Sigmapolis,
You seem to have the most actual band experience of anyone posting here. Let me ask you a few questions related to the videos:
1. What were they doing on the field? Our band doesn't even go on the field after games.
2. Would it be standard for the band to have someone far out ahead of them making sure the path was clear (or at least signaling that there is a problem ahead)?
3. How broadly known is the protocol, such as which exit to use? Would this be explained to the entire band on the bus before the game or at some point during the game?
4. Who enforces the protocol? Have you ever seen police over-rule a band leader?
5. Who would make the decision to start marching (and veer left)? It appears that the first section of the band just started marching. Even the drum major has to run to get in front of them, well after they veered left.
4. Who
Hi buddy! Sure!
(1.) When the band's seats were still in the south bleachers, long before the End Zone Club an the band moved to the Jacobson Building, we used to lineup on the field roughly where Iowa did. We used to lineup on the field at Kinnick and other away stadiums, too. We used to lineup on the northern end of the field to parade to the Hilton steps at the end of games and dismiss from there, as well. I do not know what the marching band does after games now -- dismiss from the Jacobson? Do they lineup and parade somewhere to dismiss? In any case, we were often kept off the field when it was in poor shape at least a couple of times.
(2.) We usually had a golf cart up there to clear the way. Most of the leadership of the band, such as the directors on the university payroll, Dr. Golemo (the chair of the Department of Music), sectional instructors, student staff members (undergraduates at Iowa State, though Iowa has graduate students for this role), and drum majors would be up there, too, making some sort of collective decision about where they were going next and routes to take.
Somebody in that leadership cloud is also going to communicate instructions to the drum line, as well, about what to play -- taps, cadence, and roll-off into fight songs.
(3.) As a rank-and-file member at a road game, you would know very little. You were just playing follow-the-leader most of the day and worrying about performing. In parade, you are just following the person in front of you and cannot see much past them.
(4.) I understood it as the marching band would have planned routes in and out of stadiums as well as planned meeting points. I never saw anything like what you describe.
(5.) Again, you are just playing follow the leader. Whoever is up there. We were always following the cart, who was driven by one of the people in the leadership positions above, usually with a second passenger and the others walking around them.
The drum majors might have communicated things to us, mostly through the drum line, but when the director told them to jump, the response was, "How high, sir?"
Former band member here too
1. They used to when they marched back to Hilton.
2. At home ISU has a golf cart that helps to clear the way
3. It is basically follow the leader. The band themselves would have no knowledge of where to go
4. No but I have never been in a band that did stupid stuff like they did
5. depends on the band but most likely the drum major. At when I was in it at ISU the drum majors would be spaced out along side the band and all blow a whistle cue for the roll off. They would then sprint to the front and fall in position as we step off.
Something else I remembered. In 2008 when I was in the band and we went to IC as I mentioned in one of these threads we parked at the dental college and marched to the stadium without doing any cadences or Fights so we did not provoke anyone further.
The HMB marched through the tailgate lots playing cadences with chants as well as the Iowa fight song. They came down from 4th street to center drive and back up to 4th by the RV parking along University.
In 2008 we stayed in the stadium WELL after the end of the game to allow all crowds to clear. As in I am pretty sure we were the last people in the stadium not on a cleaning staff. The team left well before we did to give you an idea how far behind them we were.
Iowa seemed to wait 15 minutes or so. While apparently fighting our ground and facilities people. I don't know anyone in the music department in 2008 or now that would have done that.
I agree with all of this.
Our procedures for Iowa City were very strategic and cautious about not making a fuss about ourselves and minimizing the level of interaction we would have with the crowd.
You went into it with a mentality of practically being under siege.
The leadership of Iowa's band seems not to have been as prudent.
