Time for a change with the pride. Check out the Ohio State Marching Band performance below. OU needs to cut its losses with the new "leadership" and bring someone else in with the creative mindset for a performance that is up to OU standards.

Ohio State Marching Band "Michael Jackson Tribute" - Halftime vs. Iowa: 10-19-13 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/GTca2nrIn4U)

I completely agree. I am a band alumni. It pains me to see how bland and uninspiring the band is now. And I do NOT blame any of the kids in the band

So long as Stolarik has an "in" with an influential donor, I think he's going to be in that position no matter how much he is loathed or the kind of damage he does to the Pride. It's a tragic situation that I think belongs squarely in David Boren's lap. I think Boren has done great things for OU, but this is a fairly digusting public debacle. I was never in the band, but I know folks who were, and treasured their time there, and know a great deal more about what's going on than is generally being discussed, and it's all just kind of...depressing. Those of us who remember the great Thrailkill days know those days are, sadly, gone forever.

What damage has Stolarik done to the Pride? At least you can hear the band now.

What damage has Stolarik done to the Pride? At least you can hear the band now.

Its been well documented (well, let's say discussed) in other forums, starting with a gutting of the pregame show, to implementing shows that were literally copies of the exact same shows Stolarik did at Wisconsin, even to the point of the band member walkout last fall. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. He upset enough people to inspire a Facebook page of Pride alumni begging for change that, last I checked, was getting thousands of hits and likes.

The point is, what's been going on from the time he was hired under questionable circumstances to now has been discussed at length in lots of places. In all honesty, I don't feel like rehashing it all here.

Its been well documented (well, let's say discussed) in other forums, starting with a gutting of the pregame show, to implementing shows that were literally copies of the exact same shows Stolarik did at Wisconsin, even to the point of the band member walkout last fall. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. He upset enough people to inspire a Facebook page of Pride alumni begging for change that, last I checked, was getting thousands of hits and likes.

The point is, what's been going on from the time he was hired under questionable circumstances to now has been discussed at length in lots of places. In all honesty, I don't feel like rehashing it all here.

Perhaps you could have saved yourself a load of typing and just provided a link to the discussion?

Perhaps you could have saved yourself a load of typing and just provided a link to the discussion?

Because I'm not about to sit here link all the possible sites that have had discussion on this topic in the last four or five months. Here's this:

Google results for "Stolarik OU band controversy" (https://www.google.com/search?q=stolarik+ou+band+controversy)

Take your pick.

I disagree completely. I went to several games this year, and thought the exact opposite. I thought, "Wow! I can NOT hear the band!"

I disagree completely. I went to several games this year, and thought the exact opposite. I thought, "Wow! I can NOT hear the band!"

Yup - apparently one of the first things that was done was to cut the band's size. Think there was some hope that all the controversy would force Stolarik to "take another position at the University" to allow all parties to save face, but appears that isn't going to happen..so far.

As a Sooner fan and grad who has been going to games since I was 8 years old, and understood how important the Pride has always been to the gameday atmosphere, and knowing how it was while I was at least a student (was never a band member myself), its nothing less than tragic to see how things have changed. Really, really sad.

What damage has Stolarik done to the Pride? At least you can hear the band now.

Welcome to the board Stolarik.

What damage has Stolarik done to the Pride? At least you can hear the band now.
You can not hear the band any better.
Smaller band size means less volume.
Rumors say that large numbers of OU band members will not be back if Stolarik is back next year?

I'm not sure where you guys are getting the idea that the band was smaller this past season than others. It's been consistently in the 290-320 range for 10+ years now. This year they had just about 290. The most they ever had was 320 in the 2003 season. However, you can bet it's down to about 250 next year. For those complaining about size, a larger band doesn't necessarily mean a bigger sound. The Ohio State band marches only 192 in its pregame and halftime block yet fills a 100,000+ seat stadium with a sound that's louder than the Pride and even the 400+ UT band.

You can not hear the band any better.
Smaller band size means less volume.
Rumors say that large numbers of OU band members will not be back if Stolarik is back next year?

Smaller band size absolutely does NOT have to mean less volume. But thanks for trying.

Welcome to the board Stolarik.

Good to see you (maybe former) Pride member.

Smaller band size absolutely does NOT have to mean less volume. But thanks for trying.


But in this case the smaller band size has clearly made the OU band harder to hear....

I'm far from alone on this. I heard many complaints last year from those siting around me.
Then the stupid show tunes they play. WOW!
By the end of the season it was very apparent that hardly anyone was paying very much attention to the OU band.

I'm not sure where you guys are getting the idea that the band was smaller this past season than others. It's been consistently in the 290-320 range for 10+ years now. This year they had just about 290. The most they ever had was 320 in the 2003 season. However, you can bet it's down to about 250 next year. For those complaining about size, a larger band doesn't necessarily mean a bigger sound. The Ohio State band marches only 192 in its pregame and halftime block yet fills a 100,000+ seat stadium with a sound that's louder than the Pride and even the 400+ UT band.
They didn't march the full OU band at least during the first part of the season. For some games you could see 25 to 30 band members on the sidelines or in the tunnel while the band was preforming.

But in this case the smaller band size has clearly made the OU band harder to hear....

I'm far from alone on this. I heard many complaints last year from those siting around me.
Then the stupid show tunes they play. WOW!
By the end of the season it was very apparent that hardly anyone was paying very much attention to the OU band.

We disagree, but it's whatever. People around me thought the band was louder than it had been in years. People around you didn't.

We disagree, but it's whatever. People around me thought the band was louder than it had been in years. People around you didn't.

Been going to OU home games since 1974. OU's band this year was categorically the worst, hardest to hear, ever.

I must admit I've not seen any appreciable comments that the band was louder this year other than yours.

Thrailkill knew how to run a band, he knew it was a way to stoke the fans and support the team. Don't think there will ever be a Thrailkill again, sadly. My hope is that Stolarik is gone, but I doubt it will happen. Whether the quid pro quo rumors are true I can't say, all I know is that what marched out there last year was a pathetic impersonation of what was once a great, great Sooner band, and the sudden obsession with "show tunes" mysteriously dovetails with the "quid pro quo" stories that have made the rounds.

And let me be sure to clarify that my criticism of the band is not in the slightest intended to reflect on the kids who participated in it, but in the leadership that pointed it clearly in that direction. All the kids can do is what they're told.

Been going to OU home games since 1974. OU's band this year was categorically the worst, hardest to hear, ever.

I must admit I've not seen any appreciable comments that the band was louder this year other than yours.

Thrailkill knew how to run a band, he knew it was a way to stoke the fans and support the team. Don't think there will ever be a Thrailkill again, sadly. My hope is that Stolarik is gone, but I doubt it will happen. Whether the quid pro quo rumors are true I can't say, all I know is that what marched out there last year was a pathetic impersonation of what was once a great, great Sooner band, and the sudden obsession with "show tunes" mysteriously dovetails with the "quid pro quo" stories that have made the rounds.

And let me be sure to clarify that my criticism of the band is not in the slightest intended to reflect on the kids who participated in it, but in the leadership that pointed it clearly in that direction. All the kids can do is what they're told.

I cannot speak to Thrailkill as I only experienced the Pride under his leadership in 2000-01. I thought Britt was worthless and the band was boring to watch and even harder to hear during his tenure. You remember it under Thrailkill who seems to have legendary status with older OU fans and I don't. I guess the band was a lot better then?

The whole thing kind of reminds me of that scene in Good Morning Vietnam when Robin Williams' character is going off and yells, "I don't care what you play, just play it loud!" I thought the new guy has them playing louder than what they did under Britt which is cool with me. It's a band at a college football game. It should be loud.

Been going to OU home games since 1974. OU's band this year was categorically the worst, hardest to hear, ever.

I must admit I've not seen any appreciable comments that the band was louder this year other than yours.

Thrailkill knew how to run a band, he knew it was a way to stoke the fans and support the team. Don't think there will ever be a Thrailkill again, sadly. My hope is that Stolarik is gone, but I doubt it will happen. Whether the quid pro quo rumors are true I can't say, all I know is that what marched out there last year was a pathetic impersonation of what was once a great, great Sooner band, and the sudden obsession with "show tunes" mysteriously dovetails with the "quid pro quo" stories that have made the rounds.

And let me be sure to clarify that my criticism of the band is not in the slightest intended to reflect on the kids who participated in it, but in the leadership that pointed it clearly in that direction. All the kids can do is what they're told.
I agree on this^
With fewer marching members there was no way the band was louder.

I cannot speak to Thrailkill as I only experienced the Pride under his leadership in 2000-01. I thought Britt was worthless and the band was boring to watch and even harder to hear during his tenure. You remember it under Thrailkill who seems to have legendary status with older OU fans and I don't. I guess the band was a lot better then?


The OU band under Coach was many times better than it is now,,,,
But Boren apparently totally ignored his recommendations.

I agree on this^
With fewer marching members there was no way the band was louder.

You're smarter than this. Larger size does not necessarily equate to louder volume.

You're smarter than this. Larger size does not necessarily equate to louder volume.


No not necessarily... but it did in this case. 100% no doubt, the OU band was not as loud
It wasn't loud in part because of how angry some band members were.

Basic human nature says that when people are completely dissatisfied with the quality of their supervision they won't work as hard to preform for them.

I cannot speak to Thrailkill as I only experienced the Pride under his leadership in 2000-01. I thought Britt was worthless and the band was boring to watch and even harder to hear during his tenure. You remember it under Thrailkill who seems to have legendary status with older OU fans and I don't. I guess the band was a lot better then?

The whole thing kind of reminds me of that scene in Good Morning Vietnam when Robin Williams' character is going off and yells, "I don't care what you play, just play it loud!" I thought the new guy has them playing louder than what they did under Britt which is cool with me. It's a band at a college football game. It should be loud.

And Thrailkill knew loud. Heck, he knew how to be a factor in a game! He wasn't just some ivory tower music prof, he had his musical background and he had tremendous football IQ, too. He knew when on the road - esp. at Nebraska - to play Boomer Sooner loud and obnoxiously enough to juice up the team when there were barely 1,000 fans there. Heck, Barry Switzer credited the band with having a significant role in OU's 1983 comeback win over OSU up in Stillwater.

And I also agree with you that the Pride, under Britt, became quite stagnant. He, as I understand it, was more of a music purist in that he thought the band's selections should be played "musically correct," without regard to how it affected the fans or the environment. I don't know if that's true or not - it was conjecture I heard from people I respect over the years - but I sure knew the band didn't pass the same "eye and ear" tests I had come to know over the decades preceding him - and this Stolarik business is just, well, as noted in rumors I readily acknowledge I cannot personally substantiate,, rotten from the core and radiating in all directions.

Looks like this never really went away. It's a shame that after all this time and the same feeling that Boren isn't willing to do anything.

OU marching band members 'tired of being ignored' | News OK (http://newsok.com/ou-marching-band-members-tired-of-being-ignored/article/5357702/?page=1)

David Boren has been surprisingly poor in responding to this issue. He has taken the ostrich approach to complaints.

When Boren even gives quotes indicating his response to things like this is to ignore it, it is no wonder they feel he is doing nothing.

When Boren even gives quotes indicating his response to things like this is to ignore it, it is no wonder they feel he is doing nothing.

In defense of President Boren, he has to evaluate those faculty members. It wouldn't be in the University's interest for him to come out making statements in the media with regards to an individual faculty member's performance evaluation.

Did my graduate work at OU, this is a very political savvy university; these matters shouldn't be handled in the media.

I don't doubt that the members of the pride have concerns; however, there's always a risk when you begin to attack someone through the media. There will be 'concerns' when you bring in a new faculty member who doesn't fit the mold of the previous 'works' of the highly regarded director like Dr. Gene Thrailkill.

In defense of President Boren, he has to evaluate those faculty members. It wouldn't be in the University's interest for him to come out making statements in the media with regards to an individual faculty member's performance evaluation.

Did my graduate work at OU, this is a very political savvy university; these matters shouldn't be handled in the media.

I don't doubt that the members of the pride have concerns; however, there's always a risk when you begin to attack someone through the media. There will be 'concerns' when you bring in a new faculty member who doesn't fit the mold of the previous 'works' of the highly regarded director like Dr. Gene Thrailkill.

Resorting to the media appears to be the last resort by students and alumni whose voices have been rejected by Boren. I don't blame them. He has disregarded their concerns. The fact remains Boren hired this band director, who did not meet the search committee criteria, to kotow to a board of regent (the same who has contributed heavily to Molly Boren's art collection at OU). The quality of the band has suffered. The result is a management failure by the OU president who put personal interest ahead of the university interest.

I will agree that band members and alum may feel they have exhausted their avenues to be heard. The attitude of the response by President Boren tells me that he doesn't really give a **** about the feelings of former band members and a lot of alumni.

I was solicited the other day for a donation to the school and I let the very nice (likely) student know that I would withhold any further donations to the school until the President addresses the issue of the Pride Band Director with some due level of respect. The attitude that he was "disappointed" the alum would spend their money on advertisements rather than donating to the school was, at best, arrogant. It's their money to spend as they like and President Boren might want to be reminded that he is paid by taxpayers and donors.

I didn't care for Boren's initial response, I felt like it was the opposite of political savvyness. I think there are things as a leader he could do that it surprises me he has not.

On the other hand, I think the students and alumni who are stoking the flames here have a serious lack of reality, specifically in the area related to employment laws and policies. I don't think any of them have ever had to lead people, and I think they have no idea what it takes to discipline let alone Fire someone in a large organization, not withstanding the thought exercise that there's probably not anything here that has been done that warrants that from what I have seen. Also, while they may speculate that the director is unqualified, unless someone has insider knowledge from the interview process, which would be a serious violation of confidentiality, they really have no basis to say that. Pointing out that the guy has one type of music Ph.D. rather than another makes me think these same people have never dealt with an HR organization.

Yep, the whole thing sucks. Put your money where your mouth is and leave the band. That's how the real world works.

Boren has now met with band members.

OU president meets with band members, listens to their concerns | KFOR.com (http://kfor.com/2014/10/20/ou-president-meets-with-band-members-listens-to-their-concerns/)


In the band handbook it states, if you do speak out, you may get booted from the band.

Boren ended up removing the section of the student handbook that had muzzled band members from speaking out.

On Monday, President Boren met many band members face to face.

Looks like this never really went away. It's a shame that after all this time and the same feeling that Boren isn't willing to do anything.

OU marching band members 'tired of being ignored' | News OK (http://newsok.com/ou-marching-band-members-tired-of-being-ignored/article/5357702/?page=1)

Well, he did address the free speech issue pretty promptly.

Well, he did address the free speech issue pretty promptly.

More details about this.

University of Oklahoma president lifts ban on band members' free speech | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/ou-president-lifts-ban-on-band-members-free-speech/article/5358314)


Boren struck down that requirement Friday in an email sent to the leadership of the College of Fine Arts.

“President Boren was incensed when he learned of the band participation agreement and was disturbed that he had not been told of it by the School of Music,” OU spokeswoman Catherine Bishop stated in an email Monday. “President Boren has a lifelong history of defending free speech, and upon learning of the agreement, he immediately issued a Presidential directive making it null and void.”

More information about the meeting with Boren.

University of Oklahoma president listens to OU band members' concerns | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/boren-listens-to-ou-band-members-concerns/article/5358709)


About 50 to 60 band members were at the meeting, Graeme Biggs, a sophomore on the drum line, said Tuesday.

“I think yesterday was a big day for the band. I think Boren was really listening to us as a whole,” said Biggs, a management information systems major from Edmond. “He really seemed to take it to heart.”

Biggs said Boren told the students, “I don’t take this lightly. I’m going to make a decision by the end of the week.”

Boren confirmed Tuesday he will make an announcement on the situation this week.

OU marching band director steps down (http://www.okcfox.com/story/26874540/ou-band-director-steps-down)

Well now... almost feels like an April's fool story. Happy that Brian Britt is back.

Wow, sounds like the right decisions all the way around.

Sometimes people just don't work out, which doesn't mean they aren't good at what they do, but a bad fit for whatever reasons.

Hopefully this change will be best for all those involved.

President Boren worked behind the scenes because it wasn't difficult to predict this outcome. He protected the privacy of an employee who may have better success with his new position.

Yay! Great news.

Wow, sounds like the right decisions all the way around.

Sometimes people just don't work out, which doesn't mean they aren't good at what they do, but a bad fit for whatever reasons.

Hopefully this change will be best for all those involved.

I think Stolarik spent all the capital he had with Boren until now, and the latest allegations of incompetence combined with this "no disparagement" clause he presumably worked into the band handbook were just too much. When Boren issued his "I'm incensed" note earlier this week (or was it last?) it was clear he wasn't going to ignore the issue this time around.

Whether the non-disparagement clause was really that serious (and some would say it was, particularly if it was for students who had to take band as part of their degree program) or if it was merely a strawman to rationalize dispatching the whole issue by dispatching Stolarik, I'm delighted he's gone. While I was never a musician or a band member, I've always thought the Pride was a great ambassador/adjunct for the football program, and to see how it has suffered in the last two years was really sad to watch. It was particularly conspicuous at the OU-Texas game this year, where UT's band just dwarfed what OU put out there. With diminishing members, a "no-confidence" from the President, and another round of challenges to his ability as an instructor, Boren did what I think was smart by "deferring" a decision until the end of the week that would "put an end to the controversy," and everyone knew the only resolution would be to remove him - or to give him a chance to resign. Which he did.

Here's hoping for a brighter future ahead for the Pride!

And the timing on this is perfect. OU has an off week this week and then an away game, which will give the band extra time to adjust with the new director before the next home game. I suspect that also may have played into the suddenness of the resignation.

Expect the cheers when the band comes out on the field to be deafening.

OU fans can stop whining like 5 year olds!!

OU fans can stop whining like 5 year olds!!
No doubt just like you do with your mother.

A good news story here finally.

Returning University of Oklahoma band director happy to be home | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/returning-university-of-oklahoma-band-director-happy-to-be-home/article/5371158)