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The Eyes of Texas


LTtxfan

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one of the better renditions of The Eyes was the one played by ZZ Top on the banjo to start their set at this https://alcalde.texasexes.org/2015/10/the-way-back-over-the-top/

 

it had gotten dark 80,000 of us were high (many tons of reefer were smoked that day, you had no choice, if you were in Memorial Stadium and were breathing you were high from all the dope smoke, it was if Memorial was a giant firepit with a visible plume of smoke trailing north all the way to Round Rock), had sunstroke, were dehydrated and some of us were halucinating. Santanna had finished their set and they had swapped out the sets on stage. the lights went down and out of the darkness the notes rang out of The Eyes Of Texas played on a banjo pumped through a wall of cerwin-vegas at 10 billion decibles. Memorial stadium went bananas. lights went up and ZZ Top ripped into their set. good times.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Traditions...   T-Ring

jpeg

 

https://www.texaslsn.org/t-ring/

The T-Ring was first introduced to Texas athletics during Coach Royals first season as head coach at Texas (1957).   Royal created the unique award to recognize the student-athlete who lettered and graduated from UT.  

Head coach Mack Brown embraced that tradition when he arrived at Texas in 1998 and  continued to stress its importance, often stating that the Texas experience is not complete without the T-Ring. "We're really excited about how hard our guys work in the classroom," said Brown. "Seeing them earn their degrees and pick up their T-Rings is as rewarding as all of the victories they've helped us get on the field."

Edith Royal Said Coach Royal Got The Idea For The "T" Ring From His Idol, Oklahoma Coach Bud Wilkinson, Who Wore A Block "O" Ring For Oklahoma. Royal Mirrored This OU Tradition By Designing A "T" Ring To Present To All Graduating Letterman.

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1 minute ago, Armybrat said:

Or maybe not?

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/ut-to-require-longhorn-band-to-play-the-eyes-of-texas-but-will-create-new-band-for-those-who-oppose-song/

Will there be two marching bands on Campbell-Williams Field - with the LHB1 playing The Eyes, and a LHB2 playing We Shall Overcome?

The "other" band won't be performing at athletic events.

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Email sent from LHB Director Scott Hanna to the Longhorn Alumni Band:

 
Quote

 

Dear Longhorn Alumni Band, 

 

The Longhorn Band, which today includes 391 members, has been a defining element of the university identity, culture and experience. 

 

We also recognize the band’s origins are rooted in the same early history of the university, the state and the country. From beginnings of 16 members in the “University or Varsity Band” of 1900 to hundreds who make up the “Showband of the Southwest” today, it has had numerous configurations and reporting structures throughout time. 

 

The recent history of the Longhorn Band has been challenged by budgetary constraints, the impact of COVID-19 on performance, in-person classes and face-to-face communications and the debate around The Eyes of Texas. 

 

We’ve been in close conversation with University, Butler School of Music and University Bands leadership to work through a new approach to support the performance and financial goals of University Bands collection, including performance expectations for “The Eyes of Texas” for the Longhorn Band. We are now ready to share our plans as students begin to register for their fall classes. 

 

The Longhorn Band and Longhorn Pep Band will continue to perform the traditional songs that they have always performed at university events, including the university’s alma mater and fight songStudents who select this academic option will be expected to perform.  

 

For those who seek other musical options, the university offers many other diverse academic and musical repertoire choices to its students. Beginning in Fall 2022, a “to be named“ University Band will be created for individuals who want to perform in a marching band,  with a focus on leading/directing bands and community engagement. The band will be part of concepting the future of bands with the responsibility to identify performance venues and other related issues. The required repertoire will not include traditional university songs. 

 

This new band will be in addition to the other existing University Band options: four University Concert Bands, University Jazz Ensemble, University Percussion Ensemble, University Color Guard, and the University Mariachi Paredes. 

 

Our vision for the Longhorn Band is to create the most respected and most entertaining band of our kind in the country, known for our performances, evolving musical repertoire and routines, as well as impact on communities across the state. 

 

To achieve the vision, there are seven key areas of focus. These strategic imperatives include: 
  1. Expand the diversity of the band, including musical repertoire, faculty, and band leadership 
  1. Achieve proper funding and ensure no cost band membership 
  1. Increase student scholarship support to ensure every band member receives a scholarship 
  1. Increase the diversity of the band  
  1. Leverage the band’s reach and influence to effect social change  
  1. Spread music across diverse communities 
  1. Create a professional development and networking structure 

 

We will be looking to you, our alumni, to support us as we carry out this strategic vision and plan that will allow the Longhorn Band to continue to grow, evolve and change in order to restore its historical glory. 

 

Thank you for your patience as we’ve taken time to work through these complex issues. While this email outlines the broad strokes of our plans, we’ve also created this page with more detailed information, as well as an FAQ to help address and answer your questions. 

 

Sincerely, 

 

Scott Hanna 
Director, Longhorn Band

 

 
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It'll be interesting to see where they take the other concept.  I could see a special/smaller curriculum for those trying be high school band directors, b/c the type of drum corps marching that most high schools do today is not at all like the more traditional style of LHB.  However it will be strange to have an alternative marching band that doesn't march at athletic events...like...where are they going to perform?  So many questions.

I agree that if they can't get a solid charter and base of interest beyond "this is the band that doesn't play the Eyes" it will die within a few years due to lack of interest.

I'm very glad that they are clearly communicating expectations for LHB proper to play the Eyes.  That's kinda the point of the band, to play the non-racist (as stated by the report generated by the intersectional, multi-stakeholder, African-American led EoT committee) school's song.  It's also good that they're providing an outlet for those that don't want to participate in that - it's good for everyone.

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3 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Or maybe not?

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/ut-to-require-longhorn-band-to-play-the-eyes-of-texas-but-will-create-new-band-for-those-who-oppose-song/

Will there be two marching bands on Campbell-Williams Field - with the LHB1 playing The Eyes, and a LHB2 playing We Shall Overcome?

Two bands?

Dear lord. 

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1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said:

My guess is one band has big turnout(gameday/the eyes band), other(marching band to no where?) does not, and the one that does not numbers dwindle before it's phased out. 

 

Thoughts?

That's my initial thought.

I don't think it's a terrible PR idea to at least promote the option of an alternative marching band for students uncomfortable with the Eyes, but I am skeptical of how many prospective students going forward will pursue the alternate option. 

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1 minute ago, LonghornSean said:

That's my initial thought.

I don't think it's a terrible PR idea to at least promote the option of an alternative marching band for students uncomfortable with the Eyes, but I am skeptical of how many prospective students going forward will pursue the alternate option. 

I think the eyes band will become the "alt" version for a lot of people.

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5 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

My guess is one band has big turnout(gameday/the eyes band), other(marching band to no where?) does not, and the one that does not numbers dwindle before it's phased out. 

 

Thoughts?

It could go another way. The leaders and members of the other band begin complaining loudly that they are not allowed to play enough at big events like football while the LHB gets all the glory such that the news reporters won't let the LHB vs other band idea go.

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8 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

Stupid question - do you have to be a Music major to be in the band? I assume there are people who enjoy and are good at a particular instrument but want to get a (for example) Math degree....

No, neither of my nieces & my nephew were music majors. 
one niece was in the Flag section - its main prerequisite was alcohol consumption.

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40 minutes ago, n64ra said:

It could go another way. The leaders and members of the other band begin complaining loudly that they are not allowed to play enough at big events like football while the LHB gets all the glory such that the news reporters won't let the LHB vs other band idea go.

That’s why I believe this was put out to prevent that. You know what your signing up for and you know the requirements that start this fall. 

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6 minutes ago, Steel Shank said:

The idea that The University would need two bands makes me feel like laying some pipe.

I'm not sure that "need" is the proper term. They're just throwing out this optional alternative band red herring to gloss over the basic edict that, "Hey, the LHB, the By-God Showband of the Southwest, will play The fuckin' Eyes and if you don't like it, GTFO." 

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