With so much hate out there when it comes to these fans, that was an extraordinarily nice thing to type. As a A&M grad and former patient of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, I’m very grateful for UT.
Friendly rivalry, A&M versus UT -- artificial passion, harmless and entertaining. My four years in the Corps of Cadets, the Horns outscored the Ags every game. But all of the accompanying festivities and food, particularly the post-game parties, were just fantastic.
Former Texas Longhorn here with three sons who graduated from Texas A&M, two of whom are/were in the Corp. I now have a strong love for Aggieland! The school spirit is unsurpassed, and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band is the best in the country! #militaryband #tam
Former member of the Aggie band. We trained for performances like that every morning for a week with a new performance every week. On top of school and military training. Every member is trained for the military for the first two years of college
While Texas A&M is not solely a military school, it certainly has a large military presence. In World War II over 14,000 commissioned officers came from Texas A&M University and over 6,000 enlisted men. Seven Texas A&M students earned the Medal of Honor.
@@bobwallace9814 During World War II, Texas A&M produced 20,229 soldiers, sailors, and marines for the United States' war effort; of these, 14,123 were officers, more than the combined total of the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy (West Point) and more than three times the totals of any other Senior Military College
It’s a tuba y’all. 😂 The instruments with the long “slide” in front are trombones. And yes, they are very close together. I’m loving all the college football and military vids. Thanks so much! BTW, the “T” is made up of cadets. It’s a military college.
It is not a tuba. A tuba is played in a seated position while clutching the instrument to your chest. It can also be be played while marching and clutching it to your chest. However, most marching band players will reconfigure the mouth piece so the tuba can be held on the shoulder. It is still cumbersome but easier than clutching it to your chest. The Sousaphone is a different instrument. The tuba and Sousaphone both produce low bass tones. But, the Sousaphone was designed specifically for use in marching bands. The Sousaphone wraps around the body so the player does not have to hold the weight of the instrument making it much easier to play while marching or standing. Another difference is that tubas generally have 4 or 5 valves, but a Sousaphone only has 3 valves.
@@shawnb4938 No!!! It's not a tuba. Most marching bands do not use tubas, they use Sousaphones. Google 'tuba' and look at Images, then Google 'Sousaphone' and look at images. They are not the same instrument.
It’s a Sousaphone, and subs in for the tuba in most marching bands. However, the Aggie band refers to both the Sousaphone and the tuba as a Bass, or a bass horn. The word tuba is practically outlawed at A&M, due to the rivalry with t.u. (UT). It’s a goofy tradition, but A&M is full of them. I played trombone in the Aggie Band, and it was a tight fit with other trombones and the bass horns. Turns had to be absolutely precise, or you could wind up with a concussion or your front teeth smashed in. Look up the 4 way cross to see it get really difficult. Marching with the Aggie Band is definitely high pressure, but so much fun.
I don't think either one of them know the difference between their mouth and their a******. They are in Britain them people are slow af. She is fine and I would marry her just because she is slow 😂
I am a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. My son is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. My son-in-law's brother is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. My two eldest daughters are graduates of Texas A&M University at College Station. My youngest began her education at Texas A&M in College Station, but graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). I also have experience with the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, the University of Wyoming, South Dakota State University, North Dakota State University, and the University of New Mexico. The heart and soul of Texas A&M is the Corps of Cadets, which is about 2,000 strong, and it is the Corps that composes the "block T" on the field in this video. There is no institution of higher learning I've been exposed to that has as deep and rich traditions as Texas A&M. It's not possible to explain them in these comments, but if you had any idea of what Texas A&M is really all about, you'd be blown away, and this video would have been many times more meaningful.
I am Class of '79. Proud Aggie, through and through. We have a saying on campus: "From the inside, you can't explain it, From the outside, you can't understand it." Your comments point directly to this unofficial mantra at Aggieland. Gig'em, Aggies! 👍
What you're describing is a Sousaphone which is in the Tuba family. “Created around 1893 by J. W. Pepper at the direction of American bandleader John Philip Sousa (after whom the instrument was then named), it was designed to be easier to play than the concert tuba while standing or marching, as well as to carry the sound of the instrument above the heads of the band.” - Wiki
Large instrument is called a tuba or a Sousaphone in a marching band. The trombone changes notes with the piece called a slide. The Sousaphone was a modification made to a basic tuba, to allow shifting the weight for easier holding while marching. Named after a famous band director. John Philip Sousa.😊
This was Texas A&M not Texas. I know it seems like it might seem like close to the same things but I don't think is any love between the 2 schools. At least not in athletic competitions.
Aggie alumni here, we do in fact call the band The Fighting Texas Aggie Band. Appreciate you trying to clear it up but the title is in fact correct. Thanks and Gig em. 👍🏼
I am so lucky to have seen them in person. All of these marching band members work extremely hard. These band members spend hours practicing as well as carrying a full load of academic studies. They are all so talented.
Excellent question about the trombones and other big horns, as you are correct the horizontal spacing is very limited, if you notice closely at the turns the big horns take a deeper vertical step. They trade horizontal spacing for vertical clearance. Very cleverly done.
They mention and give their rendition of Lee Greenwood's song God Bless the USA in this video. I suggest you watch a video Greenwood made with a music group called Home Free and several members of the military ... where they all sing this song from different parts of the country then edit it all together. Its a very moving rendition. You'll love it.
lol Brit’s reacting to us Aggies is great! We have a Long history! I’m fighten Texas Aggie class of 2002; (‘98-‘02) I was there during 1999 bonfire and 9/11/2001. We experienced a lot back then but the band always brought us together made us proud
@yassandfats According to Google...Known for its precision military marching formations on the football field, the Fightin Texas Aggie Band is the largest collegiate military marching band in the nation. This 400 member Corps of Cadets unit is the official marching band of Texas A&M University. Performing at all home football games, several away games, parades and events, this organization is one of the most traveled collegiate marching bands in the nation. The Aggie Band operates under strict military guidelines as an integral part of the Corps of Cadets.
Former Texas Longhorn here with three sons who have/are attended Texas A&M, two of whom are/were in the Corp. I now have a strong love for Aggieland! The school spirit is unsurpassed, and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band is the best in the country! #militaryband #tam
I always enjoy seeing someone from the UK discovering the tradition of a halftime or pregame show at football games. And you found one of the bands that almost always manages a visually impressive show. The big thing so few people understand is how little work goes into any one show. Most of the top college marching bands will have a new halftime show for each home game, which means they only get 1-2 weeks to practice before they have to perform. And everyone out there on the field is a full-time student. I don't know how it works at Texas A&M, but I know that many schools work with only having 2-2.5 hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each week, plus some time on Saturday morning to practice/prepare. So the shows tend to not be as complex as they appear. This show is a good example. There is a lot of what are called "counter-marches", but its mostly in a block so the majority of the members just have to follow the person in front of them. Only a few members need to remember the whole show. As for the trombones, you are right, during the counter-marches they will stop playing and hold their instrument so that its facing up and down. This allows them to perform the pass-throughs. As for a single error causing a huge problem, honestly it depends on the experience of the band members around the person making the mistake. Often there will be very experienced members who just quickly adjust and hide the error as best as they can. Band members and former band members will catch these, but most of the fans won't realize that there was a problem.
The Trombone players lower the slide of the Trombone Downward for an instant so the Instrument is vertical and doesn't hit anyone or anything...then they immediately raise it up again to continue playing !
The Texas A&M Corp of Cadets is not a military service academy. It is one of six "Senior Military Colleges" and Corp members are not commissioned officers when they join. Taking a commission is optional and less than half (40-45%) will join the military. They won't become veterans until they join and then leave the military.
Texas A&M to some degree is a military college. It's been that way since the 1800s (I think) core of cadets. The student body is called the 12th man. (Fans in the stands) Teams have 11 players on the field and the Aggies consider their fans a 12th man because of the noise they cause.
There's a deeper story to "the 12th Man" -- the original ACTUAL 12th man during a key game in 1922. During the game, A&M coach Dana X. Bible realized that one more injury would leave him without another backfield player to send into the game. Bible called E. King Gill, a sophomore basketball player, down from the stands to stand ready as a substitute. Gill was ready in uniform on the sidelines if his team ever needed him. He didn't get to play but became immortalized anyway as all Aggies at an A&M football game stand whenever the team is on the field. Whooooooooop!
Aggie alumni here, Texas A&M was founded in 1876 as an all white all boys military school. It wasn't until 1963 that people of color and women were allowed to attend. Since then the school is one of the most diverse Universities with students and professors from nations all over the world. 👍🏼
@@dreqqqq Fake, fake, FAKE! This guy's obviously a tea-sipper! There is no such thing as an Aggie "alumni." There are only FORMER STUDENTS. All kidding aside, I doubt very much that the foundational legislation that created the university specifically limited the race and gender of the future student population. That would merely have been the default assumption at the time. The wives and daughters of faculty and staff were allowed to attend classes (and for no cost, if I remember what we were told at Fish Camp correctly). Gig 'em!
College football and basketball are much larger than the professional versions. A lot of loyalties go back many generations to the Civil War with sons and daughters following their parents and grandparents to the same school. Football and basketball are unifying social events even for students who don't attend the games celebrating at parties around campus. Huge rivalries exist between border states and many alums make a point to attend these events. Marching bands have evolved over the years to entertain the crowds during half-time and have become an integral part of the culture. Even high schools have marching bands that are quite good and they attend huge competitions all over the country.
If you pause your own video at the 5:40-5:44 mark, you'll get a good look at the Sousaphones, as they are called, from behind on the guys on the right side of the video. If you notice, the 'pipe' of that particular Sousaphones wraps around their bodies at nearly the same 'width' as their own arms would naturally be while walking.. only being 'slightly' further out to the side on the right. At the same time, the 'open end' is almost directly 'above' the players head and only slightly to the left. While they are big and bulky, they are designed to minimize how far 'outwards' the instrument protrudes, keeping all of the 'bulk' in space up top above the players head. Their design essentially means they take up about the same amount of 'space' side-to-side as Drummers do.
I’ve never seen you guys before. Just watching some videos. That being said, I love that you guys are watching the Aggie band. They are a military marching band, and they are awesome. This is one halftime show ya never want to miss.
Texas A&M is a regular college but has a huge Military Science program. It goes back to the 1800's and initially graduated artillery officers for the Army ( I believe). At the beginning when they were waving the flags around that emulates the way that units used to communicate with each other on the battlefield. Texas A&M also has a big Veterinary program.
Alumni here, Texas A&M was founded in 1876 as an all white all boys military school. There was a large focus on cavalry as well which is why the veterinary program is so big. it has one of the largest most successful equine schools in the country.
Well done. Fun reaction. For another marching band style, I recommend an HBCU. Historically Black College/University. Example: Southern University Human Jukebox/Halftime Show vs LSU 2022 approx. 6:30 in length. Thanks.
I attended Texas A & M Firefighting School at College Station and various extension classes elsewhere. It's a huge school. The biggest brass instrument carried would be the Tuba. The letters A & M stands for Agriculture & Mechanical, as it has large class studies in both, along with a massive ROTC (an acronym for Reserve Officers Training Corps) program and the Fighting Aggie (for Ag) Band wears an older style military uniform and centers its band program around military style precision drills. Notice the band is constantly playing, unlike Ohio who takes breathers as their MC narrates.
Sousaphone is the extra-large tuba which is named for John Phillip Sousa the U.S. Marine Band "March King" of the late 19th Century. He made an instrument design which was easier to carry and served as a large Euphonium Tuba. Very heavy and usually played by men.
Sousaphones are the large, white tubas. (Developed by John Phillip Sousa, noted composer of marches for the U.S. Marines.) Trombones are the long, u-shaped instrument that can extend double their length and excellent for nudging anyone ahead of you who is slowing down. 😁
My son was in that formation. There were about 2,500 Cadets in the Corps that year. He is Class of '16. This isn't even the best halftime performance. Look for the four way cross.
Former Student here. I am glad you enjoyed this halftime show, but you REALLY need to see them live to experience all the energy coming from the band and the fans in the stands.
You need to understand these kids started marching in High school (yrs 9-12) before getting here. The training is grueling especially in the heat of Texas summers. And that was before getting into college. And not everyone gets to torture themselves like this.
UT lifer fan here. That s$$t gives me goosebumps. My family has a heavy military history. Many Americans are still patriotic. Texans are fiercely independent. Alot at play here. After the US Military Academies, Texas A&M has a Corp of Cadets aside from their regular student population that can go on to serve in the the Armed Services as an officer. God bless those kids. Have to admit, when y'all clapped I teared😢 up. At the end of the day Americans have each other's back. Glad to have Brits as our friends
Check out some of the Texas High School Bands. It will blow your minds. Also, Prairie View A&M is always impressive. Those big tubas are called Sousaphones. Named for composer John Phillip Sousa.
Trombone is the horn that has a long slide. In most marching bands a tuba is marched as a sousaphone, which is what I suspect you meant by trombone, which is the large belled instrument that is worn like a hula hoop over the shoulders.
The big white ones are a tuba/Sousa phone. The really long horses are trombone. At one point the band members will actually step between each other's legs. Thanks Longhorn for complement. Feel same for Longhorn band. Proud to be a Texan!😊❤
If nobody else has mentioned it, the large silver-colored instruments are called tubas or as we called them in the Corps, “Basses.” The trombones are the really long horns with a slide you pull and push to play the right note. And yes, one misstep and it throws off the entire formation. That’s what it takes hours every day to learn the halftime show drill for that week. The drill changes every week and gets progressively more complex as the Freshmen (or “fish” as they’re called in the Corps) learn how to military march and memorize the music. Once they’ve memorized the music, they’re able to be more focused on the marching drill and can learn more difficult drills. You’ll notice that when they’re “turning around,” the tubas will crouch, the bass drummers will lean forward, and the trombonists will put their instruments “at attention” (i.e. perpendicular to the ground), all of which is to avoid hitting anyone as they turn around. They may brush each other, but an actual collision is rare. The fear of God is put into the “fish” and Sophomores (“pissheads” as they’re called in the Corps) because they will pay dearly for a mistake during the halftime show. I recommend watching a video of them doing the 4-way cross-through drill. That will blow your mind.
American college marching bands are relics of an age when all state funded universities had compulsory ROTC (reserve officer training corps) programs. To be clear, ROTC still exists, but on a much smaller scale. The bands were considered demonstration units to showcase the cadets' skill at close order drill and marching. It harkens to an era when battlefield orders were communicated by drum beats and trumpet blasts. Of you look at the marching band uniforms of most universities, they tend to have a vaguely military, anachronistic look about them. Texas A&M is what is called a "Senior Military College". That effectively means that the ROTC cadet corps is a more prominent and visible presence on campus than at most schools. My father graduated from college in 1958 (not from Texas A&M), and he participated in his university's ROTC program. He then went on to Naval Officer Candidate School and served four years as a commissioner naval officer. During his college years, he marched at football halftimes to the cadence of the civilian marching bands. This historical link between military service and university attendance is one of the reasons college sports are so integrated into American culture. The British upper classes actually have similar traditions. Historically, an upper class British man owned only three neckties or cravats. Each bore a crest - one for his family, one for his university, and one for his military unit. A necktie which bore no crest was an indicator that the wearer was working class. American college loyalty tied all three elements in one institution, and you didn't need to be a landed aristocrat for the privilege.
Check out the Kyoto Tachibana SHS (Senior High School) Marching Band. Yes, that's Kyoto, Japan. I think you'll be impressed. Don't want to give too much away, but they dance...and play.
This is a military college. The band forming the bottom of the T count 400 men and women. The rest of the T is formed by cadets (not veterans) - 2300 of them. The "T" stands for Texas. Cadets are trainees or students who are preparing to become commissioned officers in the military or other organizations
I read last year that as of 2024, Texas A&M University will have the highest number of students of any college in the US. If I remember, the number was something like 73,400 students per year.
Marching band halftime shows are common at college football games in this country. The reason Texas A&M's precision is top notch, is because it is composed of members of the military Core of Cadets, which can be of any branch of service, by the way.
Funny story; my daughter was unsure about college (and her dad was dying at the time making it worse). I said “just go to Blinn” the Jr College that kids go to then switch to A&M. One of her friends was going & they could live together. She said “ok, but I’m NOT going to A&M…it’s a frigging cult.” After the first football game she called me and said “ok, I’m in!“ 😂
It is not a tuba. A tuba is played in a seated position while clutching the instrument to your chest. It can also be be played while marching and clutching it to your chest. However, most marching band players will reconfigure the mouth piece so the tuba can be held on the shoulder. It is still cumbersome but easier than clutching it to your chest. The Sousaphone is a different instrument. The tuba and Sousaphone both produce low bass tones. But, the Sousaphone was designed specifically for use in marching bands. The Sousaphone wraps around the body so the player does not have to hold the weight of the instrument making it much easier to play while marching or standing. Another difference is that tubas generally have 4 or 5 valves, but a Sousaphone only has 3 valves.
Yes. Just the Texas schools who play the largest division of college football include North Texas Texas Austin Texas El Paso Texas San Antonio Texas State Texas Tech But, the oldest and largest is Texas A&M
Alumni here, we do in fact call it the Fighting Texas Aggie Band. A&M stands for Agriculture and Mechanics, or Aggie for short. So saying Texas Aggie is the same, hence Fighting Texas Aggie.👍🏼
Most People Call Them Tubas , But Actually They Are Sousaphones , That a Great Well Known Marching Band Leader Created Because They Look So Well in the March , There Still are Tubas That are Large Instruments Carried That Have an EVEN LOWER Tone When Played than the John Phillip Sousa Invented Horn
My high school had a military marching band and I missed it when went to college. It IS difficult (IMO mostly because of the amount of lines and diagonals) and both of my college directors said that they don't march military style because it's too hard.
All members of the marching band are members of the cadets. Around 400-500 are members of the marching band. Texas A&M University (Agricultural & Mechanical) has over 50,000 students with around 4,000 of them in the Corp of Cadets. So 10% of the Corp is in the band, and less than 10% of the students is in the Corp. Imagine the entire football field full of all the students. Wow! That’s huge.
Lots of good info in the comments. Was in this band during my time in college. Yes they are very close. Shoulder to shoulder when going in opposite directions. And this isn’t the most technical show. The four way cross literally has two people in one spot crossing each other in opposite direction’s while marching. We practiced every weekday for a couple of hours and yes people end up on the butts or smacked in the face when someone screws up.
That is really easy to do but it looks hard from the stands. Arlington was the first band that didn't use music as they played, I believe. First one I saw in 1955.
In Great Britian, do they not have University Marching bands at sports events? We Americans love our College/University sports events!!! A burning passion for many. A matter of personal pride!! Rivalries that transcend generations;
For the non US viewers in America most public High Schools have marching bands grades 8 thru 12. Once your finished with High School you can apply to the University grade 12 thru 16 for a bachelors degree. Most have music degrees but it is not required to be a music major to join a marching band. You must audition. Practice is on your own time besides your regular school studies.
You two certainly seem to like marching bands. It does get cold in College Station Texas. Texas A&M is a precision marching band. Others will be conceptual bands & draw pictures with their formations. If one of them makes a mistake it would be a huge pile up. They have to dip their instruments to not 'clip' each other. The ones over the shoulder is called Sousaphone. How many? The corps of cadets is about 2500 (maybe) And they band is about 500. So 3000 total.
As a Texas Longhorn, even I get chills when the Aggie War Hymn starts. Proud to be a Texan and proud of the Aggie Band.
With so much hate out there when it comes to these fans, that was an extraordinarily nice thing to type. As a A&M grad and former patient of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, I’m very grateful for UT.
I have an Aggie Class of 2020 and a Longhorn Class of 2024. The game will be interesting for us.
Friendly rivalry, A&M versus UT -- artificial passion, harmless and entertaining. My four years in the Corps of Cadets, the Horns outscored the Ags every game. But all of the accompanying festivities and food, particularly the post-game parties, were just fantastic.
Same here. Went to high school at A&M and college at UT---truly blessed to have grown up in both places
Former Texas Longhorn here with three sons who graduated from Texas A&M, two of whom are/were in the Corp. I now have a strong love for Aggieland! The school spirit is unsurpassed, and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band is the best in the country! #militaryband #tam
Former member of the Aggie band. We trained for performances like that every morning for a week with a new performance every week. On top of school and military training. Every member is trained for the military for the first two years of college
And memorize the music. Gig em.
While Texas A&M is not solely a military school, it certainly has a large military presence.
In World War II over 14,000 commissioned officers came from Texas A&M University and over 6,000 enlisted men.
Seven Texas A&M students earned the Medal of Honor.
Second only to West Point.
Gig’em
General Patton said "Give me an army of west point graduates and ill win you a battle. Give me a handful of Aggies and ill win you a war."
@@bobwallace9814 During World War II, Texas A&M produced 20,229 soldiers, sailors, and marines for the United States' war effort; of these, 14,123 were officers, more than the combined total of the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy (West Point) and more than three times the totals of any other Senior Military College
This past spring semester 2024, Texas A&M commissioned the most officers in 40 years, 165.
About 400 in the band. The Corps of Cadets overall is about 3000. - Class of '83
Sousaphone is what the largest horns are. They’re a tuba specifically for marching.
It’s a tuba y’all. 😂 The instruments with the long “slide” in front are trombones. And yes, they are very close together. I’m loving all the college football and military vids. Thanks so much! BTW, the “T” is made up of cadets. It’s a military college.
It is not a tuba. A tuba is played in a seated position while clutching the instrument to your chest. It can also be be played while marching and clutching it to your chest. However, most marching band players will reconfigure the mouth piece so the tuba can be held on the shoulder. It is still cumbersome but easier than clutching it to your chest.
The Sousaphone is a different instrument. The tuba and Sousaphone both produce low bass tones. But, the Sousaphone was designed specifically for use in marching bands. The Sousaphone wraps around the body so the player does not have to hold the weight of the instrument making it much easier to play while marching or standing.
Another difference is that tubas generally have 4 or 5 valves, but a Sousaphone only has 3 valves.
The TUBA is the large white instrument carried over the sholuder. The trombone is the long one with a slide.
@@shawnb4938 No!!! It's not a tuba. Most marching bands do not use tubas, they use Sousaphones. Google 'tuba' and look at Images, then Google 'Sousaphone' and look at images. They are not the same instrument.
The sousaphone is the large instrument carried over the shoulder. A sousaphone's bell points forward; a tuba's bell is vertical. Do a Google search.
It’s a Sousaphone, and subs in for the tuba in most marching bands. However, the Aggie band refers to both the Sousaphone and the tuba as a Bass, or a bass horn. The word tuba is practically outlawed at A&M, due to the rivalry with t.u. (UT). It’s a goofy tradition, but A&M is full of them.
I played trombone in the Aggie Band, and it was a tight fit with other trombones and the bass horns. Turns had to be absolutely precise, or you could wind up with a concussion or your front teeth smashed in. Look up the 4 way cross to see it get really difficult. Marching with the Aggie Band is definitely high pressure, but so much fun.
“There’s a spirit can ne’er be told!” Gig Em, Aggies! 👍🏼
I've seen these halftime drills hundreds of times, in person and online, and they never get old. Mesmerizing
I don't think Yass understands the difference between a trombone and sousaphone and tuba.
He wasn't paying attention in music class!!!
I agree!
Though the Aggies are a “rival” university, it is a fine school! ❤️
I don't think either one of them know the difference between their mouth and their a******. They are in Britain them people are slow af. She is fine and I would marry her just because she is slow 😂
Apparently neither do I…what’s a “sousaphone” like Sousa?
Also FUCKING GIG”EM
I am a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. My son is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. My son-in-law's brother is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. My two eldest daughters are graduates of Texas A&M University at College Station. My youngest began her education at Texas A&M in College Station, but graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). I also have experience with the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, the University of Wyoming, South Dakota State University, North Dakota State University, and the University of New Mexico. The heart and soul of Texas A&M is the Corps of Cadets, which is about 2,000 strong, and it is the Corps that composes the "block T" on the field in this video. There is no institution of higher learning I've been exposed to that has as deep and rich traditions as Texas A&M. It's not possible to explain them in these comments, but if you had any idea of what Texas A&M is really all about, you'd be blown away, and this video would have been many times more meaningful.
I am Class of '79. Proud Aggie, through and through. We have a saying on campus: "From the inside, you can't explain it, From the outside, you can't understand it." Your comments point directly to this unofficial mantra at Aggieland. Gig'em, Aggies! 👍
Ha, born and raised in San Antonio I started at UTSA but graduated Texas A&M. Awesome comment, thanks and Gig Em!👍🏼
Class of '81. Well said! GIG'EM!
What you're describing is a Sousaphone which is in the Tuba family. “Created around 1893 by J. W. Pepper at the direction of American bandleader John Philip Sousa (after whom the instrument was then named), it was designed to be easier to play than the concert tuba while standing or marching, as well as to carry the sound of the instrument above the heads of the band.” - Wiki
Texas is different, we love our country , God bless Texas
West Texas proud 👌🏿
4:40 what you're referring to is a TUBA. Trombones have thinner retractable sliding tubes.
Large instrument is called a tuba or a Sousaphone in a marching band. The trombone changes notes with the piece called a slide.
Large instrument is called a tuba or a Sousaphone in a marching band. The trombone changes notes with the piece called a slide. The Sousaphone was a modification made to a basic tuba, to allow shifting the weight for easier holding while marching. Named after a famous band director. John Philip Sousa.😊
This was Texas A&M not Texas. I know it seems like it might seem like close to the same things but I don't think is any love between the 2 schools. At least not in athletic competitions.
Fucking Gig’em
We sure as hell weren't tea sippers!!!
Aggie alumni here, we do in fact call the band The Fighting Texas Aggie Band. Appreciate you trying to clear it up but the title is in fact correct. Thanks and Gig em. 👍🏼
Whoop Gig'em Aggies.
Hook 'em Horns! 😂
During summer, marching band practice started at 6:30 in the morning, ended at 8 in the evening.
During FOE we were done with band by 11am.
These are kids to be proud of.
I am so lucky to have seen them in person. All of these marching band members work extremely hard. These band members spend hours practicing as well as carrying a full load of academic studies. They are all so talented.
Excellent question about the trombones and other big horns, as you are correct the horizontal spacing is very limited, if you notice closely at the turns the big horns take a deeper vertical step. They trade horizontal spacing for vertical clearance. Very cleverly done.
They mention and give their rendition of Lee Greenwood's song God Bless the USA in this video. I suggest you watch a video Greenwood made with a music group called Home Free and several members of the military ... where they all sing this song from different parts of the country then edit it all together. Its a very moving rendition. You'll love it.
lol Brit’s reacting to us Aggies is great! We have a Long history! I’m fighten Texas Aggie class of 2002; (‘98-‘02)
I was there during 1999 bonfire and 9/11/2001. We experienced a lot back then but the band always brought us together made us proud
Gig em👍🏼
@yassandfats According to Google...Known for its precision military marching formations on the football field, the Fightin Texas Aggie Band is the largest collegiate military marching band in the nation. This 400 member Corps of Cadets unit is the official marching band of Texas A&M University. Performing at all home football games, several away games, parades and events, this organization is one of the most traveled collegiate marching bands in the nation. The Aggie Band operates under strict military guidelines as an integral part of the Corps of Cadets.
Former Texas Longhorn here with three sons who have/are attended Texas A&M, two of whom are/were in the Corp. I now have a strong love for Aggieland! The school spirit is unsurpassed, and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band is the best in the country! #militaryband #tam
Trombone has the long slide that goes in and out as they play, I think you may be speaking of the Tuba which has the large bowl
I always enjoy seeing someone from the UK discovering the tradition of a halftime or pregame show at football games. And you found one of the bands that almost always manages a visually impressive show.
The big thing so few people understand is how little work goes into any one show. Most of the top college marching bands will have a new halftime show for each home game, which means they only get 1-2 weeks to practice before they have to perform. And everyone out there on the field is a full-time student. I don't know how it works at Texas A&M, but I know that many schools work with only having 2-2.5 hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each week, plus some time on Saturday morning to practice/prepare. So the shows tend to not be as complex as they appear. This show is a good example. There is a lot of what are called "counter-marches", but its mostly in a block so the majority of the members just have to follow the person in front of them. Only a few members need to remember the whole show.
As for the trombones, you are right, during the counter-marches they will stop playing and hold their instrument so that its facing up and down. This allows them to perform the pass-throughs.
As for a single error causing a huge problem, honestly it depends on the experience of the band members around the person making the mistake. Often there will be very experienced members who just quickly adjust and hide the error as best as they can. Band members and former band members will catch these, but most of the fans won't realize that there was a problem.
The Trombone players lower the slide of the Trombone Downward for an instant so the Instrument is vertical and doesn't hit anyone or anything...then they immediately raise it up again to continue playing !
Here's your answer on how the trombonists don't knock into each other as they turn.
The Texas A&M Corp of Cadets is not a military service academy. It is one of six "Senior Military Colleges" and Corp members are not commissioned officers when they join. Taking a commission is optional and less than half (40-45%) will join the military. They won't become veterans until they join and then leave the military.
Texas A&M to some degree is a military college. It's been that way since the 1800s (I think) core of cadets. The student body is called the 12th man. (Fans in the stands) Teams have 11 players on the field and the Aggies consider their fans a 12th man because of the noise they cause.
There's a deeper story to "the 12th Man" -- the original ACTUAL 12th man during a key game in 1922. During the game, A&M coach Dana X. Bible realized that one more injury would leave him without another backfield player to send into the game. Bible called E. King Gill, a sophomore basketball player, down from the stands to stand ready as a substitute. Gill was ready in uniform on the sidelines if his team ever needed him. He didn't get to play but became immortalized anyway as all Aggies at an A&M football game stand whenever the team is on the field. Whooooooooop!
Aggie alumni here, Texas A&M was founded in 1876 as an all white all boys military school. It wasn't until 1963 that people of color and women were allowed to attend. Since then the school is one of the most diverse Universities with students and professors from nations all over the world. 👍🏼
@@dreqqqq Fake, fake, FAKE! This guy's obviously a tea-sipper! There is no such thing as an Aggie "alumni." There are only FORMER STUDENTS.
All kidding aside, I doubt very much that the foundational legislation that created the university specifically limited the race and gender of the future student population. That would merely have been the default assumption at the time. The wives and daughters of faculty and staff were allowed to attend classes (and for no cost, if I remember what we were told at Fish Camp correctly). Gig 'em!
Oh I love marching bands & appreciate so well you two & this clip as I am from Texas.
College football and basketball are much larger than the professional versions. A lot of loyalties go back many generations to the Civil War with sons and daughters following their parents and grandparents to the same school. Football and basketball are unifying social events even for students who don't attend the games celebrating at parties around campus. Huge rivalries exist between border states and many alums make a point to attend these events. Marching bands have evolved over the years to entertain the crowds during half-time and have become an integral part of the culture. Even high schools have marching bands that are quite good and they attend huge competitions all over the country.
If you pause your own video at the 5:40-5:44 mark, you'll get a good look at the Sousaphones, as they are called, from behind on the guys on the right side of the video. If you notice, the 'pipe' of that particular Sousaphones wraps around their bodies at nearly the same 'width' as their own arms would naturally be while walking.. only being 'slightly' further out to the side on the right. At the same time, the 'open end' is almost directly 'above' the players head and only slightly to the left.
While they are big and bulky, they are designed to minimize how far 'outwards' the instrument protrudes, keeping all of the 'bulk' in space up top above the players head.
Their design essentially means they take up about the same amount of 'space' side-to-side as Drummers do.
I went to THE University of Texas (Longhorns) and married to an Aggie. I greatly appreciate the Fightin’ Aggie Marching Band!
may your first born find his true love while she pursues her Mrs. at SWT! 🤣😂🤣😂
I’ve never seen you guys before. Just watching some videos. That being said, I love that you guys are watching the Aggie band. They are a military marching band, and they are awesome. This is one halftime show ya never want to miss.
Texas A&M is a regular college but has a huge Military Science program. It goes back to the 1800's and initially graduated artillery officers for the Army ( I believe). At the beginning when they were waving the flags around that emulates the way that units used to communicate with each other on the battlefield. Texas A&M also has a big Veterinary program.
Alumni here, Texas A&M was founded in 1876 as an all white all boys military school. There was a large focus on cavalry as well which is why the veterinary program is so big. it has one of the largest most successful equine schools in the country.
Well done. Fun reaction. For another marching band style, I recommend an HBCU. Historically Black College/University. Example: Southern University Human Jukebox/Halftime Show vs LSU 2022 approx. 6:30 in length. Thanks.
I attended Texas A & M Firefighting School at College Station and various extension classes elsewhere. It's a huge school. The biggest brass instrument carried would be the Tuba. The letters A & M stands for Agriculture & Mechanical, as it has large class studies in both, along with a massive ROTC (an acronym for Reserve Officers Training Corps) program and the Fighting Aggie (for Ag) Band wears an older style military uniform and centers its band program around military style precision drills. Notice the band is constantly playing, unlike Ohio who takes breathers as their MC narrates.
It’s a Sousaphone!! It was a tuba that Sousa invented to play in a marching band.Trombones have a long slide that moves back and forth.
The big round ones over the shoulder are Tubas. Trombones are the long ones ya slide back and forth 🎉
Sousaphone is the extra-large tuba which is named for John Phillip Sousa the U.S. Marine Band "March King" of the late 19th Century. He made an instrument design which was easier to carry and served as a large Euphonium Tuba. Very heavy and usually played by men.
“I’m not going to lie” -- yes thank you for telling the truth 🤣 I wonder where this hugely common phrase came from.
Glad to see you watch this. They are great.
As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.
Sousaphones are the large, white tubas. (Developed by John Phillip Sousa, noted composer of marches for the U.S. Marines.) Trombones are the long, u-shaped instrument that can extend double their length and excellent for nudging anyone ahead of you who is slowing down. 😁
My son was in that formation. There were about 2,500 Cadets in the Corps that year. He is Class of '16. This isn't even the best halftime performance. Look for the four way cross.
Nobody executes a counter column march better than the Aggies
The big ones over the shoulder are tuba's ' , the trombone normally has a slide that extends back and fourth.
Former Student here. I am glad you enjoyed this halftime show, but you REALLY need to see them live to experience all the energy coming from the band and the fans in the stands.
Graduated from UNT and SMU but have always been a Gig em Aggies fan.
They forgot to mention that while the band is performing these precision drills they are also playing flawless music.
You need to understand these kids started marching in High school (yrs 9-12) before getting here. The training is grueling especially in the heat of Texas summers. And that was before getting into college. And not everyone gets to torture themselves like this.
I’m an Auburn fan, and every time the FTAB make the trip to Auburn, and they play, I get chills.
UT lifer fan here. That s$$t gives me goosebumps. My family has a heavy military history. Many Americans are still patriotic. Texans are fiercely independent. Alot at play here. After the US Military Academies, Texas A&M has a Corp of Cadets aside from their regular student population that can go on to serve in the the Armed Services as an officer. God bless those kids. Have to admit, when y'all clapped I teared😢 up. At the end of the day Americans have each other's back. Glad to have Brits as our friends
Check out some of the Texas High School Bands. It will blow your minds. Also, Prairie View A&M is always impressive. Those big tubas are called Sousaphones. Named for composer John Phillip Sousa.
Trombone is the horn that has a long slide. In most marching bands a tuba is marched as a sousaphone, which is what I suspect you meant by trombone, which is the large belled instrument that is worn like a hula hoop over the shoulders.
The big white ones are a tuba/Sousa phone. The really long horses are trombone. At one point the band members will actually step between each other's legs. Thanks Longhorn for complement. Feel same for Longhorn band. Proud to be a Texan!😊❤
the big round one is called the Tuba, the trombone is the one that some of the instrument goes in and out.
If nobody else has mentioned it, the large silver-colored instruments are called tubas or as we called them in the Corps, “Basses.” The trombones are the really long horns with a slide you pull and push to play the right note. And yes, one misstep and it throws off the entire formation. That’s what it takes hours every day to learn the halftime show drill for that week. The drill changes every week and gets progressively more complex as the Freshmen (or “fish” as they’re called in the Corps) learn how to military march and memorize the music. Once they’ve memorized the music, they’re able to be more focused on the marching drill and can learn more difficult drills. You’ll notice that when they’re “turning around,” the tubas will crouch, the bass drummers will lean forward, and the trombonists will put their instruments “at attention” (i.e. perpendicular to the ground), all of which is to avoid hitting anyone as they turn around. They may brush each other, but an actual collision is rare. The fear of God is put into the “fish” and Sophomores (“pissheads” as they’re called in the Corps) because they will pay dearly for a mistake during the halftime show. I recommend watching a video of them doing the 4-way cross-through drill. That will blow your mind.
Their performance of 'God Bless the USA' gave me goosebumps
American college marching bands are relics of an age when all state funded universities had compulsory ROTC (reserve officer training corps) programs. To be clear, ROTC still exists, but on a much smaller scale.
The bands were considered demonstration units to showcase the cadets' skill at close order drill and marching. It harkens to an era when battlefield orders were communicated by drum beats and trumpet blasts. Of you look at the marching band uniforms of most universities, they tend to have a vaguely military, anachronistic look about them.
Texas A&M is what is called a "Senior Military College". That effectively means that the ROTC cadet corps is a more prominent and visible presence on campus than at most schools.
My father graduated from college in 1958 (not from Texas A&M), and he participated in his university's ROTC program. He then went on to Naval Officer Candidate School and served four years as a commissioner naval officer. During his college years, he marched at football halftimes to the cadence of the civilian marching bands.
This historical link between military service and university attendance is one of the reasons college sports are so integrated into American culture.
The British upper classes actually have similar traditions. Historically, an upper class British man owned only three neckties or cravats. Each bore a crest - one for his family, one for his university, and one for his military unit. A necktie which bore no crest was an indicator that the wearer was working class. American college loyalty tied all three elements in one institution, and you didn't need to be a landed aristocrat for the privilege.
Check out the Kyoto Tachibana SHS (Senior High School) Marching Band. Yes, that's Kyoto, Japan. I think you'll be impressed. Don't want to give too much away, but they dance...and play.
This is a military college. The band forming the bottom of the T count 400 men and women. The rest of the T is formed by cadets (not veterans) - 2300 of them. The "T" stands for Texas. Cadets are trainees or students who are preparing to become commissioned officers in the military or other organizations
The big horns are Sousaphones named for John Philipp Sousa The March King .
Band Geeks are amazing
I read last year that as of 2024, Texas A&M University will have the highest number of students of any college in the US. If I remember, the number was something like 73,400 students per year.
aw you two are cute! Texan here, though not an Aggie alum. yah, cute is the best word. Bless your hearts! Cheers!
Marching band halftime shows are common at college football games in this country. The reason Texas A&M's precision is top notch, is because it is composed of members of the military Core of Cadets, which can be of any branch of service, by the way.
The instrument you seem to be referring to around the 6min mark is the tuba
You need to see the Ohio State Marching Band tho... it couldnt be more different than this, but both are fantastic.
Funny story; my daughter was unsure about college (and her dad was dying at the time making it worse). I said “just go to Blinn” the Jr College that kids go to then switch to A&M. One of her friends was going & they could live together. She said “ok, but I’m NOT going to A&M…it’s a frigging cult.”
After the first football game she called me and said “ok, I’m in!“ 😂
The words to the war hymn at the beginning was written in the trenches of WW1
The big ones are Tubas
It is not a tuba. A tuba is played in a seated position while clutching the instrument to your chest. It can also be be played while marching and clutching it to your chest. However, most marching band players will reconfigure the mouth piece so the tuba can be held on the shoulder. It is still cumbersome but easier than clutching it to your chest.
The Sousaphone is a different instrument. The tuba and Sousaphone both produce low bass tones. But, the Sousaphone was designed specifically for use in marching bands. The Sousaphone wraps around the body so the player does not have to hold the weight of the instrument making it much easier to play while marching or standing.
Another difference is that tubas generally have 4 or 5 valves, but a Sousaphone only has 3 valves.
The guy starts vibing at the first note. Get him to College Station and make him an Aggie!
ya know that phrase.. "don't mess with texas" this band is one of those reasons why.. remember "Everything's bigger in texas"...
Sousaphone is where they can stand inside of them. It is in essence a tuba that is made for marching bands. Named after John Phillip Sousa.
This is NOT a "Texas" band.
It's the "Texas A & M Aggies" band.
There's more than one "Texas" school.
Texas
Texas Tech
Texas A & M
more...
Yes. Just the Texas schools who play the largest division of college football include
North Texas
Texas Austin
Texas El Paso
Texas San Antonio
Texas State
Texas Tech
But, the oldest and largest is Texas A&M
I said the same thing 😂 no tea sippers here
t.u.
Alumni here, we do in fact call it the Fighting Texas Aggie Band. A&M stands for Agriculture and Mechanics, or Aggie for short. So saying Texas Aggie is the same, hence Fighting Texas Aggie.👍🏼
Y’all should visit. Attend a home game in September. Lovely weather.
They are not veterans. They are college students. My grandson is in the Fighting Texas Aggie Band this year. They are awesome.
Y'all need to watch the video when they do the 4 way cross it will really blow your minds.
Texas A&M runs deep in my family and I always love to here the fight song!! BTW, at football games Aggie's do not sit, they stand for the entire game.
Most People Call Them Tubas , But Actually They Are Sousaphones , That a Great Well Known Marching Band Leader Created Because They Look So Well in the March , There Still are Tubas That are Large Instruments Carried That Have an EVEN LOWER Tone When Played than the John Phillip Sousa Invented Horn
They are tubas(large round bell at top), a trombone has the long slide out part
I always love how the tubas do there delayed turn in some of the formations ...pay close attention
I guarantee you this was as much fun as it looked!
My high school had a military marching band and I missed it when went to college. It IS difficult (IMO mostly because of the amount of lines and diagonals) and both of my college directors said that they don't march military style because it's too hard.
All members of the marching band are members of the cadets. Around 400-500 are members of the marching band. Texas A&M University (Agricultural & Mechanical) has over 50,000 students with around 4,000 of them in the Corp of Cadets. So 10% of the Corp is in the band, and less than 10% of the students is in the Corp. Imagine the entire football field full of all the students. Wow! That’s huge.
“It’s an army!” Well, yes. Second only to the US military academies. Don’t mess with Texas. Gig ‘em!
High schools also have some pretty great marching band programs as well.
Trumpets are smaller it's trombone. But their Tubas are huge! Amazing Band!
Lots of good info in the comments. Was in this band during my time in college. Yes they are very close. Shoulder to shoulder when going in opposite directions. And this isn’t the most technical show. The four way cross literally has two people in one spot crossing each other in opposite direction’s while marching. We practiced every weekday for a couple of hours and yes people end up on the butts or smacked in the face when someone screws up.
The over the shoulder instrument is a Tuba and they do have room between them
Sousaphones were Tubas designed for Marching Bands by John Phillip Sousa a famous composer and Director of the United Sates Marin Corps Band
That is really easy to do but it looks hard from the stands. Arlington was the first band that didn't use music as they played, I believe. First one I saw in 1955.
In Great Britian, do they not have University Marching bands at sports events? We Americans love our College/University sports events!!! A burning passion for many. A matter of personal pride!! Rivalries that transcend generations;
Look T george straight, just broke a record
For the non US viewers in America most public High Schools have marching bands grades 8 thru 12. Once your finished with High School you can apply to the University grade 12 thru 16 for a bachelors degree. Most have music degrees but it is not required to be a music major to join a marching band. You must audition. Practice is on your own time besides your regular school studies.
The band's performance is a close order drill. The small hash marks on the field are at 3 feet apart about 1 meter. So, they are painfully close.
That sousaphone turn is a classic and totally bada$$!
You two certainly seem to like marching bands. It does get cold in College Station Texas. Texas A&M is a precision marching band. Others will be conceptual bands & draw pictures with their formations. If one of them makes a mistake it would be a huge pile up. They have to dip their instruments to not 'clip' each other. The ones over the shoulder is called Sousaphone. How many? The corps of cadets is about 2500 (maybe) And they band is about 500. So 3000 total.
Everyone of them want the same thing and that’s PERFECTION❤
They swivel or dip to avoid impacts.