Awakening from a long basketball season... (Thanks to Oliver!) I was in the Gator Band a few decades ago - the "glory days" of the 70's. All I can say is that it was one of the best experiences that I've ever had. I wasn't a music major (Thought I'd try it at first. Didn't succeed. Tried second as a phys. ed. major. Safe at second!). I travel to the Gator Band Alumni Day weekend most every year. I still meet up with quite a few of my buddies, and we still get in trouble during rehearsals (I've been told that it's a trombone thing.). The friendships that I've made have been, without a doubt, priceless.
Yes, there have been many changes in the band since the 70's, but I feel they are getting better. There are a few scholarships floating around for both music majors and non music majors. The Gator Band has a summer program. They have been invited to the Olympic Games in London! Other reasons for choosing the Gator Band over the SOW menagerie: 1) Great looking uniforms. 2) You don't have a fight song that sounds out of breath. 3) f$u uniforms are ugly. 4) The Gator Band's arrangements are very good. Gary Langford is a tremendous arranger. 5) Let's see: Marching halftime in The Swamp vs. marching halftime in the Erector Set. Hands down: Better acoustics in Gainesville. 6) An active alumni group (we're trying). 7) An opportunity to play music vs. groaning incessantly for 3+ hours. 8) To be a member of a performing organization that started a cheer: Go Bananas! and 9) It's Great To Be A Florida Gator! That being said - there's no need for a #10. Check out YouTube for videos of the band - both the students & alumni! Later, Dave Rice Gator Bone '73 - '77 On Feb 7, 2:53 pm, "mail.bobparks.com" <[email protected]> wrote: > That's really low, even for semis. > That song only has one word too. > Dave? You should know someone in the music department at UF. > > Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI > Real Estate Broker > Bob Parks, LLC > 1517 Hunt Club Blvd > Gallatin TN 37066 > 615-972-4239 > 615-826-4040 > Sent from my iPhone > > On Feb 7, 2012, at 2:48 PM, John Vega <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > All those musically inclined... > > > My daughter Olivia is a year away from college. We have done our civic duty > > and fully educated her in all things Orange and Blue. In fact, I believe > > she was the first birth announcement on Gatortalk back in early 1995. > > > Olivia loves music and marching band. She is good (second chair in the > > french horn in all-county and the youth philharmonic, second trumpet in > > jazz band, plus concert band, ukelele, steel drum, etc.), but also realizes > > that her future lies somewhere other than as a musician. > > > However, just because music won't be her occupation doesn't man that she > > doesn't want it to be a part of her life and studies. So, a college's music > > department and marching band will be an important factor in deciding where > > she will attend school. > > > To that end, FSU has attempted something extremely devious. Its music > > department hosts a summer camp for two weeks and she and other > > impressionable youths are indoctrinated in the garnet and gold. As a > > result, she is seriously considering attending FSU. > > > I have only a year to change her mind. I'm happy to drive her up to UF; she > > has been several times before, but a typical campus tour would be > > meaningless. She needs exposure to the music department and the band. I'm > > not sure what to do next. > > > I thought that perhaps any Gatortalk members that were part of the Pride of > > the Sunshine might have some good ideas. I can't bear the idea of her > > spending four years in college learning to play only one song. > > > -Zeb > > > -- > > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > > 2008 National Football Champions | > > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website atwww.gatornet.us- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
