Anybody but me think the FTAB mailed it in this past Saturday? Mickey Mouse drill for this late in the season.

we have to remember that others think that the Aggie Band marching north and south on Kyle Field is awe-inspiring; I have felt that the band is a shadow of what it once was and that the drills they perform are so simple that is mind-numbing that they can screw up

Thanks for posting that, it was a fun watch at 1.5x speed. I think it's just different styles. That video seemed to favor more time spent in block band, more follow the leader, and more crossthroughs. The modern FTAB spends more time in spread band and has more individual assignments. I do wish the modern band did more crossthroughs like the video you posted.

Maybe you're right about your shadow remark, but I can't help but think the current members ( and hopefully the future) take as much pride in their drills as we did 30 or gasp 50 years ago. That being said, I hear all about the changes in the Corps, and I can't help but think individual motivation methods have changed. I want to think there's a lot more positive incentive than in my day.

Unlike thousands of other FTAB members over the years, as a fish, I had a little trouble with the footwork on the countermarch. Wednesday practice before our first drill Tom R. '67, our right guide, told me "fish W. you screw that up one more time and you don't march Saturday". No question in my mind that he meant it. Of course the drum sophomores had another idea and they threw a party for me in the drum room to work on my upper body strength. What that had to do with footwork, I still wonder. I doubt it happens that way today.

Question...Are they not doing as many minstrels or 4 winds/lost indian type stuff anymore? All the games I have been to in the last several years are early season games so they have all been pretty basic.

I wasn't in the band, but I was FDT. The amount of dedicated practice time FDT had to practice in the 70's or 80's compared to today is probably less than half as much. And with academics as important today (which is far more than ever before), there just isn't even that much time to practice on your own or with a buddy. FDT is still pretty good, but is also not anywhere near where it once was. Even basic drill looks pretty bad during the march-ins - though I suspect that is more from not caring about drill than about practice time, as it really isn't that hard to stay in step, cover, and align.

Do you think that the drills are so different because of the lack of military style marching bands in high school? Most high school bands are anything but "marching bands" now days. Even my kids' high school traditional "Aggie Style" marching band has gone to a hybrid style. Lots of the contemporary "Corps" style mixed in now.

I would see it like running a Wing-T offence in High school and transitioning to a wide open spread offence in college were the only things similar is the football and tackling.

I marched in both a military band in high school and a "corps style" band (I went to Longview High in 10th grade).

I don't think the marching style of the high school band has anything to do with it. The drills seem much less complex than when I was there ('97-'01). I wonder if Dr. Rhea designs any drills anymore. His were always the best, in my opinion. The others seemed too simple.

Having marched in the Aggie Band, it is actually disappointing to see so many drills where I know exactly what they are doing and are probably going to do next.