Sound Levels in the Stands from the Sound System
At my kids’ high school, where I volunteer with the band boosters, the football program has a new toy this year. They have been consistently inconsiderate and disruptive with the sound system in the past. But now the system is much more powerful - I think of it as having been weaponized - and is played at decibel levels averaging in the high 80’s with peaks around 100.
Fans need to talk. Students need to cheer. Cheerleaders need to lead cheers. And the band needs to play. But maybe this is the old, outdated model. None of these things is happening now with any success. People in the stands can only watch mutely as their hearing is impaired by the overly loud emissions from the press box.
I have a feeling that some people think I should not worry about it so much. I wrote a letter to our principal asking that the music program be relieved of the requirement to continue to go to football games to be abused. I see this as the football program institutionalizing bullying against band members. Can you imagine how depressing it is for students to work hard at their music for years, work all week to get things right with the band… and then, Friday comes and they cannot play over the sound system and can only reach deafened ears when the press box dude bros grudgingly give them the space of a couple of minutes (and then talk loudly over it)?
I can’t let this go on without at least speaking up. I experienced bullying in high school then depression to the point I was at risk of suicide. So I’m keenly aware that this is a serious problem for teens. It’s not rare; two of my son’s classmates shot themselves. If I speak up, I may save a student, not just from the abuse, but possibly something much worse. I can’t ask them to work hard on the band then go to the football and be publicly disrespected.
And get this: when our team scores, the press box boys taunt the opponent (and the rest of us), blaring the words of Flo Rida, “Welcome to my house, Play that music too loud.” They’re clever and sensitive.
Okay, so I really would like to hear your comments. Is it this a phenomenon that is happening all over? What future is there for marching bands? Wouldn’t we be better off doing musicals or jazz ensembles or adding an orchestra? Should we even be supporting football programs anyway when they are such notorious injury generators?
