2007-2008 Penn Band Basketball Manifesto
So, with the onset of the "second season" for the Penn Band, with over 35 Men's and Women's Basketball games between now and March, we think it's necessary to spell out some of our protocols. Please read this all the way through, because although some of it may seem like old news, there are a few changes. If you have any concerns, let the Board know.
Pep Band shirt (stay tuned!) and blue jeans (not Smurf blue, not blackish-blue, just plain ol' blue). Because we are so frequently captured on local and cable TV (and even the occasional national TV!), it's important to look uniform and respectable – shirts tucked in, socks & sneakers (not sandals or flip flops), and a belt always looks nice whenever you have a shirt tucked in. Face painting and some light Penn paraphernalia (hats, headbands, etc.) is cool, but excess flare that is just ridiculous is frowned upon. We're not the Brown Band; we don't cover ourselves in buttons or anything like that.
The typical call time for any home basketball game, unless otherwise noted, is a hard (that's what she said) 45 minutes before game time at the Palestra. Please don't be late! For important games or games that are likely to sell out (such as the Big Five games or Princeton), expect call to be more than 45 minutes before game time. Call times will always be included in the Secretary's weekly schedule email, so reading/saving that email is your best way to make call on a consistent basis.
If you're running late and can't make call, you can meet us at the Palestra. If you haven't stored his or her number in your cell phone, do it now! Members should enter thru the southern-most door of the front of the Palestra. Wear your Pep Band shirt and identify yourself as a band member, and they'll let you in. Let the board know that you will be meeting us there, and if you need someone to bring an instrument to the Palestra for you, email or call your section leader. If it's a last minute request, we recommend calling someone you know because most of the band will not be checking email immediately before the game.
A popular option among our members, like in football, is to bring parents to a basketball game. This is cool, but there isn't always a guarantee that this is a possibility space-wise. Therefore, if you intend to bring Family to a game, you must email the board to make sure it is cool. There will be games this year when seating will be limited, and at such games, there will not be room for your family.
Men's games –the southernmost section behind the west basket.
Women's games -- courtside behind the west basket.
Because we have a large group, we need to make the most efficient use of space that we can, so, we're going to experiment with a new seating scheme this season:
[Back]
TTTTBBBBLL
TTTTBBBBLL
CCCCCSSSS
CCFFFFFFF
PPPPPPPP
[courtside]
T=Trumpet, B=Bone L = Low Brass, F=Flute, C=Clarinet, P = Percussion.
Within your sections, especially low brass, saxes, and percussion, you know better than us; group with your exact instruments in a way that makes sense.
The thing to focus on here is the general boundaries, not the exact numbers – sit with your sections and economize on space.
This is different from last year, which was in turn different from the previous year. Things change, roll with the punches. Please work with us, and not against us! Don't come to us with arguments like "But we always sit here!" I'm sorry if it's a change for you, but this what we've decided is in the best interest of the band. And as mentioned, if there are actual problems, we will adjust accordingly. Depending on section size, your section may take up more or less space than usual, but the idea is that you're all together and in the same basic configuration.
This is important, folks. Outdoors (football season), musical nuances such as dynamics, articulations, and accuracy tend to get lost in the shuffle. However, indoors, we don't have that luxury to be so lax. We're a good band, so let's prove it. That means
a) HAVE YOUR FRIGGIN' MUSIC IN ORDER. Faking and improvisation from any section is not cool. If you need a piece of music, tell your section leaders ASAP so they may request copies for you. Organize your flip folder in a logical manner (many prefer alphabetical, some put the full timeout songs separate from the shorts). Whatever your method is, make sure you can search for and find any piece of music in a very short amount of time.
b) WATCH THE CONDUCTORS - they dictate the situation, no one else. Don't argue about song selection, don't contradict the conductor - they need your cooperation to keep this boat afloat. As you well know, Becca can yell and usually doesn't hesitate to do so, but she'd prefer not to be mean and/or rip your head off, so please don't make her. Unlike football season, we CANNOT play longer than the timeout…once the game starts up, we must have stopped playing or the team is subject to a penalty. Cutting off with the conductor is ESSENTIAL, and sounds awesome when done right, so just look up!
c) Make the effort to play the music right. Don't be lazy! Indoors, your individual effort really makes a lot of difference.
To conclude, this is mostly old news, but the stuff that's new will hopefully be better. If not, we're flexible – don't worry, we're going to get it right! Please work with us. Look neat, play musically, and in general just try to get along. Basketball is amazing, and we're just trying to make everything go smoothly so we can start having a ridiculous amount of fun as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading this far, and get
psyched for basketball season!
~The 2007 Board