Posted by Coach Carter on December 21, 2008 at 1:20pm
NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION...High school bands in Cali wanna step it up.Just because there are no HBCU's here does that mean that hundreds of young bandheads have to be deprived of the experience, care and feeding that they need. Y'all are ignoring what could be a recuiting goldmine for HBCU BANDS. Yes, the Home Depot event every year gives us a little exposure...but what good does it do when the southern and southeastern bands come through, get down, then go home. That;s nothing but the proverbial carrot on the stick that gets put out, gets Cali kids salivating, then the carrot gets on the the first thing smokin' and heads out of town.We don't even get the benefit of information about high school band events.Inglewood and Crenshaw are not the only show bands in Cali...but there're the only bands that get any support because of where there're located. Bands in Compton, Carson, and Long Beach get straight ignored. Sometimes I think The Angel City classic and the Home Depot BOTB contact us only to sell tickets and get butts in seats at these events!I'm ranting and raving because my kids (Dominguez H.S) deserve equal opportunity, equal exposure, and equal information.P.S....USC and UCLA even ignore these kids...!P.P.S...Mad love to Dr. D at Texas Southern for showing up!!!
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Yo i really feel u on that i go 2 Alcorn State and i graduated from Inglewood n 07 u jus gotta get yo people out there and they gunna come 2 u evenually plus u can go 2 the black college expo and sumtime the band director will come 2 cali and do tryouts u gotta call them up cuz inglewood was the same way we had a hard time tryna get out there so we jus worked real hard its gunna take a lil time but yall gunna get there and once u get someone out there the band director will come cuz that wat happen wit us the majority of the seniors go 2 UAPB only a few went 2 different schools plus your band members need 2 jus talk 2 people and make a video
Well I can only speak for UAPB, and I know the directors go to Cali and recruit. You gotta remember...it's not just the colleges that have to make an effort at getting these students. YALL have to meet them at least halfway. All the work shouldn't have to fall upon the colleges shoulders. If you need info about a college, go to a college fair(I know they have them out there) or look at your school of choice website. Better yet, just come on forums like these. There are plenty of people, including myself, that'll help you get to what you need and in contact with the right people to try and get you wherever you're tryin to go.
Hey Felicia;
Thanks for your reply. That's exactly why I started this discussion. I have been contacting directors, I have been exposing my kids to what's out there. Dominguez students are at the Black College Expo every year! Through this forum I'm putting out the word..performing due diligence on behalf of my kids! We're not asking you to pull us up by our bootstraps...we're polishing our boots; and opening up a new branch office of showband tradition in Compton, California!
Mr. Knight has been in contact over the last couple of weeks and I will do all I can to continue the interaction!
My point is this...I looking for help from the bandheads here who have returned home and bandheads who have relocated and now live here.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and yours!
I would like to see some videos of California Bands. I have only seen two videos of Inglewood, Dominguez and one of Compton High. Crenshaw has no videos online. I think maybe the showstyle Band directors in Cali should try to get together and meet and find ways to promote your bands. I used to be interested in coming to California to starta showband but then my child was born and everyhing changed.
Anyway, you guys should start up a website like bandhead and make it something like California Showbands.com or something. It can be used as a tool for colleges to recruit and networking between the directors. Also you can use it to get corporate sponsorships for your band also. If you need help, I will help. Also Im sure some other Texas Band Directors will be willing to help you out also.
My getting on Bandhead has been a real blessing! Responses of help are coming in slowly, but surely!
I will start working on the webite and the videos.
I would first try to create a network amongst band directors in your area...
of course some are going to be down and some aren't, but take the ones that will roll with you and...
start to flood the websites like marchingsport,showbandcentral,showtimemag,showcasebands, and even youtube with video, everything from trash talk to peformances---this will create buzz --- at least locally...
try to stay abreast of what is the national trends of events...
like every year in the begginning of november there is a big BOTB in New Orleans, or even Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Mobile... there are yearly events like the Bud Billiken in Chicago or even the RoseBowl parade in Ca---this bring more exposure but these things cost money...
but by being a relatively guaranteed event it gives you an aim for the next year like if you wanna go to Pensacola, Florida Christmas parade then you can start telling the kids and fund raising now, this will help your recruiting and exposure, if yall go great if not then you should have some money to...
create your own BOTB with the directors that will go along with you---no telling where that will go---look at the videos of whitehaven and Fairley...they are plastered all over this site and creates a buzz or at least a knowledge of said programs---then the best part is the money-that was held in a gym with little overhead at one of the schools, I cant imagine them having to pay for anything except maybe food if the parent booster club hadn't taken care of that!!! or extra security but then it can be seen as a school sanctioned function so the district should take care of security...idk...
also know exactly what you want to do and make that happen. period
it's all about your hustle director. if the bands wont come to you go to them and weedout the ones who don't appreciate your hustle but before all that is done...
your band has to be good and well put together overall a nice package sound,look,ability cause if you do all of the above then falter on the performance part then things will not come together...
I would start to get together info for scholarships and promotional materials and such,
you would be amazed at what a poster of a band in your class room would do
i have so many more ideas so tried and tested some far fetched but I know how to hustle...
Replies
Thanks for your reply. That's exactly why I started this discussion. I have been contacting directors, I have been exposing my kids to what's out there. Dominguez students are at the Black College Expo every year! Through this forum I'm putting out the word..performing due diligence on behalf of my kids! We're not asking you to pull us up by our bootstraps...we're polishing our boots; and opening up a new branch office of showband tradition in Compton, California!
Mr. Knight has been in contact over the last couple of weeks and I will do all I can to continue the interaction!
My point is this...I looking for help from the bandheads here who have returned home and bandheads who have relocated and now live here.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and yours!
Anyway, you guys should start up a website like bandhead and make it something like California Showbands.com or something. It can be used as a tool for colleges to recruit and networking between the directors. Also you can use it to get corporate sponsorships for your band also. If you need help, I will help. Also Im sure some other Texas Band Directors will be willing to help you out also.
Happy Holidays!
My getting on Bandhead has been a real blessing! Responses of help are coming in slowly, but surely!
I will start working on the webite and the videos.
Thank You;
l.carter
of course some are going to be down and some aren't, but take the ones that will roll with you and...
start to flood the websites like marchingsport,showbandcentral,showtimemag,showcasebands, and even youtube with video, everything from trash talk to peformances---this will create buzz --- at least locally...
try to stay abreast of what is the national trends of events...
like every year in the begginning of november there is a big BOTB in New Orleans, or even Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Mobile... there are yearly events like the Bud Billiken in Chicago or even the RoseBowl parade in Ca---this bring more exposure but these things cost money...
but by being a relatively guaranteed event it gives you an aim for the next year like if you wanna go to Pensacola, Florida Christmas parade then you can start telling the kids and fund raising now, this will help your recruiting and exposure, if yall go great if not then you should have some money to...
create your own BOTB with the directors that will go along with you---no telling where that will go---look at the videos of whitehaven and Fairley...they are plastered all over this site and creates a buzz or at least a knowledge of said programs---then the best part is the money-that was held in a gym with little overhead at one of the schools, I cant imagine them having to pay for anything except maybe food if the parent booster club hadn't taken care of that!!! or extra security but then it can be seen as a school sanctioned function so the district should take care of security...idk...
also know exactly what you want to do and make that happen. period
it's all about your hustle director. if the bands wont come to you go to them and weedout the ones who don't appreciate your hustle but before all that is done...
your band has to be good and well put together overall a nice package sound,look,ability cause if you do all of the above then falter on the performance part then things will not come together...
I would start to get together info for scholarships and promotional materials and such,
you would be amazed at what a poster of a band in your class room would do
i have so many more ideas so tried and tested some far fetched but I know how to hustle...
use it to self promote
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