Bluefield Game Rumors

[ghs73 157]

Although the times are very different at Bluefield now than they were when I was there, don't hate on the smaller bands. When I was there we may have been a 1/4 the size of the some of the schools we faced, but we were nearly always cleaner and much more controlled than others. I do know the guy that is teaching there now and I will hold my tongue with respect to him, but I am sure he is doing an alright job with the students.

 

What does it really matter? The only people that EVER watch a halftime show at most Beaver games are the parents or fans who used to be in band. Nothing different than other high schools in the regard.

 

i dont know about beaver fans but i know many more watch the graham band during halftime. They put on a good show and are a very good band.

[blufan04 12]

I don't know about you guys but to me the band adds to the atmosphere of the game. While the band is not the reason I go to a game it just wouldn't be the same without the instruments playing around the stadium before, during, and after the game. In fact I get chills when the national anthem and the Beaver fight song is played before and during the games.

[frito gonzales 103]

Graham's band has always been good...I get chills when I hear their drum line marching in.

[GHS89 77]

Easy on the Bluefield band. Those kids work hard and I'm sure they are excited about their chance to perform.

[redtiger 1,742]

If this is what he's wanting to see, someone please give him directions to Legion Field in Gate City so he can go see Richlands and Gate City play... (ducking...)<ducks></ducks>

 

That should satisfy him!

 

 

Ok, I was gonna make a Hurley redneck joke so I looked up their schedule to see where they are playing, are the Rebels really open this week? If so that sucks for them

[redtiger 1,742]

If this is what he's wanting to see, someone please give him directions to Legion Field in Gate City so he can go see Richlands and Gate City play... (ducking...)<ducks></ducks>

 

That should satisfy him! lol

 

 

Ok, I was gonna make a Hurley redneck joke so I looked up their schedule to see where they are playing, are the Rebels really open this week? If so that sucks for them

[MrSocko 136]

That should satisfy him! lol

 

 

Ok, I was gonna make a Hurley redneck joke so I looked up their schedule to see where they are playing, are the Rebels really open this week? If so that sucks for them

They are open this week. Hurley opens the season on the 31st. with Eastside.

Haysi is so redneck that the Driver's Ed car was used for Sex Education and Driver's Ed. LOL

[redtiger 1,742]

They are open this week. Hurley opens the season on the 31st. with Eastside.

Haysi is so redneck that the Driver's Ed car was used for Sex Education and Driver's Ed. LOL

 

Not bad, delivery is a little rough but still a good comeback.

 

I could come back with, "does Hurley still use the old horse drawn buggy for Sex/Drivers ed?" but that might be a little too much

[hokies11 10]

Graham's band has always been good...I get chills when I hear their drum line marching in.

 

The band was the highlight of the games a few years ago (aka the final DM year). I know many students who left the game after the band played.

[BeaverHokie 35]

1. I do think the O.P. is either trolling or having his leg pulled by his cousin. Never seen any significant violence at a BHS/GHS game save for a drunk or two causing a ruckus, most often with someone on the same side of the stadium. Only major BHS/GHS violence I know of is a couple of guys around 1986 going to a hoops game at GMS and getting into a fight that stopped that series for a while. Couple of guys I graduated with...and I'll bite my tongue on what I think of that situation.

 

2. Can anybody explain why the Bluefield band is so historically small, especially since the middle school does (or did) have a bigger band? Back in the day, I always heard it was because Saunders was so demanding (and unpleasant) that kids didn't want to bother.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

2. Can anybody explain why the Bluefield band is so historically small, especially since the middle school does (or did) have a bigger band? Back in the day, I always heard it was because Saunders was so demanding (and unpleasant) that kids didn't want to bother.

 

I already did.

 

That's what block scheduling will do to ya.

 

Even in Saunders's most demanding days, their band was 80-100. Then Bluefield switched to block scheduling. Since many of those in band are also good students, a great number of the students figured out that "instead of taking 6 academic classes per year with band, if I dropped band, I could take 8 and stay competitive with my peers". Saunders being curmudgeonly (I personally am very fond of him, but let's be honest) didn't sweeten the pot any, but the gears were set in motion against him.

 

This isn't a problem specific to Bluefield, either. Block scheduling has taken a large chunk out of art/music departments throughout the country.

[hokie07 11]

Even in Saunders's most demanding days, their band was 80-100. Then Bluefield switched to block scheduling. Since many of those in band are also good students, a great number of the students figured out that "instead of taking 6 academic classes per year with band, if I dropped band, I could take 8 and stay competitive with my peers". Saunders being curmudgeonly (I personally am very fond of him, but let's be honest) didn't sweeten the pot any, but the gears were set in motion against him.

 

This isn't a problem specific to Bluefield, either. Block scheduling has taken a large chunk out of art/music departments throughout the country.

 

IMO, the opposite sort of happened at Bluefield because of block scheduling. Instead of taking 8 academic classes and having a decent shot at getting a B or lower, the band kids got to "pad" their GPA by getting 8 easy A's on their HS transcript. I know that I didn't personally know anyone who skipped band to take AP Calculus. I do know a couple kids who stuck it out in the band though to collect an easy grade. Show up, play an instrument, and get a good grade. Band never penalized anyone's class rank at Bluefield. If anything, it actually helped them. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that just about every Valedictorian/Salutatorian was in the band during my time there... as were lots more before and after my BHS tenure. Different classes, like AP for example, aren't weighted any differently at Bluefield. A 4.0 is a 4.0 is a 4.0 no matter how you go about it. Most kids took the challenging classes on their own accord just to get a jump start on college.

 

I think that the reason that the band numbers are historically low is because of the emphasis on the fine arts in Mercer County schools. There is zero. That and factor in a few band instructors along the way that aren't exactly fan favorites and you have no real interest. Princeton's band is great, FWIW. Large numbers, albeit a AAA school, a good sound, and a school that runs the same block scheduling as Bluefield.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

IMO, the opposite sort of happened at Bluefield because of block scheduling. Instead of taking 8 academic classes and having a decent shot at getting a B or lower, the band kids got to "pad" their GPA by getting 8 easy A's on their HS transcript. I know that I didn't personally know anyone who skipped band to take AP Calculus. I do know a couple kids who stuck it out in the band though to collect an easy grade. Show up, play an instrument, and get a good grade. Band never penalized anyone's class rank at Bluefield. If anything, it actually helped them. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that just about every Valedictorian/Salutatorian was in the band during my time there... as were lots more before and after my BHS tenure. Different classes, like AP for example, aren't weighted any differently at Bluefield. A 4.0 is a 4.0 is a 4.0 no matter how you go about it. Most kids took the challenging classes on their own accord just to get a jump start on college.

 

I think that the reason that the band numbers are historically low is because of the emphasis on the fine arts in Mercer County schools. There is zero. That and factor in a few band instructors along the way that aren't exactly fan favorites and you have no real interest. Princeton's band is great, FWIW. Large numbers, albeit a AAA school, a good sound, and a school that runs the same block scheduling as Bluefield.

 

I dropped choir and creating writing to squeeze in two AP classes. It happens with some regularity, and I know personally that it did at Bluefield to a degree after the switch to block. Of course, part of that is that AP was weighted while the other two were not. But not all.

 

Perhaps I'm underestimating how abrasive Saunders was due to my experience, but the sharp decline and the switch to block scheduling happened simultaneously. I mean, block scheduling was instituted, and in 3 years the band's enrollment dropped from 102 to 37. It was that sudden and stark.

 

There may be enough influence in a director's personality to make a band flourish as Princeton. Princeton's a nice example, but in my experiences (I know, not objective, just FWIW) it's not the norm. I've seen the switch to block scheduling do the same thing in PA as it did in Bluefield. You'll have high schools of 2000 in PA have 60 member marching bands, whereas you'll see schools that have yet to make the switch stay closer to the 1:10 ratio that you'd normally expect. I just do not believe the push for advanced curriculum and the desire for strong fine arts can coexist in block scheduling. There just aren't enough hours in the day.

 

Speaking of support for fine arts, Tazewell County was as close as a school district could be to cancelling band in the earlier part of the last decade.

Edited August 24, 2012 by UVAObserver

[Hacker 82]

IMO, the opposite sort of happened at Bluefield because of block scheduling. Instead of taking 8 academic classes and having a decent shot at getting a B or lower, the band kids got to "pad" their GPA by getting 8 easy A's on their HS transcript. I know that I didn't personally know anyone who skipped band to take AP Calculus. I do know a couple kids who stuck it out in the band though to collect an easy grade. Show up, play an instrument, and get a good grade. Band never penalized anyone's class rank at Bluefield. If anything, it actually helped them. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that just about every Valedictorian/Salutatorian was in the band during my time there... as were lots more before and after my BHS tenure. Different classes, like AP for example, aren't weighted any differently at Bluefield. A 4.0 is a 4.0 is a 4.0 no matter how you go about it. Most kids took the challenging classes on their own accord just to get a jump start on college.

 

I think that the reason that the band numbers are historically low is because of the emphasis on the fine arts in Mercer County schools. There is zero. That and factor in a few band instructors along the way that aren't exactly fan favorites and you have no real interest. Princeton's band is great, FWIW. Large numbers, albeit a AAA school, a good sound, and a school that runs the same block scheduling as Bluefield.

 

Two comments: 1) does the same logic apply for the guys who take Condtioning? 2) I always heard that the previous band director at Bluefield always kept only the best musicians. Is that true?

[futbolking 766]

Two comments: 1) does the same logic apply for the guys who take Condtioning? 2) I always heard that the previous band director at Bluefield always kept only the best musicians. Is that true?

 

Most of the state of Virginia is on block....and it's not a problem.

[futbolking 766]

Most of the state of Virginia (except our little corner that's still in the 19th century)...is on block and it's not a problem

[hokie07 11]

Two comments: 1) does the same logic apply for the guys who take Condtioning? 2) I always heard that the previous band director at Bluefield always kept only the best musicians. Is that true?

 

1.) Of course it does, but you can only take Conditioning maybe twice, assuming there is a Conditioning I and Conditioning II class. I'm not saying that there aren't other cupcake classes to negate Band, but there aren't many other classes based solely on participation. I took Newspaper one year for an elective and, while I got an A in it, there was a lot more work than would hope for in a class labeled as such. The average student who doesn't take band is looking for 8 classes to take and not all 8 of those are going to be easy. As a senior, I had to take Accounting I and Accounting II as electives simply by the process of elimination and I'd have much rather learned how to play the clarinet.

 

2.) I can't attest to the validity of your statement because I wasn't in band to find out. Though I personally don't recall anyone being dismissed from band because they weren't good enough. I think he had a way of weeding away kids who weren't serious about getting better, but with such low numbers I can't see how he turned away kids who weren't musically talented.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Most of the state of Virginia (except our little corner that's still in the 19th century)...is on block and it's not a problem

 

Most of the state of Virginia also has a significantly greater population to draw from than do schools in SWVA. You see a smaller than 1:10 ratio at places like Lake Braddock and Charlottesville who constantly produce VBODA honor bands. It's how a band like Richlands (circa 2003) could have numbers similar to bands like West Potomac, though they have 1/3-1/4 the students.