Wpopp's Blog

1.   After observing your subculture, what questions do you have about how it operates?

 How did they find time to prepare their routines? Was it a summer thing, or do they have more practices in closed spaces that the public does not see?

Who is the main leader of the group?

How did all the band members become members of the band? Was it merely a “you want to be in it, you are in it”, or was there some sort of audition process?

Does the leadership change depending on the day? Or is the same person always the leader? Has the leadership structure developed naturally, or is it a designated structure?

2.  Were the leader/follower relationships in the subculture clear to you?  Why or why not?

 Some of the leader/follower relationships in the subculture were clear to me. During practices, it is clear that the person on the platform in front of the band conducting it is the leader. In their small groups, the leaders are still visual, just not as clear, because there is a lot of specificity in these groups, and everyone is playing instruments, trying to prepare and get their music correct. I need to observe their practice habits more to see if a leader develops that is not one of the designated leaders. I need to see how true to the intended structures the band stays. I will watch to see the relationships of the ‘followers’, versus the members of the ‘leaders’.

 3.  What was unique or unusual about the subculture?

 This subculture is basically the motivating factor in school spirit at football games. I find it interesting how at practices, the band members are completely unaware of outsiders watching them, and they seem to be completely focused on their instruments and music and nothing else, but at games, the band is completely aware and very concerned with the audience that is watching them. They are full of energy and do their best to really perform. They try to get as much interaction from the crowd as possible. That awareness of who is watching them is contradictory, because they go from one extreme to the other. 

 4.  What questions do you think someone who had never observed this subculture would have about it if you were to describe it to them?

 They would want to know why a marching band was a necessary part of a football game, and why people make such a big deal out of the preparation for games. I think they would question how exactly it is a subculture, versus just being a group of people who like to play instruments. Until you witness everything that they do, it is slightly difficult to understand what exactly they do, and why they are so important. I think that people would wonder why they have to practice so much, because they wouldn’t understand the concept of their halftime performances and game rituals and how detailed they actually are.

 5.  How does this subculture help its members develop a personal identity?

 This subculture helps its members find a sense of belonging on campus. The band is an extremely visual part of campus in the fall, so everyone knows about the band. For people who are really into sports, the band gives them an opportunity to feel like they are part of the action. I feel like it would give its members a sense of belonging to the University, and would make them feel like they played an active role in the college game-day environment, which they do. The band helps people understand the meaning of hard work and discipline, along with time management, so being a member helps instill life lessons within each person that will not only be beneficial to them while in college, but after they graduate and are in the workforce and a part of the community.

 6.  What does it mean to be a member of this subculture?

 To be a member of this subculture means that you are an integral part in the football season on campus. Purdue is a Big Ten College, and the band gives it a sense of real unity, because everyone is cheering for the same team. As a member of this subculture, there is a love for the school, and it’s an opportunity to meet many new people who share in your interests. Members of the Marching Band exhibit pride in what they do, and they are a very visual piece of the student body. The members of the Purdue All-American Marching Band are the reason why football season is so entertaining. They fill the campus with music, set the college environment, and help to make people proud to be a Boilermaker.

              The band is a subculture with many different aspects. They seem to all be part of one group, but when you look at the group as a whole, you realize that there are many different things about the group than just being “the band.” Each instrumental group is its own smaller group within the subculture of the band, but without each smaller group, the band would be unable to function as a whole.

                The band is very essential to school spirit and organization throughout football games. They set the atmosphere before the game by marching through campus in a parade and then onto the field in Ross Aide. They sing the school song “Hail Purdue” as they march, and cheer against our opposing team of the day. They organize the student section at games, by starting the 1, 2, 3, 4…first down! cheer with their musical introduction to it. They play the school song every time Purdue scores a touchdown. They are the backbone to the cheers performed by the students section. Basically, they are the cheer-leaders of the cheer leaders, because the cheerleaders continue whatever cheers the band starts. Another essential role that the band plays during the game is the halftime entertainment. They perform to keep people entertained during the break in the game. The Band is so good, that fans will wait until after their performances to leave their seats and socialize or get something to eat during halftime. The band is the spirit behind the game, and without them, the games would be somewhat bland.

                In order to be prepared for these games, the band must practice on a day to day basis. One of the requirements to being a member of the subculture, along with being able to read sheet music, and playing an instrument,  is to be able to practice every day with the entire band. That is the way they perfect everything they try to do. Practices are led by one main conductor, but each instrumental group is led by its own instrumentalist that knows the music very well. Part of practice is held in their individual instrumental groups, in order for the different parts of the music to be correct before joining the group as a whole. At full band practices, they practice on a “football field” by the intramural fields, and go through their halftime performances step-by-step. The members of the group interact well with one another, but they expect each person to be prepared for practice. If this is not the case, then there is more disappointment than there is anger.

                The band is characterized by their instruments, the World’s Largest Drum, and by their marching band uniforms. On game days and on days when they just have practice, students are always able to point out the band members. They are always together, and normally do not let outsiders into their groups as they walk down the streets of campus, or as they eat dinner in the dining halls and all sit at the same table. The Band is very connected, and it is easy to tell that each member feels a sense of belonging. They are together so much, that it is easy to see why it seems that if you are in band, so is your best friend.

The Purdue All-American Marching Band is a big subculture on campus at Purdue University.

At Practice:

T-shirts and athletic shorts

Instruments

Each instrument has its own area to circle up into to practice

Each group has a leader that critiques the music as they play; this leader seems to be an actual instrumentalist in that group

The Golden Girl, The Girl in Black, and the Silver Twins practice at the same times, as they too are part of the band, even though they do not play instruments.

When practicing on practice “football field,” one conductor is on a platform in front of the whole group

I wonder when they practice the formations…they seem to all know exactly what they are doing already without instruction needed…maybe they practice this during the summer??

Cultural artifacts: instruments, world’s largest drum…

Everyone is very focused, no attention is paid to outsiders. They do not notice the many peple walking by as they practice.

Game:

Pre-game parade:

Led by Golden Girl

Usually just play “Hail Purdue”

Actually sing the lyrics; have hand motions that go with it

Cheer along with their music on breaks from playing (cheer against the opposing  team of the day “the huskies are dead”)

March onto field

During Game:

Sit in reserved section behind the end zone, or rather stand

Play lots of music, not just school song

Lead cheers

Organizes the student section

Dance around with their instruments

Halftime show; very organized and put together

Shout! Performances during the 4^th quarter;. Some of the band members run all the way around the football team.

Pay great attention to outsiders during games (contradictory to practice)

Artifacts: instruments, Drum, Marching Band Uniforms

Still under the direction of the conductor

Very energetic

Conversation#1:             

Person #1: So did you know that the baby is due on Christmas day?

Person #2: hmm…nope

Person #1: well i want to go see the ultrasound! See the baby before it comes out!

Person #2: what? why? do you want to like compare the before and after or something?

Person #1: well, yes.

Person #2: weird…

Conversation #2:

Person #1: So a textbook is kinda hard to chew through…

Person #2: Yeah…and hard to breathe through too!

The band at Purdue is a subculture. Its members are always together rehearsing for football games and any other performances that they have to do. They have the same schedules so they are always together. The people in the band understand each other and the time commitment, because they spend so much time together and have their own ideas. They always practice in the same area on campus. Their instrumental practices are in any open spaces around Elliot or the Armory. They rehearse as a group of people who play the same instruments in order to get their timing correctly and in order to make sure all the instruments will sound the same and be able to fit into the entire band’s production of music. The twirlers often practice in an area in close proximity to the rest of the band as well. The people who carry the flags (color guard?) always practice in a patch of grass next to the armory. These two parts of the band must make sure that their routines are clean and sharp, or else it will look like one big mess during the games. So the entire band practices at the same times divided only by their specialties or roles in the band. They understand each other’s schedules because each person is trying to balance school with practice and free time.

They have leaders and followers in the people who lead practices and critique their progress. The band’s director is usually a graduate student or a faculty member who runs and organizes practices and performances. The followers of this director are all members of the band. There is also a conductor usually that is a student, and he/she leads the band and starts the performances. During parades, the Golden Girl leads the band followed by the Silver Twins, and the Girl in Black.

They all understand the language of music. They are able to talk about music in such a way that most people cannot understand them.

Yes, I would like to continue working on this subculture. I feel like I can say a lot about it.