If you have never heard Lee Greenwood sing the song, "God Bless the USA", you should listen to it and then you would understand why the band playing that song would make it even more significant.
The noise you hear from the stands is the crowd singing the Fighting Texas Aggie song along with the band. It's amazing to be a part of it. Class of '88.
What does it feel like? Hard work, teamwork. No place for prima donnas. You hear only your part because most of the others are ahead of you or in formation around you. You hear the crowd roar. You listen for the drum major's whistle. You listen for the beat down to the drum cadence. And you're on! I could never eat before a performance as I'd throw up. After the performance, I'd hit the concession to have something light to eat. Dinner would be waiting for me when I got home.
In the 60's my high school band patterned its routines after the Aggie band including running onto the field. We even had intricate maneuvers like this one. We practiced every day from August thru football season. We learned a new routine each week. and memorized all songs we played. We won 1st place at marching contests every year. Our band director was inducted into the High School Hall of Fame of Texas. Best 4 years of my life.
I played in the Purdue University “All American” Marching Band in the early 70’s. We were the largest collegiate band at the time with over 550 members. We practiced about 3 hours every day after classes. On game day we played a pregame concert at an outdoor amphitheater , then a pregame show on the field followed by the halftime show. Finally a postgame concert on the field and then another show at the Executive building. Pretty amazing for a university without a music school. Our style was more pageantry oriented. I remember my band days more than any other class that I attended.
An interesting sidenote, the song they play at the beginning, the Aggie War Hymn, is their fight song. Their fight song and that of the University of Texas, their arch rivals, are the only university fight songs that start out putting down the other university. It's not unusual for university bands practice 40+ hours a week - they have a new show each week...for 12 weeks. This plus their studies. A&M is the largest military band in the world.
Its halftime at Texas A&M football game at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. The large group is the Corp of Cadets. The school is near Houston 90 Miles (160 KM) Northwest. This happens at every home game. The school has over 1000 acre campus, over 70,000 students, and Kyle field holds over 100,000 fans for these games.
I’m a graduate of 1992. Wasn’t in the corp, but the many traditions of the school are corp. The students in the stands stand all four hours of the game. We be happy to have you for yell practice before the game and to attend a game at Kyle field.
I'm class of 93. We have the drum majors come up with a plan on Sunday. The computer gives us numbers on Monday. We practice music on Tuesday and Wednesday we put it together. Thursday we practice. Friday we are off. Saturday we perform for 100k fans
I'm a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, my son is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, my son-in-law's brother graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the US Service Academies have amazing traditions. My two eldest children graduated from Texas A&M University at College Station, and I still have not been exposed to a school of higher education (to include the US Service Academies) that rivals the traditions of Texas A&M. It's not possible to describe in a short comment, so I encourage you to "Google" it. The basis of "Aggie" culture is positivity, so to whet your appetite, my favorite is that Texas A&M never loses--they may run out of time or they may be outscored, but they never lose.
The alumni all stand throughout the entire game. They all wear the maroon and white or Kacey. They wave their rally flags and they sing their fight song. They respect each other to the utmost.
Yes, aggies fight in the first quarter and aggies fight in the second quarter. Aggies also fight in the third quarter and Aggies fight in the fourth quarter. Aggies fight in overtime and when the game is over Aggies fight the other team out behind the bus.
aggie football games are truly incredible especially standing room only sellouts when their is 112,000 people their. it gets so loud and all the students stand the whole game. the student section covers a whole side of the stadium.
As someone who Marched with FTAB for a year now and excited to return for another… we practice roughly 2 hours every weekday with the Bugle rank practicing for numerous hours the Sunday night before. Then we will practice for an hour or two Saturday morning before the game. The time spent however is not the main reason behind our success. It is the self-discipline, precision, and culture of our Band and our rehearsals that enable us to be the Best Damn out outfit anywhere and the best Band in the world. It always fills me with Enduring pride to watch one of these reactions and I really do hope you’ll go back and watch some more of our lovely band. I recommend the 2022 UMass game. I personally marched in that halftime and have received so many comments saying it is among the best halftimes ever for the FTAB. God Bless and Gig Em
The "T" at the end was filled in by the Corp of Cadets. They are training to be Military Officers. And Texas A&M produces the 3rd largest amount of officers in the U.S. Military, just behind the two big Military Academies.
Former member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band (FTAB) here. BQ Class of 2024 There is a lot information about the FTAB all over the internet but four note worthy mentions I would like to address is the FTAB “Step-Off”, Uniforms, Sousaphones (or more commonly known as Tuba’s) and the Corps Hump-It. 1. Prior to any FTAB performance, the Head Drum Major or the leading conductor of the band (there are 3 Drum Majors), announces the words “Recall, Step-Off On Hullabaloo”. The Bugle-Rank along with the band sound the Bugle Call “Recall”; then the Band steps off on the word “Hullabaloo” (the first word in the schools fight song or “War Hymn”). Some have said "Hullabaloo, caneck, caneck" is related to the sound of train wheels going over rails or a cannon being loaded. When asked by a state legislator in 1972, university president Dr. Jack K. Williams said, "It is Chickasaw Indian for 'Beat the hell out of the University of Texas.'" 2. The uniforms of the Corps of Cadets are renditions of U.S. Army WWII/Vietnam Era uniforms and every member of the Cadet Corps wears these uniforms with unique uniform items to differentiate their academic, military and extra curricular participation and service. Similarly, the Drum Majors (the individuals leading FTAB) carry a mace in lieu of a musical instrument to conduct the band. But they are the only individuals in the Corps of Cadets who have chrome uniform items instead of the traditional gold like the rest of the cadets in uniform. 3. In FTAB, the Sousaphone is known as a ‘Bass’ and not a Tuba. The University of Texas or t.u. for short, is and has been Texas A&M’s long standing rival and to spell the word “Tuba”, would be require to unite the letters T and U together. This unfortunate reality has required Aggie Bandsmen to be creative and refer to the Sousaphone as a “Bass”. 4. At the end of an FTAB performance, the band creates their signature “Block-T” formation. But in this very specific case, this Block-T formation is made up of the entirety of the Corps of Cadets (both band and non-band members). Traditionally, this occurs during the football season where Texas A&M is playing their rival school. The Corps of Cadets gather and yell the Corps Hump-It. Which is as follows: “The Fighting Texas Aggie Cadet Corps… The Twelth Man… The Spirit of Aggieland… The Best Damn Outfit Anywhere!” I hope this information is insightful and helpful. Thank You & Gig ‘Em Aggies 👍
I've worked for nearly 30 years at universities......and these "kids" are on the practice field MONTHS before instruction begins and practice for hours and hours each day. I always know the summer is over and the fall semester is about to begin when I hear close to 20 members of just the drum corps practicing in one of the campus parking structures. The acoustics are amazing.
I can speak from experience having been in marching band in highschool, that any half time performance takes at least 25-30hrs to learn entirely and to get it right for the first time, then the rest of the season is spent on repetition. Texas A&M band is a military style marching band, one of the few left in the entire US.
Those students started in middle school and then high school. Many receive scholarships to play in the college and university bands. They are invited to play in large parades all and even the inauguration of the president.
Graduated in 1989 from Texas A&M and there was a whole community feeling, not just with the Marching Band, but everyone on campus had an incredible place in their heart and love for the band and honor them as the Spirit of Aggieland. Was incredible to go to the football game and then see the band. Very fun memories.
@ItsMatthewReacts Former Aggie Bandsman here. To answer your questions: Band practice is typically ~6-10 hours/week with a new show each week, but practice can run up to 20-30 hours...one time during my time was almost 40. It varies based on the position and what's going on. How do we do it? Most of it is following a straight line with VERY precise steps and two types of countermarches (turning around to march the other way). Most of the members of the Aggie Band are veterans of high school bands. By comparison these drills have MUCH fewer individual assignments, but the precision demanded is significantly higher as well. From center of person to the center of the next person, these cadets march exactly 60 inches apart. When marching between each other, that drops to 30 inches. When marching in obliques (diagonals), that drops to ~21 inches. Measure your shoulders to get an idea of how far apart that is and how much space there is between bandsmen. In some maneuvers later in the year, they actually brush shoulders while marching 90 degrees to the other's path. We also live together and are part of the same units in the Corps of Cadets, so we not only practice every morning in the fall, but we eat together, run together, do activities together, etc. This helps us forge a bond as a unit and makes communication/expectations easier. As for teaching each drill, in many cases, it's "follow the person in front of you, do a countermarch on the 40 yard line" or "follow the person to your right"
It’s all real marching…. I am a second generation Aggie alum. I graduated in 1995. The band has been marching in close quarter routines for decades upon decades upon decades with a tradition of excellence. Watch the tubas and the big bass drums when they turn….love the tuba turns! Its awe inspiring to watch these performances live.
Back when I was in school (60s and 70s), kids started marching band in 7th grade and went through high school (12th grade). Then they went and tried out at colleges and universities until they could get a scholarship or at least be accepted. I grew up watching the half time shows on the bowl games, especially the orange bowl where the University of Oklahoma performed every year for many years. They were amazing in the 70s. How do they get there? Practice practice and more practice. They have to be able to play as well as march.
It is Aggie as in agriculture. Practice, lots of practice. Hours each day. Your reaction is priceless. The universities here all have marching bands. The stadiums are huge. Texas A & M is in College Station, Texas.
Check out Battle of the Bands, Grambling and Southern. These bands actually put on a show and dance during some of their performances with instruments in hand. Just a little something different, but I do love Texas A&M marching band.
Many decades ago I played flute in our high school marching band, certainly nowhere near this level! Still, numerous hours of practice both at home to learn the music and on the field.
Most of us start marching band training in middle school or just as we enter high achool. We are given a measurement of length of dootstep, and we practice, practice, practice on the football field to make those measures steps a habit so the lines stay straight and we don't collide. How much practice? Between the music rehearsal and the formation rehearsal, it consumes hours each day!
A&M also happens to have a TE on the football team from Sweden, he was a freshman last year. As far as famous NFL players Von Miller, Myles Garrett, and Ryan Tannehill are probably the most recognizable names but there are quite a few others.
TAMU Band facts: 1) They practice daily. 2) The freshman(fish) of the band are not recognized until they have a flawless performance. 3) There is a football game every Saturday. 4) All cadets learn basic drill(marching) the band must also learn the performance. 5) The music helps them keep count and to know when to turn. 6) In the Corps of Cadets a simple Corps member is known as a CT(Corp Turd) and a band member is a BQ(Band Queer) (We kid ourselves in fun) 7) Those times when the band marches through itself is called a counter coulmn. There is room for others to do that. 8) The base drum and sousaphone have a special snap turn that they do if you see them up close. There are also times when a a trumpet or trombone must be lowered to let someone pass between. Other Corps facts: 1) Senior ranking cadet is not the Corps Cadet Commander...its Reveille the mascot. 2) If Reveille wanders into you room and jumps on your bed you gain privileges. 3) Cadets are required to attend all football games and you saw the entire Corps on the field in the Block T formation. 4) There are 3 formations a day where military drill is practiced and it is taught constantly to cadets. 5) The fourth class system is always in effect once the initial training is done. 6) Each unit has a designation and saying. My unit (no longer in existence) was Squadron 15 and our saying was "Squadron 15! Doctors to be! The best damn outfit anywhere!" When proceeding to class and walking across the quad upperclassmen could harass you. If you where late when asked what unit you were in you would shout your unit saying then run off the quad with hands in the air. 7) There were units for the Air Force, Navy/Marines, and Army. The military building on campus had offices for all 3 services and is called the Trigon similar to the Pentagon. 8) When I was in attendance the Corps was responsible for about 90% of the activities on or near campus.
In 1964-1968, I played in an award-winning high school band. We started learning the music in July. In August we began rehearsing the routines on the football field. We had to share the time on the field with the football team. These routines are carefully executed and much practiced. We had two routines: a pregame routine for home games and a half-time routine for away games. Our band, color guard, majorettes, and cheerleaders brought our numbers up to just over 100. Band was 8 x 8. The rest were pretty girls on the band front. College bands have much bigger numbers in their ranks and they can perform far more complex routines.
the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas Agricultural and Mechanical, originally, but today the letters no longer explicitly stand for anything. When Texas A&M was opened on Oct. 4, 1876 as the state's first public institution of higher education, it was called the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, or "A&M" for short.
Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University, now just called Texas A and M or just A&M (not T-A-M or A-T-M, although you may see it at time as TAMU but that is mostly used for the affiliated colleges like TAMU-Commerce). It's a hard "G" (like in grapes) in the pronunciation of "Aggies" not a soft "G" (like in German).
At the beginning of their performance, the announcer says “Now forming at north end of Kyle Field, the Nationally Famous “Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band” (Aggie = agricultural) Their style is military precision marching. Other universities are considered “show bands”. Outside of the military academy’s (West Point, Annapolis, etc.) A&M is the largest military school in the country. But my point of all this is to say that the Aggie band is, and has been, the #1 college marching bands in the country, followed by Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, Auburn in no particular order.
Wow!!!!!! This is insane!!!!!! I grew up going to drum corp competitions but this is on a different level!!! My mother was in one long long time ago she would have loved to have seen this!!
I used to live in Bryan/College Station, home of Texas A&M. I had been to many football games and seeing the Aggie Band march was truly amazing! They are truly the pride of Texas A&M.
I’m Sarah, Class of 1993, from Texas A&M University. You should try and get to a football game. We have so much pride, honor & tradition in our school.
We grow up with marching bands. They are part of our culture. There are junior high and high school bands. Every Friday night my high school band played at half time at the football games. Every week a different program and in college it takes an exponential step up. We love our marching bands.
I do appreciate your reaction. I'm an old woman now, but I have wonderful memories of my dad, an AGGIE taking me to Ft. Worth to see the band parade downtown and then to the game against Texas Christian University. His pride was lifelong and to this day, I'm impressed by that band.
I miss The Southwest Conference. I miss those parades. I miss that Texas-centric paradigm. By now few Aggies und Horned Toads realize what a rivalry this was.
Yep, great memories, even though I'm a TCU fan, my larger family are Aggies and going to watch the band/corp in downtown Dallas (game vs SMU) or Fort Worth (game vs TCU) was an annual event. But hey everybody went chasing money and what we have now is soooo much better (kidding of course).
This is a military style band where OSU is a show band. The SEC means South Eastern Conference. My husband is a Texas A&M graduate. Usually the band director at these levels hold a Doctorate in music. The Drum Major is a Music Major looking to become a Band Director. Bands are formed in the 6th grade (the beginning of middle school} and they start learning to march in the 7th. The practice in the 7th grade during class period and two hours after school that is three hours a day all the way through high school. The practice increases to. Four hours a day at the collegiate level. Most of the college level band members are so good they are offered a music scholarship.
I wouldn't call tOSUMB a 'show band'. They are also rooted in ROTC military style marching but they put on more entertaining shows. Their marching technique and discipline is very military in nature. When I think 'show band' I think HBCU
This is horribly wrong. Your local area might start marching that early, normally it doesn't start until 9th grade. Texas A&M does not have music majors. The drum majors are often engineering and business majors. While almost everyone in the Aggie Band has some variety of scholarship, it definitely isn't music related. We also practice significantly less than my high school did, with less than two hours a day during regular classes.
What you say may be true at many schools but not at A&M. I don't think col. Dunn, Col. Adams, Col. Haney or Col. Brewer had any doctorates. They had eagles on their shoulders and that sufficed. If I remember correctly, Jay Brewer was a Military Police officer. The drum majors are never music majors. Texas A&M does not have a music dept. much less a school of music. The drum majors get engineering, science, agricultural or humanities degrees like anyone else. (If I recall, though, there may have been a music appreciation elective back in the early 80s). Aggies bandsmen are expected to know how to play their instruments when they arrive. It doesn't always work out that way but that was the expectation. Freshmen show up a week early for FOW or "Fish orientation week". They are taught the basics of military life, marching, etc. during that week. Rank and file bandsmen will have practice for 1.5 to 2 hours each afternoon on school days. The drum majors, bugle rank (aka bungle rank) and a detachment of percussion will be there a bit early to learn their parts. The practice generally consisted of sectional practice for around 45 minutes and then practice by the entire band. Other than this, all cadets stand formation in the morning and march to breakfast and in the evening and march to supper. This always uses a bugler and, sometimes, the drum and bugle corps may put in an appearance (aka Beat and Blow). Things may have changed a little bit since I was a BQ, back when dinosaurs still roamed the land and Noah was still just a midshipman 2/c, but I would be surprised if the description I gave is not mostly still correct.
They're considered a military band and can only be in the band if you're a member of the Corp of Cadets. Their turns are actually military precision turns
All my closest friends were marching band kids and although I didn't play an instrument, I'd always go hang out while they practiced and legit they'd practice 2 to 3 hours a day after school and then also on the weekend and we're in Miami.... so training in the hot sun. It was INTENSE.
I played in the local high school marching band and my family would go see A&M all the time when they came up to play Oklahoma. Hands down my favorite band to watch of any college organization. The sound is IMMENSE in person and the precision is perfect. Since they are a military school the level of attention to detail is unmatched.
I really think you would also like the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon. They’re pretty amazing. Marching bands are very fun to watch. They usually play during the halftime of college football games, but they rarely show them on televised games. You have to actually be at the game to see the show. It’s a bummer really.
Most of these guys started out in high school. I started in the marching band my freshman year of high school. Almost all high schools have marching bands to perform at the high schools' halftime shows. I also graduated Texas A&M many moons ago.
My kids started in the 7th grade with parade marching and shadow days with the High School. One of my sons is a drum major and went to his first drum major camp going into the 8th grade.
Matthew, just to fill you in here, Aggie is a nickname for "Agricultural", since A&M is an abbreviation for "Agricultural and Mechanical", and the school is Texas A & M. They have the time between home games to learn each of these shows, which would be just a few weeks at most. The thing that also amazes me about these shows is that a good portion of the band have their back to the drum major, as opposed to an orchestra, where the members have their eyes on the conductor 100% of the time. Yet, they never have an echo in their playing. 95% of the time, if not 100%, these shows are done during halftime, i.e., following the end of the 2nd. quarter. I almost forgot to clear up the mystery for you. SEC stands for Southeastern Conference.
I live in an apartment near a high school stadium, and can hear the powerful and mellifluous sounds of the half time performances while sitting on my couch. But it's nothing like experiencing this from inside the stadium! And that's at a high school level! Look up the Allen Eagles high school band.
Hello Matt! My brothers and I have season tickets to A&M football. We get to watch this amazing marching band at every home game at halftime. They are incredible to watch each and every time.
I want to share a few things. Marching bands have been a big part of American life for many years. I grew up in the 1950's and 1960's and our High School, like others, had a marching band. Music, as a whole, was important in the school. When our football team would win a home game, which they did a lot, we followed the band as they played through the streets of our community and celebrated. Like in most Colleges and schools there are still a lot of extracurricular activities that add a lot to the overall college experience. 2nd, in my adult life I lived in Texas for ten years and attended a few Texas Aggies football games and they were truly fantastic. You should check out High School football in Texas. Trust me, it is crazy. 3rd, My family came to the usa in the 1920s from Denmark. All of these years later, we have kept in touch. The extended family would come here and we visited Denmark on many occasions. I have a lot of relatives in Copenhagen, Roskilde, Middlefart etc. On one trip, I took the hydrofoil to Malmo for a quick visit. So, I have visited and enjoyed hospitality from your wonderful country. My last trip to Denmark was 8 yrs ago and, that will be my last. But, the few of us left, still stay in touch - 100+ yrs since leaving Denmark. I love your channel! Blessings to you - Karen
Be sure to check out A&M’s 4 Way Cross drill, it’s absolutely insane. And as someone else suggested- University of Tennessee’s Circle Drill. Auburn and LSU also have really awesome pre-game shows. At some schools the fans love their bands nearly as much as the football team haha.
All I can think when seeing this is "With my luck, I'd be the one that would trip and topple everything else." Because if I were on that field, all I'd be THINKING is "Don't be the one to trip up and topple everything else" on a neverending loop in my head.
These students are all cadets working to join the military when they graduate from college. It takes hours and hours of practice but gets easier as you get more experience. Our high school band marched in the military style.
This is definitely real. They start learning the figures without their instruments, then add them in once their march is near perfect. Takes hours of practice & many of the members have been in marching bands since they were 13-14 years old.
The key is to memorize your own part and trust everyone else to hit their mark. It isn't easy, but it's not quite as difficult as it looks. I always thought that the real hard part was choreography. Figuring out where everyone is supposed to be and exactly what they are supposed to do, seems impossible to me. My highschool band won state championships three years in a row. Our band director was a genius.
LONG COMMENT! But please read, I think you'll like it! :) For context (I played in marching band in high school and college, and while I did not go to Texas A&M, my dad did and I went to several A&M football games - I like to think I'm relatively well-versed in Texas Aggie tradition)- Texas A&M was historically an all-male Agriculture and Mechanical military college (That's what the A&M stands for) with it being mandatory that you join corps of cadets. That's why Texas A&M has such a large Corps of Cadets. Other schools have them, but A&M's is uniquely large. These cadets take ROTC classes, take orders from superior officers, and receive some level of military officer conditioning and training. When they graduate, they have the option of joining any branch of the US military as an officer, but they can also choose to remain a civilian once they graduate too. To join the band, you must join the Corps of Cadets. They march in a true military style, as opposed to more contemporary drum-corps style that you see in most other high schools, colleges, and universities across the country. So, instead of making pictures like you'd see with schools like Ohio State that you reacted to, they do lots of geometrical rank and file follow-the-leader marching. This explains why they are all in military-style uniforms. At 1:10, the drum major (that's the guy out front with the large baton) gives out a command. That command is "Recall! Step off on Hullabaloo!" This command means to play the traditional military bugle called Recall, which are the first notes of the Aggie War Hymn, then to step off on the lyric "Hullabaloo". You can find a lyric video to the War Hymn here: ua-cam.com/video/6h7T_zbPGBw/v-deo.html Texas A&M is known for its very unique type of cheer - the whoop. You can hear the crowd whooping between the words of the drum major's cadence and whenever anything cheer-worthy happens. Technically, whooping is a privilege reserved only to upperclassmen! Only juniors and seniors are supposed to be allowed to whoop, but in reality everyone does! To do so before one is an upperclassman is what is called "bad bull", aka something that goes against Texas A&M tradition. 1:50 "I wonder how many?" - Kyle Field underwent a MASSIVE expansion back in 2013. It used to hold about 83,000, and now it holds 103,000. It is the fourth-largest football stadium in the country, and is bigger than any NFL stadium - in fact the largest NFL stadium isn't even in the top ten of all football stadiums. 2:03 "I know this song!" - This song is the Aggie War Hymn, like I wrote about above, and it serves as A&M's fight song. You might have heard something to the same or similar tune. The main melody comes from "Goodbye my Coney Island Baby" which is a classic barbershop tune, or even the Yogi Bear cartoon theme song is slightly similar. 2:22 "Yo, they're turning in it!" - This is called a countermarch, and it leaves just inches between cadets. These drills are very carefully planned and practiced, and it's actually so tight that unlike most schools, the drill isn't written by computer, because it's impossible. There are some movements where two cadets are in the same place at the same time. You should totally check out the four-way cross, as it is the Texas Aggie Band's signature move, and is impossible to chart by computer: ua-cam.com/video/OSgTX1Uz1Tk/v-deo.html 2:38 "Bro, what's going on?" Nearly all Aggie Band drill is follow-the-leader. It's actually the bugle players who are the leaders, and everyone falls in behind them. The bugles aren't actually played, and to be a bugler is a very elite honor bestowed only on seniors. You can tell who a senior is because they're the ones in the fancy leather riding boots. All Corps of Cadets seniors get a pair of boots and the boots themselves are an honor and a symbol. 3:53 "Are there any famous NFL players who went to Texas A&M?" - there are about 30 currently playing in the league now, at various positions. The most well-known current one is Ryan Tannehill, who is the Tennessee Titans' current starting QB. Prior to this, the most well-known (and later infamous for his descent into obscurity) was Johnny Manziel, who started for the Cleveland Browns before going to the Canadian Football League and then washing out to minor football leagues. He's basically considered a washout now, but he was a Heisman winner and everyone called him Johnny Football! 4:20 "How the hell do they do this?" - It's a lot of counting, mostly. You have to know where in the song you will be turning, how many steps you will be marching, when to turn... So, WHILE YOU ARE PLAYING YOUR INSTRUMENT, you are also thinking to yourself "Four measures here... I turn left in... six, seven, eight, TURN!" Eventually it becomes muscle memory and you will associate particular passages in the song with a direction to move in. At A&M, the step sizes are more consistent, as every step is always a six-to-five step (that is, it takes *six* steps to go *five* yards. In other marching bands you will have eight-to-five, sixteen-to-five, and four-to-five, where it takes eight, sixteen, or four steps to go five yards, respectively). Again, it helps that it's a follow-the-leader movement and you will follow the guy in front of you. The buglers are the ones that have the most to remember as they're the leaders! 4:29 "How much do you guys practice?" It depends on the school you go to, but the Corps practices for over ten hours a week on TOP of their regular Corps of Cadets training AND classes AND homework. 5:36 "How has no one tripped?" - Oh trust me, they do. Just, only at practice. And usually only the freshmen (or as A&M calls them, "fish"). If you trip and fall here, the rest of the band WILL run you over. This is a ubiquitous sentiment in marching band. If someone falls over, you step on them, don't break the set to get out of the way. The show must go on, and the band yields to no one. 6:41 "Have any of you guys been to something like this?" - I've been to three or four Texas A&M games (despite never going to A&M!), but countless, maybe even hundreds, of games from other colleges, high schools, and NFL. Just about every week, literally hundreds of colleges across the country play football. It may not always be the big schools you've heard about, but even a little division 3 school can put out some exciting football! 7:10 "You study, you party, but there's no unity" - Football is a common weekly event for millions. In college especially, it's a way to show school spirit and unity. In the United States, a lot of the best schools aren't in big cities, but in sleepy little college towns where everyone knows each other. Lots of students even live on campus and see the same faces every day, so it's always a way to get people to come together and make friends and lasting relationships. I think that's the best thing about college in the US versus across the world. At Texas A&M especially, you can always tell an Aggie alumnus by their gold class ring they often wear, so everyone who's an Aggie knows who other Aggies are. 8:22 "I want to experience this so much!" - It may be expensive, but you're always welcome to fly down to College Station, TX, maybe meet a fan, and go to the game with them. Most stores sell Texas A&M merch for relatively cheap, so it'll be easy to get you decked out, but the biggest cost will definitely be travel. Tickets range anywhere from US$30 to over US$500, depending on section and even who you're playing - but the cheaper tickets sell quick! 9:40 "What's going on here?" - That's the rest of the Corps of Cadets. This halftime show is dedicated to them, so during halftime they all storm the field, make a big block T, and celebrate the Corps of Cadets.
I'm late to your comments. I have been to Kyle field a couple of times. I play football for another school. The band members do practice from early in the morning & sometimes stay until night time. I would imagine the Aggie band stays even longer. I don't think I would say they are better than Ohio State. You don't want to start a war. LOL!! They are different. OSU is a conceptual marching band & TAM is a precision. Both schools have insane levels of entry for band.
God Bless the USA evokes so many emotions in me because I can remember listening to this song every morning for stand to in the Desert. The tear will always run down my cheek during hti song and the Star Spangled Banner because veterans don’t just know the impact, we understand and feel the impact of fighting for our country!
I was actually looking for a TAMU band video to post in your osu marching band video comments when I found this. Apparently someone already pointed you in the direction of the Aggie Band. Most high school and college bands are usually basically a variation of the same flavor.. even if they are all talented. TAMU’s band is something special and unique. Glad someone pointed you to it!
I grew up 30 miles away from campus and on cool early mornings you could hear them practicing from my back yard in Bryan, tx. I’ve seen them dozens of times and it gives me chills every time without fail.
Me too. In high school I was also in all county band. We had over 100 band members in high school. We even marched down main street at Walt Disney world. The good old ays.
As someone who did marching band both in high school and in college, the ones I would recommend for pure entertainment factor: 1) Ohio State Hollywood blockbusters halftime show 2) Ohio State performance at Wembley 3) University of South Carolina military half time show (patriotism on steroids) 4) University of South Carolina pre-game show and 5) University of South Carolina post-game Amazing Grace/America the Beautiful (of course I’m biased as a former member of the University of South Carolina band 😂)
Halftime shows in this country are a huge draw for the people. My brother was in one, my husband was in one, and I was in one. It’s a lot of hard work and a whole lot of fun to be a part of.
Here in Louisiana there is the Mardi Gras . Many ,if not all marching bands [ local and others ]are represented it the parades in between the floats .......Go LSU !
Fellow Louisianian! And yes, the number of hours they practice on top of their classes is absolutely insane. We're talking 7 AM practices before classes start, and another 2-3 hours after classes are done. And they will march in all sorts of parades in full regalia in the heat and humidity and not lose their tempo or place. But they are also some of the most absolutely passionate people you will ever meet.
In high school I was in the marching band and while we didn’t usually do routines this extravagant we had practice every day after school for 2 hours and we’d already practiced playing the music so we’d start working on the actual field routine. By the time the Friday night game halftime performance we’d practiced every single step so much that it was pretty much just automatic. Any issues were found and worked out during the after school practice sessions and by Friday we could do it in our sleep
Marching band start in high school. At all football games the marching band comes out and performs along with the drill team. They have compeitions against the high school bands some of them are huge. Then when you move up to college/university it is a high quality show during halftime. So some of these kids have been in marching bands for 8 years. Lots of time and hard work.
Both my kids marched for Boise High. In those days Boise State’s blue field was the high school’s home field. I was Uniform Mom for three years. So fun.
here's a thing too, Matthew. sure there are some 'celebrity' marching bands, but by and large it's considered kind of throw-away entertainment. Just time filler. it's their time shine for 15 minutes each week. however they figure it out it has to be done quickly because next week will be something else. That's why OSU is so fun. They turned it into something fun. 😁🙌🏾☮️
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Howdy- SEC stands for Southeastern Conference (SEC), American collegiate athletic association that grew out of the Southern Conference
If you think this was intense, find "Texas Aggie Band 4 Way Cross."
If you have never heard Lee Greenwood sing the song, "God Bless the USA", you should listen to it and then you would understand why the band playing that song would make it even more significant.
I think you said "I think I know this" about the War Hymn, and I might know why: if you're familiar with "Coney Island Baby," it's basically that!
The noise you hear from the stands is the crowd singing the Fighting Texas Aggie song along with the band. It's amazing to be a part of it. Class of '88.
What does it feel like? Hard work, teamwork. No place for prima donnas. You hear only your part because most of the others are ahead of you or in formation around you. You hear the crowd roar. You listen for the drum major's whistle. You listen for the beat down to the drum cadence. And you're on! I could never eat before a performance as I'd throw up. After the performance, I'd hit the concession to have something light to eat. Dinner would be waiting for me when I got home.
Nothing like watching a game at Kyle Field. Nobody leaves their seat during halftime because the band is so amazing to see in person.
In the 60's my high school band patterned its routines after the Aggie band including running onto the field. We even had intricate maneuvers like this one. We practiced every day from August thru football season. We learned a new routine each week. and memorized all songs we played. We won 1st place at marching contests every year. Our band director was inducted into the High School Hall of Fame of Texas. Best 4 years of my life.
Fighting Texas Aggie band is the best damn band in all the land!
I played in the Purdue University “All American” Marching Band in the early 70’s. We were the largest collegiate band at the time with over 550 members. We practiced about 3 hours every day after classes. On game day we played a pregame concert at an outdoor amphitheater , then a pregame show on the field followed by the halftime show. Finally a postgame concert on the field and then another show at the Executive building. Pretty amazing for a university without a music school. Our style was more pageantry oriented. I remember my band days more than any other class that I attended.
Lifetime Longhorn here: Aggie Band Knows How To March! Great Show!
An interesting sidenote, the song they play at the beginning, the Aggie War Hymn, is their fight song. Their fight song and that of the University of Texas, their arch rivals, are the only university fight songs that start out putting down the other university. It's not unusual for university bands practice 40+ hours a week - they have a new show each week...for 12 weeks. This plus their studies. A&M is the largest military band in the world.
Its halftime at Texas A&M football game at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. The large group is the Corp of Cadets. The school is near Houston 90 Miles (160 KM) Northwest. This happens at every home game. The school has over 1000 acre campus, over 70,000 students, and Kyle field holds over 100,000 fans for these games.
I’m a graduate of 1992. Wasn’t in the corp, but the many traditions of the school are corp. The students in the stands stand all four hours of the game. We be happy to have you for yell practice before the game and to attend a game at Kyle field.
To see this live is one of the most impressive things you will ever see. No other band can be mentioned in the same breath with the Aggie band.
Woop!!
I'm class of 93. We have the drum majors come up with a plan on Sunday.
The computer gives us numbers on Monday. We practice music on Tuesday and Wednesday we put it together. Thursday we practice. Friday we are off. Saturday we perform for 100k fans
I'm a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, my son is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, my son-in-law's brother graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the US Service Academies have amazing traditions. My two eldest children graduated from Texas A&M University at College Station, and I still have not been exposed to a school of higher education (to include the US Service Academies) that rivals the traditions of Texas A&M. It's not possible to describe in a short comment, so I encourage you to "Google" it. The basis of "Aggie" culture is positivity, so to whet your appetite, my favorite is that Texas A&M never loses--they may run out of time or they may be outscored, but they never lose.
It's called Texas Pride.. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. Remember the Alamo.
The alumni all stand throughout the entire game. They all wear the maroon and white or Kacey. They wave their rally flags and they sing their fight song. They respect each other to the utmost.
HOOYAH and Gig Em
Yes, aggies fight in the first quarter and aggies fight in the second quarter. Aggies also fight in the third quarter and Aggies fight in the fourth quarter. Aggies fight in overtime and when the game is over Aggies fight the other team out behind the bus.
Woop!!
aggie football games are truly incredible especially standing room only sellouts when their is 112,000 people their. it gets so loud and all the students stand the whole game. the student section covers a whole side of the stadium.
As someone who Marched with FTAB for a year now and excited to return for another… we practice roughly 2 hours every weekday with the Bugle rank practicing for numerous hours the Sunday night before. Then we will practice for an hour or two Saturday morning before the game. The time spent however is not the main reason behind our success. It is the self-discipline, precision, and culture of our Band and our rehearsals that enable us to be the Best Damn out outfit anywhere and the best Band in the world. It always fills me with Enduring pride to watch one of these reactions and I really do hope you’ll go back and watch some more of our lovely band. I recommend the 2022 UMass game. I personally marched in that halftime and have received so many comments saying it is among the best halftimes ever for the FTAB. God Bless and Gig Em
Love watching the Fightin Aggie Band! Son is an Aggie grad! Love the atmosphrere in Kyle Field! Whoop!
The "T" at the end was filled in by the Corp of Cadets. They are training to be Military Officers. And Texas A&M produces the 3rd largest amount of officers in the U.S. Military, just behind the two big Military Academies.
Former member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band (FTAB) here. BQ Class of 2024
There is a lot information about the FTAB all over the internet but four note worthy mentions I would like to address is the FTAB “Step-Off”, Uniforms, Sousaphones (or more commonly known as Tuba’s) and the Corps Hump-It.
1. Prior to any FTAB performance, the Head Drum Major or the leading conductor of the band (there are 3 Drum Majors), announces the words “Recall, Step-Off On Hullabaloo”. The Bugle-Rank along with the band sound the Bugle Call “Recall”; then the Band steps off on the word “Hullabaloo” (the first word in the schools fight song or “War Hymn”). Some have said "Hullabaloo, caneck, caneck" is related to the sound of train wheels going over rails or a cannon being loaded. When asked by a state legislator in 1972, university president Dr. Jack K. Williams said, "It is Chickasaw Indian for 'Beat the hell out of the University of Texas.'"
2. The uniforms of the Corps of Cadets are renditions of U.S. Army WWII/Vietnam Era uniforms and every member of the Cadet Corps wears these uniforms with unique uniform items to differentiate their academic, military and extra curricular participation and service. Similarly, the Drum Majors (the individuals leading FTAB) carry a mace in lieu of a musical instrument to conduct the band. But they are the only individuals in the Corps of Cadets who have chrome uniform items instead of the traditional gold like the rest of the cadets in uniform.
3. In FTAB, the Sousaphone is known as a ‘Bass’ and not a Tuba. The University of Texas or t.u. for short, is and has been Texas A&M’s long standing rival and to spell the word “Tuba”, would be require to unite the letters T and U together. This unfortunate reality has required Aggie Bandsmen to be creative and refer to the Sousaphone as a “Bass”.
4. At the end of an FTAB performance, the band creates their signature “Block-T” formation. But in this very specific case, this Block-T formation is made up of the entirety of the Corps of Cadets (both band and non-band members). Traditionally, this occurs during the football season where Texas A&M is playing their rival school. The Corps of Cadets gather and yell the Corps Hump-It. Which is as follows:
“The Fighting Texas Aggie Cadet Corps…
The Twelth Man…
The Spirit of Aggieland…
The Best Damn Outfit Anywhere!”
I hope this information is insightful and helpful.
Thank You & Gig ‘Em Aggies 👍
The people who ran onto the field at the end are the graduating seniors in the Corps. The band members wearing boots are all seniors.
I enjoyed your viewing of this video. Yes, this band is incredible and you would absolutely enjoy seeing it in person, too.
IT'S ALL TRUE! I WENT THERE AND HAVE WATCHED THEM EVERY FOOTBALL GAME.
THEY PRACTICE 40 HOURS A WEEK.
TA&M produced more officers for WWII, than West Point. This is a military core band, they drill like no other.
I've worked for nearly 30 years at universities......and these "kids" are on the practice field MONTHS before instruction begins and practice for hours and hours each day.
I always know the summer is over and the fall semester is about to begin when I hear close to 20 members of just the drum corps practicing in one of the campus parking structures. The acoustics are amazing.
I can speak from experience having been in marching band in highschool, that any half time performance takes at least 25-30hrs to learn entirely and to get it right for the first time, then the rest of the season is spent on repetition.
Texas A&M band is a military style marching band, one of the few left in the entire US.
The Texas Aggie half time shows are absolutely the very best and most spectacular in the entire universe!
(University of MICHIGAN here 😉)
Your genuine amazement at seeing Marching Bands for the first time is so fun to watch.
Those students started in middle school and then high school. Many receive scholarships to play in the college and university bands. They are invited to play in large parades all and even the inauguration of the president.
Graduated in 1989 from Texas A&M and there was a whole community feeling, not just with the Marching Band, but everyone on campus had an incredible place in their heart and love for the band and honor them as the Spirit of Aggieland. Was incredible to go to the football game and then see the band. Very fun memories.
Howdy, Ag, '70
Whoop ! @@rickcrow517
@ItsMatthewReacts Former Aggie Bandsman here. To answer your questions:
Band practice is typically ~6-10 hours/week with a new show each week, but practice can run up to 20-30 hours...one time during my time was almost 40. It varies based on the position and what's going on.
How do we do it? Most of it is following a straight line with VERY precise steps and two types of countermarches (turning around to march the other way). Most of the members of the Aggie Band are veterans of high school bands. By comparison these drills have MUCH fewer individual assignments, but the precision demanded is significantly higher as well. From center of person to the center of the next person, these cadets march exactly 60 inches apart. When marching between each other, that drops to 30 inches. When marching in obliques (diagonals), that drops to ~21 inches. Measure your shoulders to get an idea of how far apart that is and how much space there is between bandsmen. In some maneuvers later in the year, they actually brush shoulders while marching 90 degrees to the other's path.
We also live together and are part of the same units in the Corps of Cadets, so we not only practice every morning in the fall, but we eat together, run together, do activities together, etc. This helps us forge a bond as a unit and makes communication/expectations easier. As for teaching each drill, in many cases, it's "follow the person in front of you, do a countermarch on the 40 yard line" or "follow the person to your right"
It's not just the fantastic band, it's the love you feel in the stadium when the band is playing ❤️🇺🇸
Aggie mom, class of '17. Gig em! 👍
For that style of marching (military precision), A&M doesn't even have any close competition. They are the bar.
It’s all real marching…. I am a second generation Aggie alum. I graduated in 1995. The band has been marching in close quarter routines for decades upon decades upon decades with a tradition of excellence. Watch the tubas and the big bass drums when they turn….love the tuba turns! Its awe inspiring to watch these performances live.
You nailed it... "Brotherhood" ❤
Back when I was in school (60s and 70s), kids started marching band in 7th grade and went through high school (12th grade). Then they went and tried out at colleges and universities until they could get a scholarship or at least be accepted. I grew up watching the half time shows on the bowl games, especially the orange bowl where the University of Oklahoma performed every year for many years. They were amazing in the 70s. How do they get there? Practice practice and more practice. They have to be able to play as well as march.
I graduated from Texas A&M in 1985. It was the best 4 years of my life.
Howdy AG, '70
78, wife 80
@@dmpyron2I know yall are very successful graduating from Texas A&M
It is Aggie as in agriculture. Practice, lots of practice. Hours each day. Your reaction is priceless. The universities here all have marching bands. The stadiums are huge. Texas A & M is in College Station, Texas.
Thank you!!! Maybe he should be told that the first syllable of “hypnosis” is “hip” not “hype”. His enthusiasm is “Aggie” through and through.😃🎉
Check out Battle of the Bands, Grambling and Southern. These bands actually put on a show and dance during some of their performances with instruments in hand. Just a little something different, but I do love Texas A&M marching band.
so amazing.. wish we had it also here in the Netherlands
Many decades ago I played flute in our high school marching band, certainly nowhere near this level! Still, numerous hours of practice both at home to learn the music and on the field.
Most of us start marching band training in middle school or just as we enter high achool. We are given a measurement of length of dootstep, and we practice, practice, practice on the football field to make those measures steps a habit so the lines stay straight and we don't collide.
How much practice? Between the music rehearsal and the formation rehearsal, it consumes hours each day!
A&M also happens to have a TE on the football team from Sweden, he was a freshman last year. As far as famous NFL players Von Miller, Myles Garrett, and Ryan Tannehill are probably the most recognizable names but there are quite a few others.
Johnny Football? Of course he flopped in the NFL
TAMU Band facts:
1) They practice daily.
2) The freshman(fish) of the band are not recognized until they have a flawless performance.
3) There is a football game every Saturday.
4) All cadets learn basic drill(marching) the band must also learn the performance.
5) The music helps them keep count and to know when to turn.
6) In the Corps of Cadets a simple Corps member is known as a CT(Corp Turd) and a band member is a BQ(Band Queer) (We kid ourselves in fun)
7) Those times when the band marches through itself is called a counter coulmn. There is room for others to do that.
8) The base drum and sousaphone have a special snap turn that they do if you see them up close. There are also times when a a trumpet or trombone must be lowered to let someone pass between.
Other Corps facts:
1) Senior ranking cadet is not the Corps Cadet Commander...its Reveille the mascot.
2) If Reveille wanders into you room and jumps on your bed you gain privileges.
3) Cadets are required to attend all football games and you saw the entire Corps on the field in the Block T formation.
4) There are 3 formations a day where military drill is practiced and it is taught constantly to cadets.
5) The fourth class system is always in effect once the initial training is done.
6) Each unit has a designation and saying. My unit (no longer in existence) was Squadron 15 and our saying was "Squadron 15! Doctors to be! The best damn outfit anywhere!" When proceeding to class and walking across the quad upperclassmen could harass you. If you where late when asked what unit you were in you would shout your unit saying then run off the quad with hands in the air.
7) There were units for the Air Force, Navy/Marines, and Army. The military building on campus had offices for all 3 services and is called the Trigon similar to the Pentagon.
8) When I was in attendance the Corps was responsible for about 90% of the activities on or near campus.
In 1964-1968, I played in an award-winning high school band. We started learning the music in July. In August we began rehearsing the routines on the football field. We had to share the time on the field with the football team. These routines are carefully executed and much practiced. We had two routines: a pregame routine for home games and a half-time routine for away games. Our band, color guard, majorettes, and cheerleaders brought our numbers up to just over 100. Band was 8 x 8. The rest were pretty girls on the band front. College bands have much bigger numbers in their ranks and they can perform far more complex routines.
the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas
Agricultural and Mechanical, originally, but today the letters no longer explicitly stand for anything. When Texas A&M was opened on Oct. 4, 1876 as the state's first public institution of higher education, it was called the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, or "A&M" for short.
Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University, now just called Texas A and M or just A&M (not T-A-M or A-T-M, although you may see it at time as TAMU but that is mostly used for the affiliated colleges like TAMU-Commerce). It's a hard "G" (like in grapes) in the pronunciation of "Aggies" not a soft "G" (like in German).
At the beginning of their performance, the announcer says “Now forming at north end of Kyle Field, the Nationally Famous “Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band” (Aggie = agricultural) Their style is military precision marching. Other universities are considered “show bands”. Outside of the military academy’s (West Point, Annapolis, etc.) A&M is the largest military school in the country. But my point of all this is to say that the Aggie band is, and has been, the #1 college marching bands in the country, followed by Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, Auburn in no particular order.
Precision like a Swiss watch...lol
Wow!!!!!! This is insane!!!!!! I grew up going to drum corp competitions but this is on a different level!!! My mother was in one long long time ago she would have loved to have seen this!!
I used to live in Bryan/College Station, home of Texas A&M. I had been to many football games and seeing the Aggie Band march was truly amazing! They are truly the pride of Texas A&M.
I’m Sarah, Class of 1993, from Texas A&M University. You should try and get to a football game. We have so much pride, honor & tradition in our school.
We grow up with marching bands. They are part of our culture. There are junior high and high school bands. Every Friday night my high school band played at half time at the football games. Every week a different program and in college it takes an exponential step up. We love our marching bands.
I do appreciate your reaction. I'm an old woman now, but I have wonderful memories of my dad, an AGGIE taking me to Ft. Worth to see the band parade downtown and then to the game against Texas Christian University. His pride was lifelong and to this day, I'm impressed by that band.
I miss The Southwest Conference. I miss those parades. I miss that Texas-centric paradigm. By now few Aggies und Horned Toads realize what a rivalry this was.
Yep, great memories, even though I'm a TCU fan, my larger family are Aggies and going to watch the band/corp in downtown Dallas (game vs SMU) or Fort Worth (game vs TCU) was an annual event. But hey everybody went chasing money and what we have now is soooo much better (kidding of course).
@@blairquinney214I had no idea there was a TCU/Aggie rivalry, and I went to TCU.
Patriotic is exactly how I feel everytime I watch the Texas Aggie band!!!
This is a military style band where OSU is a show band. The SEC means South Eastern Conference. My husband is a Texas A&M graduate. Usually the band director at these levels hold a Doctorate in music. The Drum Major is a Music Major looking to become a Band Director. Bands are formed in the 6th grade (the beginning of middle school} and they start learning to march in the 7th. The practice in the 7th grade during class period and two hours after school that is three hours a day all the way through high school. The practice increases to. Four hours a day at the collegiate level. Most of the college level band members are so good they are offered a music scholarship.
I wouldn't call tOSUMB a 'show band'. They are also rooted in ROTC military style marching but they put on more entertaining shows. Their marching technique and discipline is very military in nature. When I think 'show band' I think HBCU
This is horribly wrong. Your local area might start marching that early, normally it doesn't start until 9th grade. Texas A&M does not have music majors. The drum majors are often engineering and business majors. While almost everyone in the Aggie Band has some variety of scholarship, it definitely isn't music related. We also practice significantly less than my high school did, with less than two hours a day during regular classes.
What you say may be true at many schools but not at A&M. I don't think col. Dunn, Col. Adams, Col. Haney or Col. Brewer had any doctorates. They had eagles on their shoulders and that sufficed. If I remember correctly, Jay Brewer was a Military Police officer. The drum majors are never music majors. Texas A&M does not have a music dept. much less a school of music. The drum majors get engineering, science, agricultural or humanities degrees like anyone else. (If I recall, though, there may have been a music appreciation elective back in the early 80s). Aggies bandsmen are expected to know how to play their instruments when they arrive. It doesn't always work out that way but that was the expectation. Freshmen show up a week early for FOW or "Fish orientation week". They are taught the basics of military life, marching, etc. during that week. Rank and file bandsmen will have practice for 1.5 to 2 hours each afternoon on school days. The drum majors, bugle rank (aka bungle rank) and a detachment of percussion will be there a bit early to learn their parts. The practice generally consisted of sectional practice for around 45 minutes and then practice by the entire band. Other than this, all cadets stand formation in the morning and march to breakfast and in the evening and march to supper. This always uses a bugler and, sometimes, the drum and bugle corps may put in an appearance (aka Beat and Blow). Things may have changed a little bit since I was a BQ, back when dinosaurs still roamed the land and Noah was still just a midshipman 2/c, but I would be surprised if the description I gave is not mostly still correct.
They're considered a military band and can only be in the band if you're a member of the Corp of Cadets. Their turns are actually military precision turns
All my closest friends were marching band kids and although I didn't play an instrument, I'd always go hang out while they practiced and legit they'd practice 2 to 3 hours a day after school and then also on the weekend and we're in Miami.... so training in the hot sun. It was INTENSE.
I played in the local high school marching band and my family would go see A&M all the time when they came up to play Oklahoma. Hands down my favorite band to watch of any college organization. The sound is IMMENSE in person and the precision is perfect. Since they are a military school the level of attention to detail is unmatched.
Don’t forget...they are all playing instruments at the same time.
I really think you would also like the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon. They’re pretty amazing. Marching bands are very fun to watch. They usually play during the halftime of college football games, but they rarely show them on televised games. You have to actually be at the game to see the show. It’s a bummer really.
Most of these guys started out in high school. I started in the marching band my freshman year of high school. Almost all high schools have marching bands to perform at the high schools' halftime shows. I also graduated Texas A&M many moons ago.
My kids started in the 7th grade with parade marching and shadow days with the High School. One of my sons is a drum major and went to his first drum major camp going into the 8th grade.
Matthew, just to fill you in here, Aggie is a nickname for "Agricultural", since A&M is an abbreviation for "Agricultural and Mechanical", and the school is Texas A & M. They have the time between home games to learn each of these shows, which would be just a few weeks at most.
The thing that also amazes me about these shows is that a good portion of the band have their back to the drum major, as opposed to an orchestra, where the members have their eyes on the conductor 100% of the time. Yet, they never have an echo in their playing.
95% of the time, if not 100%, these shows are done during halftime, i.e., following the end of the 2nd. quarter. I almost forgot to clear up the mystery for you. SEC stands for Southeastern Conference.
Drill is learned week of, no multi week prep at A&M
I live in an apartment near a high school stadium, and can hear the powerful and mellifluous sounds of the half time performances while sitting on my couch. But it's nothing like experiencing this from inside the stadium! And that's at a high school level! Look up the Allen Eagles high school band.
My daughter marched in the high school marching band. They practiced for hours everyday almost year round. Great athletes themselves
Hello Matt! My brothers and I have season tickets to A&M football. We get to watch this amazing marching band at every home game at halftime. They are incredible to watch each and every time.
I want to share a few things. Marching bands have been a big part of American life for many years. I grew up in the 1950's and 1960's and our High School, like others, had a marching band. Music, as a whole, was important in the school. When our football team would win a home game, which they did a lot, we followed the band as they played through the streets of our community and celebrated. Like in most Colleges and schools there are still a lot of extracurricular activities that add a lot to the overall college experience.
2nd, in my adult life I lived in Texas for ten years and attended a few Texas Aggies football games and they were truly fantastic. You should check out High School football in Texas. Trust me, it is crazy. 3rd, My family came to the usa in the 1920s from Denmark. All of these years later, we have kept in touch. The extended family would come here and we visited Denmark on many occasions. I have a lot of relatives in Copenhagen, Roskilde, Middlefart etc. On one trip, I took the hydrofoil to Malmo for a quick visit. So, I have visited and enjoyed hospitality from your wonderful country. My last trip to Denmark was 8 yrs ago and, that will be my last. But, the few of us left, still stay in touch - 100+ yrs since leaving Denmark. I love your channel! Blessings to you -
Karen
Be sure to check out A&M’s 4 Way Cross drill, it’s absolutely insane. And as someone else suggested- University of Tennessee’s Circle Drill. Auburn and LSU also have really awesome pre-game shows. At some schools the fans love their bands nearly as much as the football team haha.
All I can think when seeing this is "With my luck, I'd be the one that would trip and topple everything else." Because if I were on that field, all I'd be THINKING is "Don't be the one to trip up and topple everything else" on a neverending loop in my head.
See if you can find a video of a Midnight Yell Practice.
lol.. bro.. i keep catching myself waiting for an epic crash but damn this is some very good precision.
Interesting story. My daughter's boyfriend( now husband) actually proposed to her with the help of the band and military cadets. It was amazing.
These students are all cadets working to join the military when they graduate from college. It takes hours and hours of practice but gets easier as you get more experience. Our high school band marched in the military style.
This is definitely real. They start learning the figures without their instruments, then add them in once their march is near perfect. Takes hours of practice & many of the members have been in marching bands since they were 13-14 years old.
There is The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and there is The Ohio State Marching Band; there is a significant gap between whoever's #2 and whoever's #3.
The key is to memorize your own part and trust everyone else to hit their mark. It isn't easy, but it's not quite as difficult as it looks. I always thought that the real hard part was choreography. Figuring out where everyone is supposed to be and exactly what they are supposed to do, seems impossible to me. My highschool band won state championships three years in a row. Our band director was a genius.
LONG COMMENT! But please read, I think you'll like it! :)
For context (I played in marching band in high school and college, and while I did not go to Texas A&M, my dad did and I went to several A&M football games - I like to think I'm relatively well-versed in Texas Aggie tradition)-
Texas A&M was historically an all-male Agriculture and Mechanical military college (That's what the A&M stands for) with it being mandatory that you join corps of cadets. That's why Texas A&M has such a large Corps of Cadets. Other schools have them, but A&M's is uniquely large. These cadets take ROTC classes, take orders from superior officers, and receive some level of military officer conditioning and training. When they graduate, they have the option of joining any branch of the US military as an officer, but they can also choose to remain a civilian once they graduate too.
To join the band, you must join the Corps of Cadets. They march in a true military style, as opposed to more contemporary drum-corps style that you see in most other high schools, colleges, and universities across the country. So, instead of making pictures like you'd see with schools like Ohio State that you reacted to, they do lots of geometrical rank and file follow-the-leader marching. This explains why they are all in military-style uniforms.
At 1:10, the drum major (that's the guy out front with the large baton) gives out a command. That command is "Recall! Step off on Hullabaloo!" This command means to play the traditional military bugle called Recall, which are the first notes of the Aggie War Hymn, then to step off on the lyric "Hullabaloo". You can find a lyric video to the War Hymn here: ua-cam.com/video/6h7T_zbPGBw/v-deo.html
Texas A&M is known for its very unique type of cheer - the whoop. You can hear the crowd whooping between the words of the drum major's cadence and whenever anything cheer-worthy happens. Technically, whooping is a privilege reserved only to upperclassmen! Only juniors and seniors are supposed to be allowed to whoop, but in reality everyone does! To do so before one is an upperclassman is what is called "bad bull", aka something that goes against Texas A&M tradition.
1:50 "I wonder how many?" - Kyle Field underwent a MASSIVE expansion back in 2013. It used to hold about 83,000, and now it holds 103,000. It is the fourth-largest football stadium in the country, and is bigger than any NFL stadium - in fact the largest NFL stadium isn't even in the top ten of all football stadiums.
2:03 "I know this song!" - This song is the Aggie War Hymn, like I wrote about above, and it serves as A&M's fight song. You might have heard something to the same or similar tune. The main melody comes from "Goodbye my Coney Island Baby" which is a classic barbershop tune, or even the Yogi Bear cartoon theme song is slightly similar.
2:22 "Yo, they're turning in it!" - This is called a countermarch, and it leaves just inches between cadets. These drills are very carefully planned and practiced, and it's actually so tight that unlike most schools, the drill isn't written by computer, because it's impossible. There are some movements where two cadets are in the same place at the same time. You should totally check out the four-way cross, as it is the Texas Aggie Band's signature move, and is impossible to chart by computer: ua-cam.com/video/OSgTX1Uz1Tk/v-deo.html
2:38 "Bro, what's going on?" Nearly all Aggie Band drill is follow-the-leader. It's actually the bugle players who are the leaders, and everyone falls in behind them. The bugles aren't actually played, and to be a bugler is a very elite honor bestowed only on seniors. You can tell who a senior is because they're the ones in the fancy leather riding boots. All Corps of Cadets seniors get a pair of boots and the boots themselves are an honor and a symbol.
3:53 "Are there any famous NFL players who went to Texas A&M?" - there are about 30 currently playing in the league now, at various positions. The most well-known current one is Ryan Tannehill, who is the Tennessee Titans' current starting QB. Prior to this, the most well-known (and later infamous for his descent into obscurity) was Johnny Manziel, who started for the Cleveland Browns before going to the Canadian Football League and then washing out to minor football leagues. He's basically considered a washout now, but he was a Heisman winner and everyone called him Johnny Football!
4:20 "How the hell do they do this?" - It's a lot of counting, mostly. You have to know where in the song you will be turning, how many steps you will be marching, when to turn... So, WHILE YOU ARE PLAYING YOUR INSTRUMENT, you are also thinking to yourself "Four measures here... I turn left in... six, seven, eight, TURN!" Eventually it becomes muscle memory and you will associate particular passages in the song with a direction to move in. At A&M, the step sizes are more consistent, as every step is always a six-to-five step (that is, it takes *six* steps to go *five* yards. In other marching bands you will have eight-to-five, sixteen-to-five, and four-to-five, where it takes eight, sixteen, or four steps to go five yards, respectively). Again, it helps that it's a follow-the-leader movement and you will follow the guy in front of you. The buglers are the ones that have the most to remember as they're the leaders!
4:29 "How much do you guys practice?" It depends on the school you go to, but the Corps practices for over ten hours a week on TOP of their regular Corps of Cadets training AND classes AND homework.
5:36 "How has no one tripped?" - Oh trust me, they do. Just, only at practice. And usually only the freshmen (or as A&M calls them, "fish"). If you trip and fall here, the rest of the band WILL run you over. This is a ubiquitous sentiment in marching band. If someone falls over, you step on them, don't break the set to get out of the way. The show must go on, and the band yields to no one.
6:41 "Have any of you guys been to something like this?" - I've been to three or four Texas A&M games (despite never going to A&M!), but countless, maybe even hundreds, of games from other colleges, high schools, and NFL. Just about every week, literally hundreds of colleges across the country play football. It may not always be the big schools you've heard about, but even a little division 3 school can put out some exciting football!
7:10 "You study, you party, but there's no unity" - Football is a common weekly event for millions. In college especially, it's a way to show school spirit and unity. In the United States, a lot of the best schools aren't in big cities, but in sleepy little college towns where everyone knows each other. Lots of students even live on campus and see the same faces every day, so it's always a way to get people to come together and make friends and lasting relationships. I think that's the best thing about college in the US versus across the world. At Texas A&M especially, you can always tell an Aggie alumnus by their gold class ring they often wear, so everyone who's an Aggie knows who other Aggies are.
8:22 "I want to experience this so much!" - It may be expensive, but you're always welcome to fly down to College Station, TX, maybe meet a fan, and go to the game with them. Most stores sell Texas A&M merch for relatively cheap, so it'll be easy to get you decked out, but the biggest cost will definitely be travel. Tickets range anywhere from US$30 to over US$500, depending on section and even who you're playing - but the cheaper tickets sell quick!
9:40 "What's going on here?" - That's the rest of the Corps of Cadets. This halftime show is dedicated to them, so during halftime they all storm the field, make a big block T, and celebrate the Corps of Cadets.
Very interesting.
About the nfl players, don’t forget about von miller man
I'm late to your comments. I have been to Kyle field a couple of times. I play football for another school. The band members do practice from early in the morning & sometimes stay until night time. I would imagine the Aggie band stays even longer. I don't think I would say they are better than Ohio State. You don't want to start a war. LOL!! They are different. OSU is a conceptual marching band & TAM is a precision. Both schools have insane levels of entry for band.
Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets are outstanding.
Don't you just know in practice some are getting a trombone to the face until Homer gets the drill down.
I knew you'd love it!
God Bless the USA evokes so many emotions in me because I can remember listening to this song every morning for stand to in the Desert. The tear will always run down my cheek during hti song and the Star Spangled Banner because veterans don’t just know the impact, we understand and feel the impact of fighting for our country!
Come on over… I have “kids” that play for A&M baseball and football, as well as Texas football! I’m always at some kind of sporting event!
Tennesse's Volunteers Band is know for its 'circle drills, check them out at a half-time show.
I was actually looking for a TAMU band video to post in your osu marching band video comments when I found this. Apparently someone already pointed you in the direction of the Aggie Band. Most high school and college bands are usually basically a variation of the same flavor.. even if they are all talented. TAMU’s band is something special and unique. Glad someone pointed you to it!
I grew up 30 miles away from campus and on cool early mornings you could hear them practicing from my back yard in Bryan, tx. I’ve seen them dozens of times and it gives me chills every time without fail.
I started marching band in the 7th grade and did it all through high school. Many of my friends went on to March in college.
Me too. In high school I was also in all county band. We had over 100 band members in high school. We even marched down main street at Walt Disney world. The good old ays.
My wife and I have graduated from Texas A&M. Many games and many of these types of march displays. Always amazing with the precision.
As someone who did marching band both in high school and in college, the ones I would recommend for pure entertainment factor: 1) Ohio State Hollywood blockbusters halftime show 2) Ohio State performance at Wembley 3) University of South Carolina military half time show (patriotism on steroids) 4) University of South Carolina pre-game show and 5) University of South Carolina post-game Amazing Grace/America the Beautiful (of course I’m biased as a former member of the University of South Carolina band 😂)
And yes, we practice a lot pretty much no matter what marching band (high school, college, then the whole other level of Drum Corps) 😅
@@katiel.3417 yea I used to live close to one of the Highschool in texas always heard the marching band from home it was my grammy house.
A&M is actually a military prep school. The precision you see is part of their military training
I husband graduated from Texas A&M. The band is awesome and it's really great to see them in person.
You’re going to need a paramedic if you see a premier HBCU half time show😂
Halftime shows in this country are a huge draw for the people. My brother was in one, my husband was in one, and I was in one. It’s a lot of hard work and a whole lot of fun to be a part of.
You should react to Lee Greenwood singing God Bless the USA. And you might appreciate the song they played even more. Great reaction btw.
This is definitely real. I have watched it in person many times. I have three family members that went to this school.
Here in Louisiana there is the Mardi Gras . Many ,if not all marching bands [ local and others ]are represented it the parades in between the floats .......Go LSU !
Fellow Louisianian! And yes, the number of hours they practice on top of their classes is absolutely insane. We're talking 7 AM practices before classes start, and another 2-3 hours after classes are done. And they will march in all sorts of parades in full regalia in the heat and humidity and not lose their tempo or place. But they are also some of the most absolutely passionate people you will ever meet.
In high school I was in the marching band and while we didn’t usually do routines this extravagant we had practice every day after school for 2 hours and we’d already practiced playing the music so we’d start working on the actual field routine. By the time the Friday night game halftime performance we’d practiced every single step so much that it was pretty much just automatic. Any issues were found and worked out during the after school practice sessions and by Friday we could do it in our sleep
As a Texas A&M grad, the band still brings me smiles and chills! ❤️
Marching band start in high school. At all football games the marching band comes out and performs along with the drill team. They have compeitions against the high school bands some of them are huge. Then when you move up to college/university it is a high quality show during halftime. So some of these kids have been in marching bands for 8 years. Lots of time and hard work.
Both my kids marched for Boise High. In those days Boise State’s blue field was the high school’s home field. I was Uniform Mom for three years. So fun.
here's a thing too, Matthew. sure there are some 'celebrity' marching bands, but by and large it's considered kind of throw-away entertainment. Just time filler. it's their time shine for 15 minutes each week. however they figure it out it has to be done quickly because next week will be something else. That's why OSU is so fun. They turned it into something fun. 😁🙌🏾☮️