time. That wasn't why I heard they stopped doing it inside though, and they continued doing it for a few years after the fall. I was told it had something to do with the old buildings guts and structural integrity from all the people on the upper floors.

I also remember hearing about it being due to the age of the building

 

[ulukinatme]

I also remember hearing about it being due to the age of the building

I just went back and watched that 2015 USC video. It's nuts, the 3rd floor was packed all the way down the hall! The 1st floor was always packed, and often the 2nd was too, but the 3rd floor was rare. I was filming from the very top, but I was standing behind someone unfortunately and the video/audio quality was shit. When you see that sheer number of people in that old building there's no question it was a structural concern.

 

[JD Irish]

I feel very bad for the band. They for some reason do a Bon Jovi-themed halftime show every year. It is as though the director doesn't even want to try anything new.

 

[ulukinatme]

I feel very bad for the band. They for some reason do a Bon Jovi-themed halftime show every year. It is as though the director doesn't even want to try anything new.

ND loves them some Bon Jovi, and Bon Jovi apparently loves him some ND. It's no surprise his son went there. Bon Jovi was guest band director for the FSU game last year in which they played his songs.

ND tends to do a Chicago halftime theme pretty often too, probably a given since they're an hour from the city the band is named after.

 

[irishu]

…

ND tends to do a Chicago halftime theme pretty often too, probably a given since they're an hour from the city the band is named after.

Peter Schivarelli is the longtime manager of Chicago and a former walk-on under Ara. He’s one of the biggest donors for the athletics department and is the biggest donor for the band.



Fun fact: Schivarelli is an avid model train collector. This is a photo of his basement on his property on Angela Blvd across from the university.

 

[irishandy]

I still think they are the best band in the land. Before all of the home games my Dad and I have a tradition to watch the band march into the stadium.

 

[forkbeard3777]

I wish they’d perform the Rakes of Mallow song like it was recorded in Rudy. The version the band plays is way too fast.

 

[forkbeard3777]

I still think they are the best band in the land. Before all of the home games my Dad and I have a tradition to watch the band march into the stadium.

Hopefully Texas A&M brings its full band to South Bend. If so, y’all are in for a treat. Two of the greats.

 

[Punky]

Have to say that the War Hymn is one of the few fight songs outside of the Victory March that I don't hate. In a few weeks I may change my mind, though......

 

[ulukinatme]

I wish they’d perform the Rakes of Mallow song like it was recorded in Rudy. The version the band plays is way too fast.

A lot of times the band will start out playing it slow, then play faster and faster as they go. This prompts students doing the Irish jig to speed up as well. I love the Rakes of Mallow too.

Here's the speed it typically starts out before it speeds up. Band does sometimes start out fast as you mentioned if there isn't much time to play it given the game/timeout circumstances.

0

The bagpipe group on gamedays also has a version they do that starts really slow, then speeds up as well.