Southern’s Human Jukebox prepares for competition

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Rehearsal was supposed to begin at 7:30 p.m. but was pushed back to 8 p.m., and then even later.

“We won’t be going outside until 9:30,” Southern University’s Director of Bands Nathan Haymer says. “We have some class schedule conflicts, so we’re having to accommodate for that.”

“It’s worth it,” Wayne Matthews says.

Even on what had to be one of the coldest nights of the year, it was worth marching late into the night if it meant having a chance to win a second Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase championship.

“I’ve attended it before I got in the band, and I was able to see Southern perform,” Matthews says. “Now I’m a band member, and I know we have a lot of pressure on us.”

CONTINUE READING