TBW Daily Diary

Have spent the last few days OD-ing on football games. (Most of my teams lost.) . . . Bob and I can remember when the bands were a big part of the show. Today we get a lot of know-it-all talking heads at half-time and just a peak at the bands, if that . . . but then, the bands don't perform like they used to. Can you remember the unique formations they would come up with? Bicycles with rotating wheels, airplanes that flew down the field, tilting pots that filled teacups. I guess the only remaining eye-catcher is the "script Ohio" that Ohio State still performs. Texas did the big moving "block T" but I haven't seen that for a long while . . . Our high school band did similar but less complicated formations for games back in the '50s. We were eager to outdo the other band which was just as intent on out-doing us (and none of us had "band camp" back then) . . . I guess music teachers today are not as accomplished as ours were. Bob and I have seen bands at high school games on PCN and the performances on the field are chaotic . . . sad that such a wonderful tradition has been lost. I don't think our young musicians are being given a proper opportunity to strut their stuff. It diminishes the pride and respect that our bandsmen once enjoyed . . .