It's Almost Gameday!!!

[Joshua Clasen]

Dearest T-Row,

How can it possibly be June already?  Summer Sessions start this coming Tuesday (June 21st) from 7-9pm at the top of Mt. Steinbrenner which means it's officially Band Season...which means it's almost very nearly Gameday!!!

Today at the Squad Leader Retreat we learned a ton of information about the upcoming season, and in an attempt to facilitate good communication between the row, we are going to outline what we talked about in this email.  Much of what we discussed was more pertinent to the actual season than Summer Sessions, so we will hold off on going in depth on anything until after Make-the-Band Night. However, if you have any questions about anything, please do not hesitate to ask either of us.

List of 2011 Halftime Shows

Akron Zips - John Brennan

I. Gonna Fly Now

II. Eye of the Tiger

III. Quad Script

Toledo Rockets - Swearingen

I. Phantom of the Opera

II. Masquerade

III. Music of the Night/ I Dreamed Dream

IV. Can You Hear the People Sing/ One Day More

Colorado Buffaloes - McDaniel

I. Take the A-Train

II. Zoot Suit Riot

III. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

IV. In the Mood

Michigan State Spartans (Buckeye Invitational) - Galvin

I. Promenade

II. New World Symphony

III. Flight of the Bumble Bee

IV. Babba Yaga/ Great Gate of Kiev

Wisconsin Badgers - McCoy

I. James Bond Theme

II. Live and Let Die

III. You Know My Name

IV. Goldfinger

V. 75th Anniversary of Script Ohio

Indiana Hoosiers (What's a Hoosier?) - Pfaffman

I. Parachutes Air Force One

II. America - Neil Diamond

III. Goin Home - Dvorak

IV. Born in the USA - The Boss

Penn State Lions - Tatgenhorst

I. Johhny B. Goode

II. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

III. Satisfaction

IV. Piano Man

V. Hang On Sloopy

Summer Sessions

Probably the most drastic change we will be making this year lies in the restructure of Summer Sessions.  The first block band as we all knew from years past no longer exists. In its place is now 1 on 1 work between Vets and Candidates.  Veteran members of the band will be assigned a certain number of Candidates (and most likely Rookies) with which to work.  The Vets will teach their candidates the day's marching fundamentals, review previous weeks' marching fundamentals, catch Candidates who don't attend Summer Sessions regularly up to speed, and critique the Candidates' execution of fundamentals.  After this 1 on 1 time, the Row will group back up together to do about 15 minutes of row drill followed by a final 35 minute Block Band.

So Vets, get ready to teach...

Correct Posture, The Chair Step, The Positions of Attention and At Ease, Instruments Up and Down, Right Face, Left Face, About Face, Step-Forward About Face, (North, South, East, West)

on Tuesday.

This schedule is still tentative and subject to change, but the Summer Session Leadership Team will be using this syllabus until better solutions are found.  We know some of you were planning on skipping the first couple weeks of Summer Sessions, but because of this change we're really going to need our Veterans to step up.  One of the goals we have this summer is to have over 400 people show up at try outs.  We can not afford to have another year of cutting only 14 trumpets, and in order to accomplish this goal we need to make our candidates as comfortable as possible with the process while also showing how much work it really takes to be a member of this band.  The only way to achieve success is through the leadership of all of you.  You all are students of THE Ohio State University, thus making you some of the best leaders in not only this great state but in this great nation.  Let's go balls out and show the rest of the band why #45 knows our motto.

Some of the other things you can look forward to during Summer Sessions are less mind-bender drills, less swaggers and step-kicks, more marching and playing, and significantly less mindless babble coming from the Squad Leaders!

T-Row Goals and Expectations

Eliminate the "oh we're just T-Row" Mentality (unless used as inside joke) (show the other rows why we're THE Row)

Continual Improvement in both Marching and Playing (don't peak at Tryouts, there's still 4 months of band left)

No Failed Music Checks

All Rookies Get Ramps

COMMUNICATION

Improve Row Unity

Continue T-Row Domination of Inter-Row Relations (party with every row in the band. Even H!)

No Bitching

OSUMB Goals and Expectations

Having a Positive Attitude

Having an Attitude of Gratitude

Eliminating ALL Entitlement Mentality

Improving Communication

Eliminating Hostility and Combativeness

No Candidate/Rookie Left Behind

Improving 'Band Culture'*

*This isn't a problem so much in T-Row as it is in other rows, but it's probably a good idea to address the predicament we're in this year.  We all know what Rookie Life is, and we can all agree that it definitely sucks.  There are also some traditions (MR, etc.) that we largely take for granted without knowing all of the possible consequences.  Ohio State is in an incredibly tough place right now with the impending NCAA sanctions, and the last thing we need is more bad publicity.  S-1 brought up a good point today by asking how many of us have had to defend this University and its actions recently.  The actions of a few football players forced one of the best things to ever happen to this University out the door in disgrace.  Any of our actions could generate immense negative publicity for Ohio State and the last thing any of us should want is to be the root cause.  We know the story of Wisconsin and their game suspension, and it's impossible not to shudder at thought of Ohio Stadium on Gameday without the traditional Ramp Entrance or a Script Ohio.  The Directing Staff and the Squad Leaders are not forcing anything upon us, but we do want to stress that there is a time and a place for everything, and that we must make all of our decisions as if they could decide the fate of our Alma Mater.  Basically, just don't be an idiot and everything will be fine. (We don't expect this to be a problem, just a disclaimer.)

This will likely be a very trying year for Buckeyes everywhere.  The NCAA, the media, and the entire country is going to continue to scrutinize our program, but there's one thing that no one will ever be able to tread on and that is The Best Damn Band in the Land.  If the team get's a bowl ban, if the team loses a bunch of games, if the team loses to our rivals up North, then the only thing our fans will be able to count on is having The Best Damn Band in the Land.  We are an immovable cornerstone of Ohio State's football tradition, and we need to make sure that our fans know that as long as the world turns, they will have The Best Damn Band in the Land.  This year we will uphold a new motto to compliment Picking Up our Feet, Turning our Corners Square, and Drive, Drive, Driving With Balls.  We will live by the motto "NOW...More Than Ever."

Now more than ever our school is under attack.

Now more than ever our fans fear the future.

Now more than ever we are backed into a corner.

Now more than ever tradition needs to be upheld.

Now more than ever we need to be The Best Damn Band in the Land.

For Strength, For Courage, For Vigor, For Loyalty, For Health, For Spirit, For Concourse and Comradeship, For Friendship Through Contest

...For Ohio.

Go Buckeyes,

T-1 and T-12