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cemeinke
06-28-2002, 12:45 PM
The past few times I've been to Disneyland it seems they have a new band on Main Street. I believe it's called the All-American College Band (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong).

I've seen them play at the flag lowering at dusk, and I've seen them put on a great performance in front of the castle. The bottom line is they're full of energy and allot of fun. They do some really cool swing versions of Disney favorites. I hope they stick around for the Summer. :cool:

hbquikcomjamesl
06-28-2002, 01:55 PM
Nothing new about Disneyland's "All American College Marching Band." It's been around, as a group, for decades (although the individual members are constantly changing). Somebody else around here undoubtedly knows more about it, but I understand that it's composed of student musicians from college marching bands around the country, and I suspect that it only performs during summer months, since the commute from some school in Maine would undoubtely be a bit difficult.

AVP
06-28-2002, 03:11 PM
They are also directed by the USC marching band director.

AVP

zapppop
06-28-2002, 03:27 PM
I've seen this band before in DCA.
Last summer, while I was waiting to see the Main Street Electrical Parade, this marching band would come and stop in my area and play several songs and then march on down the parade route. It really annoyed me because I found their antics corny and unoriginal and they weren't THAT good a band. I started bringing my headphones just so I wouldn't have to hear them.
About 2 weeks ago, I went into DCA, sat down and waited for the Main Street Electrical Parade, and once again, saw the same band coming through. I didn't have my cd player w/ me so I went into the bakery :D

Not Afraid
06-28-2002, 03:39 PM
Originally posted by AVP
They are also directed by the USC marching band director.

AVP

He's quite the entertainer himself. Barking information in a very hoarse voice, dancing among the band and getting the crowd motivated provided gret entertainment. It was very corny but also very fun.

coronamouseman
06-28-2002, 04:36 PM
If the USC band director you are talking about is Dr. Art Bartner, you are watching a legendary figure in the college band business.

He has been written about many times for his relentless pursuit of precision, his grueling band practices (rumored to be far more intense than the USC football team's), his ability to get the band gigs in the music and movie industry and his notoriously short temper.

A group of us USC football fans got a real chuckle at the last USC-Notre Dame game in the LA Coliseum when the USC band marched down the Peristyle end and then came up to a gate manned by a security guy at the east end of the field - the security guy was going to let the band members through one at a time but when Dr. Art arrived he went nose-to-nose with the security guy, through the gate wide open and led his hoard in rows of 5-6 persons proudly into the stadium (too bad USC football team didn't have same intensity as ND thumped us)

Nice to see he has a more fun-loving side ...................

Not Afraid
06-28-2002, 04:46 PM
That would be the man! Here a link to a web site (http://www.usc.edu/dept/band/about/Staff/art.html)

Currently, a bit grayer than the picture, but the same guy. See the Disney connection also.

TP2000
06-28-2002, 10:36 PM
I LOVED this quote from that website about this band director guy...

Thousands of visitors come out every summer to see this group made up of the best collegiate musicians in the nation.

"Since 1974, Dr. Bartner has also held a regular post as the director of the Disneyland Collegiate All-Star Band. Thousands of visitors come out every summer to see this group made up of the best collegiate musicians in the nation."

Um, does someone want to tell him that the thousands of people at Disneyland are NOT there to see the band play? I mean they are a nice little pre-show to the evening parade or something, but I have never gone to Disneyland to see a bunch of college band geeks play on Main Street.

I've seen the All-Star College Band do their thing at Disneyland for the past few summers, and I too find their antics a bit corny and hammy.

With the exception of a few parents of the band members themselves, no one at Disneyland is there specifically to see them. The Disneyland visitors watching them are held captive on the curb waiting for the parade, or simply run into one of their Park performances trying to find the closest bathroom, churro cart, route to the Matterhorn, etc.

How could a simple theme park band and their leader have such a big ego?

coronamouseman
06-29-2002, 06:30 AM
Uh, know of many other band leaders who have their own web site?

Actually, college band is a big business unto itself at the major universities - the bands usually have big fundraising activities as they are only minimally supported (if at all) by the athletic departments.

I believe the deal with the "All-American Band" program is that band members find sponsors who house them during the summer when they play out here at DLR (I think they have some kind of similar program at WDW). Kids get neat summer job and Disney gets some relatively cheap but energetic entertainment ...........

TP2000
06-29-2002, 09:25 AM
"Uh, know of many other band leaders who have their own web site?"

I know an 8 year old girl who has her own website. It's the 21st century.

And the 8 year old has devoted server space so that someone in Vladisvostok, Russia or Cape Town, South Africa can find her site on the Internet and learn that she has a cat named "Mr. Kangaroo", that her favorite pizza is Hawaiian with extra cheese, and that in her spare time she enjoy's choreographing her own dance routines to Top 40 hits by N'Sync and Britney Spears.

I enjoy watching the All-Star College Band for a few moments when I'm at Disneyland. It just fascinates me that some people (most likely someone personally involved with the band organization) thinks they are a major reason for visiting Disneyland. If they disapeared tomorrow I would still go to Disneyland to ride Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain, without so much as a brief thought about "Where is that All-Star College Marching Band with the really dynamic band leader?"

I doubt any more than one or two individuals out of the tens of thousands of average Americans visiting Disneyland today will even think "Where is the band?" as they wander through the Park today enjoying Disneyland.

TecTalker2K
06-29-2002, 10:04 AM
Some of my favorite moments came from High School and College performers. These people are not professionals and they are there for the love of what they do. Give the students a break and listen for a while. Give them some applause even if their music is not perfect. I wish I were a band geek again.

MammaSilva
06-29-2002, 10:52 AM
I agree with Techie! I love it when the bands are out, we always take the time to stop and listen....that's one of the things that makes Disney so special, when's the last time you were in a six flags owned park and they gave 2 cents about how you were being entertained? they got your money, now go deal with lines or give up another 10 bucks to go on the fast lane for 5 rides.....I love the Dapper Dans, the Firehouse group, the ones I missed this past trip were the guys that look like grounds keepers (the ones in the white outfits?) that do a routine with trashcans, we saw them last summer and they were awesome! this past Sunday we got to watch little baton twirlers and pom pom girls .. a LOT of them, from Riverside, dance their way down the parade route, they were cute and I'm sure the memories will last a lifetime!

lindyhop
06-30-2002, 03:18 PM
One of the reasons I love having an annual pass is all the entertainment scattered throughout the park. I love to be able to take the time to stop and listen to the music. I enjoy just about anything performed live and the entertainment at DLR always seems to be high quality.

corrinhorn
06-30-2002, 03:38 PM
I just would like you to know I take personal resentment to the Band geek Comment!:D

I am in RCC's Band ( the real HOLLYWOOD BAND)

www.rccband.org

now this is a band!!!