re: Show us your marching band halls!

There is an indoor practice room for the Pride of the Southland Band in the Haslam Music Center. the building was finished in late 2012 and cost around $40 Million to complete.



Other cool pictures:



Recital Hall

I will say this. The award for most improved band hall definitely goes to Mississippi State. What they were in 10 years ago is an embarrassment.

It looks like the web have been scraped of all evidence.

MSU's band has improved dramatically over the past few years because they finally have a decent facility. Its probably still 13th or 14th in the SEC but its 1000 times better than what they were in.

My sister was interested in being in the band in 1994 at MSU. A lifelong MSU fan, she ended up at Jacksonville State for two reasons.

1. Have you heard Jacksonville State's band?
2. The facility at MSU was so bad that it pushed her away. She says now she would have gone to MSU, even though its an average facility.

Thank you for your WONDERFUL contribution to the improvement if the Million Dollar Band!

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Thank you for your WONDERFUL contribution to the improvement if the Million Dollar Band!

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If I was a school looking to build a new band hall, I would look to the example set by South Carolina...



GARVIN DESIGN GROUP

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BAND HALL & DANCE FACILITY
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC
The program for this 34,000 sf facility poses an interesting challenge, at once providing a much needed improvement to the practice facilities currently used by the 250-member marching band, while also creating a new identity for the newly accredited dance program at the University. On a formerly neglected and oddly-shaped site wedged between two railroads, an elevated pedestrian walkway, and a small, utilitarian fabrication shop for the School of Engineering, the building attempts to become as narrow as possible in order to allow for the adjacent 110-yard long practice field and other related site access elements. The dual-level plan provides for an independent entry for dance on the lower level, and for band on the upper. The main level building plan is organized around a series of large practice areas and dance studios along the field side to the north, flanked by smaller offices and support spaces to the south. Acoustical separation and program autonomy are the major organizing factors, resulting in a simple yet highly efficient organizational building scheme in both plan and section.

Project Team Members
Scott Garvin
Terry Buchmann
David Sickinger

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...the half that is the band hall, that is. It's simple, it's efficient, it's designed to fit on a narrow lot...you can basically build it anywhere you can fit a 110 yard football-sized field...and it looks amazing.

I would make two changes to it: I would incorporate the conductor's tower into the design of the building to make it even more space-efficient. And I would build a loading dock on one end, so a truck could be backed up and band equipment loaded in the most efficient manner.

Other than that, it's perfect for a band. You can step outside from inside rehearsals to outside in a flash. It's got climate-controlled storage for delicate band instruments and uniforms. As well as lockers and changing rooms.

And about that climate-controlled storage...don't underestimate how important that is to the sound of your band. Taking care of the band's instruments means a better sound, period.

I don't understand how Alabama doesn't have anything to show for on this front.

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That is true though, if I ever talked shite about the band on here it would NOT take them long to figure out who I was. But it's not like they look on here. 

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You know Coleman is watching right now.

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I don't understand how Alabama doesn't have anything to show for on this front.

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I felt the same way in the swimming facility thread. Edit: LSU should have a much better facility than it does.

One think I have heard about our band building is that we're SUPPOSEDLY adding onto Moody. Moody was never finished, and only has 2 sides. This:



and this:




From what I heard they're suppose to be adding on to the right side of the building in the first picture, and make the grassy area in the center a true courtyard (the other side is just a parking lot).



Of course I could be wrong.

...is this near a large enough area so you mark off a football field? Because that would be ideal if so.

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There is a large hill next to Butler, and I heard anothe rumor that they might build a building on that hill. It will be similar to how LSU's new band building is set up if we went that route.

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That would work out the best IMO. It's all about being efficient with your time. If you can step outside your band hall and practice immediately, so much the better.

That's why I like the way LSU, South Carolina, and Mississippi State have their band halls set up.