apaladin wrote: ↑Thu Dec 08, 2022 10:43 am
Thanks DoomedDin.. I have a question. Can you shed some light on why the band is so much smaller than it used to be? Correct me if I am wrong but we used to have app. 100 playing members and at a recent game I counted only 60 playing members which is a 40 percent drop in playing memvpbers. TIA
From my perspective, there are three big reasons.
You're right, Furman band used to be a lot bigger. Over time, the school cut down the number of scholarships given to music students. This made it more appetizing for people interested in music to attend other schools because Furman is already so expensive (as we all know).
Covid hit the music program hard, and what we see right now is the aftermath of that. Smaller classes meant fewer music students. Covid was enough for students to not even want to try playing in the band. We followed safety protocols, but it was very difficult. Trying to navigate covid in the music program was a HUGE pain in the ass to put it lightly. Anyone that understands how band works know exactly what I'm talking about.
Right as the pandemic was happening, the music department was facing a lot of turnover in staff. This new administration has done a great job recruiting so far, but it takes time. We had a legend of a director of bands and it took him years to build up the Furman band in the way ya'll know it. Dr. Samuels is the new director, and she is fantastic. She has put in a lot of recruitment but it takes time.
so yeah... less scholarships + new director + covid = less in the band
There are photos lined up in the music building and I hope we can get back to the size of those old photos. It's how I remember the band growing up here in Greenville, it's part of why I chose Furman and I hope to see it again as an alum.
