TSU Aristocrat of Bands vs. SU Human Juke Box

Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands and the Sophisticated Ladies 9/18/09 @ Baton Rouge, LA

I-40 Show Down: NCAT Aggies vs WSSU Rams

Jackson State Sonic Boom vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs 9/5/09

Hundreds Gather to Remember Beloved PVAMU Band Director

Video: Hundreds Gather to Remember Beloved Band Director

A different kind of athlete, calls the football field at Prairie View A&M University home. An athlete with a high step, and a bold drum line Varian Howard knows all too well. Howard says he would not have developed a love, for PVAMU band at an early age, if it hadn't have been for one man. "He was definitely a father and friend. Some of his teachings I hold dear to me to this day," says former PVAMU band member, Varian Howard.

Howard, along with hundreds of others returned to Prairie View A&M University to remember band director, George W. Edwards. The man affectionately known as "Prof Edwards" died May 28th after suffering injuries in a traffic accident. Friday, memories brought tears and smiles to the faces of many, as memories of discipline fill the hearts of others. "He taught us how to walk, talk, and act like royalty, cause he accepted nothing less" says Howard.

It's the type of expectation, Howard saw first hand in the seventh grade, while attending PVAMU's band practice. He says at that time he not only learned band principles, but meaningful life lessons. "As far as music, I mean your education, he was a very positive influence on me" says former PVAMU band member, Ernest Biggers. Biggers performed under Edwards direction more than 10 years ago.


"George Edwards will go down as one of the 7-8 top black college band directors of the last 60 years," said John Posey, CEO of Urban Sports News and HBCU band historian. "He is in the conversation with William P. Foster at FAMU; Isaac Griggs at Southern; Frank Greer at Tennessee State; Conrad Hutchinson at Grambling; and Eddie Ellis at Morris Brown & South Carolina State.

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George Edwards, 60, dies of injuries from car accident. A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., Edwards earned a bachelor’s degree in music at Florida A&M University and his master’s from Michigan State University.

George Edwards, director of Prairie View A&M University’s Marching Storm band, died Thursday from injuries sustained in a car accident earlier this month. He was 60. Former students — many of whom followed Edwards’ example and became school band leaders themselves — were stunned to hear that the man they called “Prof” was gone.

“Everybody is still in shock,” said Christopher Knight, a member of the Prairie View band in the 1990s who now teaches at M.C. Williams Middle School in Houston. “You always suspected Prof would grow old in the position.” The Marching Storm, with its drum line and Black Foxes dance troupe, has performed around the world, including the inaugural parade for former President George W. Bush in 2001 and the Tournament of Roses parade in January. Houston audiences may be more familiar with the clash between the Marching Storm and Texas Southern University’s Ocean of Soul, a highlight of the Labor Day Classic football game between the two historically black universities.



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Super Bowl XLIII: Bethune-Cookman Band to get 6 minutes of fame

DAYTONA BEACH -- Twenty-three minutes before kickoff Sunday at the Super Bowl, members of the Bethune-Cookman Marching Wildcats will be doing their thing. They get six minutes -- a performance condensed by about half -- to leave their mark on the celebrities and flashing bulbs at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium. Director Donovan Wells told the band it appears unlikely the show will be aired on NBC's pregame.

With NBC selling 30-second spots to advertisers for $3 million, even any exposure for this historically black university could be incalculable. Band members, though, were holding on to a four-letter word after practice. "Keep hope alive," Darius Hatcher said. "Maybe we'll get a clip," Kourtney Lewis added.



THE PREPARATION

Even still, Wells is sure the 320 musicians and dancers won't be star-struck. He's making sure with some 15 hours of practice in advance of the big six minutes. For about two hours Tuesday, band members played with precision, sprinted, marched and danced their routines over and over in search of perfection.

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Q-and-A with Marching Wildcat Jared Brown

Nevada, Grambling bands to perform together after game

They've brought their version of "Ball of Confusion" to three Super Bowls and two presidential inaugurations, and this week members of Grambling State University's world-famous Tiger Marching Band will be shaking things up in Reno. Nevadans have two chances to catch the Tigers: Friday at a free performance at the Peppermill Casino Resort and Saturday when Grambling State's football team plays the Wolf Pack in Mackay Stadium.

It's an athletic and musical matchup that has been two years in the making, said Rory Hickok, Nevada associate athletic director. "We started the negotiations in 2007, so this has been in the works for quite a while now," he said. "This is truly a historic occasion to get a band of this renown in Northern Nevada. They have played at presidential inaugurations and Super Bowl halftimes, so this is an opportunity to see one of the world's most famous bands."

Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band

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Some Question Funding for Grambling Band Appearance

The University of Nevada has found what it hopes will be just the right draw to pack Mackay Stadium for its football season opener (University of Nevada vs. Grambling State University) - the world class Grambling Marching Band. The Grambling State Band is known as the best band in the land. It's a highly polished, highly entertaining experience on game day. And officials at UNR expect them to draw a crowd of 25,000 to Mackay Stadium for the game.

But here's the catch. They don't play for free. Unlike most marching bands who finance their own travel, Grambling State demands travel expenses to appear and they get it. Rumors are that that pricetag is anywhere from $30,000 to $150,000. And UNR is footing the bill which would probably not be causing heartburn if UNR's own band program weren't on the budget chopping block.

Grambling State University Marching Tiger Band


"I can't tell you the exact amount, but I can tell you that this cost a lot. We started working on this two years ago and to us it's great to have them on the schedule. But this money is money we raised though private doneos and corporate donations. It's not money that could go to anything else. It's not like we could reassign it to the band here or anywhere else. It was raised specifically for this show," says Assistant Athletic Director for UNR Rory Hickok. He's coordinated the trip and has set up the performance at the Peppermill as well as the game's halftime.

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Nate Jacobs (Ft Beau Dilly): KEEP MARCHING

Prairie View A & M University Marching Storm

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(VIDEO: The Marching Storm of Prairie View A&M University prepares for its first halftime show of the season, by The New York Times.)

PVAMU @ Dallas,Texas

PVAMU at 2008 Houston MLK Parade

PVAMU Marching Storm and the Black Foxes

PVAMU Marching Storm and the Black Foxes at Angel City Classic



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Jackson State University - J-Settes

JSU J-settes Field Routine (Man eater)


JSU J-Settes Dancing to "I'm Dreaming"

2007 Video Classics: Southern University Dancing Dolls

SU Dolls: The Hall Sisters (One night only)
SU Dancing Dolls - "Ain't no other man

SU Dancing Dolls - Sweet Escape

SU Dancing Dolls - D'Tara Feature

SU Dancing Dolls -Give it to me baby

SU Dancing Dolls (Gansta B**ch)

SU Dancing Dolls - Get It Shawty

SU Dancing Dolls - The Cupid Shuffle

SU Dancing Dolls - Suga Mama

SU Dancing Dolls - Neck

FAMU Marching 100 director, Julian White, honored at roast

Photo: Dr. Julian E. White, Director of Bands and Chairman, Music Department, Florida A&M University.

A video shown Friday in honor of the director of Florida A&M University's Marching 100 showed many of the band's highlights: marching down the Champs-Elysees for the bicentennial of the French Revolution in 1989; performing at Bill Clinton's 1993 and 1997 inaugural parades; playing at the 2007 Super Bowl halftime show with singer Prince.

But it was footage of Julian White huddling with dejected band try-outs who didn't make the cut that caught the attention of many in the audience. "The measure of the man came through (when he told them) you're not going to always be successful, but you're not a failure," Rep. Curtis Richardson said. "The measure of this man is the lessons that he has taught hundreds of young band members."

About 300 people attended the roast and toast for White at the Civic Center, which also featured musical selections performed by about 60 band members. The event was put on by the Leon County Chapter of the FAMU National Alumni Association to raise money for scholarships for Leon County students to attend FAMU or the Marching 100 summer band camp.

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FAMU 2008 Wind Ensemble "To Tame the Perilous Skies"


FAMU 2008 Wind Ensemble "Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna"

Documentary: Grambling State University Tigers Band

A pictorial history of the 2007 FAMU Marching 100

2007 FAMU Marching 100 - A pictorial history of innovation and perfection.

Marching bands bring their best moves to Georgia Dome battle

Photo: University of Arkansas Pine Bluff "Musical Marching Machine of the Mid-South Band."

Atlanta, GA - The marching bands with the know-how and the ones with the show-how took the field of the Georgia Dome on Saturday for the sixth annual Honda Battle of the Bands. Ten bands from historically black colleges and universities in the Southeast, left from an original field of 42 competitors, readied their best performances of the year for a roaring audience in the nearly full dome.

Driving beats, intricate marching and troops of dancing girls flashing sass and a little thigh had band members sweating as they left the turf. "It's always a competition when you step on the field," said John Graham, director of the Musical Marching Machine of the Mid-South from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

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Borrowed instruments allow NCCU band to compete in Atlanta

DURHAM - The band will play on. By the time you read this, N.C. Central University's marching band and more than a dozen borrowed instruments will be well on the way to Atlanta for the prestigious Battle of the Bands, an invitational showcase for marching bands from historically black colleges and universities.

The band was scheduled to load up the bus this morning at 3 and head south. Its ability to perform came into question last week with the discovery that more than a dozen instruments -- including 14 massive sousaphones -- had been stolen from the band room in two break-ins in November and December. Since then, band officials worked to rescue the excursion with instruments borrowed from various sources.

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Thieves steal North Carolina Central's band thunder

DURHAM, N.C. -- More than a dozen sousaphones were stolen from the band room at North Carolina Central University, officials said.

The instruments were taken sometime in December or early January.

The instruments – six Conn sousaphones and eight Jupiter sousaphones – are worth about $3,000 each. Along with the 14 sousaphones, thieves took trumpets, trombones, flutes and piccolos, some of which police have already recovered from area pawnshops.

A reward is offered.

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call NCCU Detective A.J. Carter at 560-5397, NCCU Detective Billy Boyd at 560-7365 or Crime Stoppers at 683-1200. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.

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NCCU Band is scheduled to perform at the Honda Battle of the Bands, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA on January 26, 2008 03:00 PM. Also participating will be bands from:

Albany State University, Bethune-Cookman University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, Shaw University, Texas Southern University, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Virginia State University, Winston-Salem State University.

A band without a bass line (Sousaphones) is in a world of trouble in a band competition. Here is what the Eagle Band looked and sound like with the Sousaphones thumping at the bottom.

North Carolina Central University Marching Sound Machine Band with Sousaphones.

The Florida A&M University Marching 100 in review

Happy New Year Mighty Rattlers!

Florida A&M University Marching 100 - Circa 2007



Florida A&M University Marching 100--- Circa 2001



Florida A&M University Marching 100---Circa 1987



FAMU Marching 100 - Circa 2007




FAMU Marching 100---Circa 1988



FAMU Marching 100---Circa 2007



FAMU Marching 100 - Circa 2002



FAMU Marching 100 - Circa 1995



FAMU Marching 100 - Circa 1989



FAMU Marching 100 - Circa 2007

MEAC/SWAC Sports Clipboard

Compiled by beepbeep

The Southern University Board of Supervisors approved a new three-year, $200,000 annual contract for football coach Pete Richardson. Richardson is 121-52 in 15 seasons at Southern and 163-70-1 in 20 seasons overall, including five seasons at Winston-Salem State University. His current contract is set to expire on December 31. Richardson will continue to be paid $200,000 annually, which is one of the best salaries in the Football Championship Subdivision...

Photo: Southern University Dancing Dolls 2007.

Southern University (7-3, 5-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) plays No. 16 Grambling State University (8-2, 8-0) in Bayou Classic XXXIV at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Superdome. Richardson is 12-2 in the Bayou Classic…

A Judge has issued an arrest warrant for Jackson State University's Jimmy Oliver, starting quarterback for the Tigers. Oliver apparently missed a Court date that hopefully will not land him in jail for 21 days and a fine for failure to appear. Magee Mississippi police arrested Oliver last month and he was charged with driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana. JSU football coach Rick Comegy said he does not expect his quarterback to face any jail time after the case is reopened next week. The Tigers are scheduled to play Grambling State University in the SWAC Championship game in Birmingham on December 15…

NBC will air a half-hour special, “Every Man a Tiger: The Eddie Robinson Story,” presented commercial-free by State Farm and narrated by Andre Braugher, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. A trailer can be viewed at www.nbcsports.com. This show is prior to the XXXIV Bayou Classic with Grambling State University and Southern University…

Photo: Tennessee State University Sophisticated Ladies 2007 .

Tennessee State won its first Ohio Valley Conference volleyball tournament championship Saturday in Jacksonville, Alabama beating Morehead State 30-24, 30-17, 29-31, 26-30, 15-12 to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Tigers 17-6, will learn of their pairing on November 25 on the NCAA selection show at 7 p.m. on ESPNU...

Morgan State Bears improved to 3-1 as they beat American University 62-54 in their men basketball home opener Tuesday night. Jamar Smith scored 16 points and had three blocks for Morgan…

Hampton University defensive end Kendall Langford, 6-6, 295 pounds will play in the East-West Shrine Game set for January 19, 2008 in Houston, Texas...

Hampton University defensive end Marcus Dixon, 6-4, 295 pounds has been selected to play in the Hula Bowl, a college football all-star game NFL scouts use to evaluate draft prospects. Dixon will play for the East Squad in the game on January 12, 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He led the Pirates this season with 16 tackles for loss, including a team-high six sacks. Dixon has started at defensive end for the Hampton since midway through his freshman season…

Photo: Alcorn State University Golden Girls 2007.

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker and former Hampton University standout Justin Durant has endowed an athletics scholarship at Hampton University. In the 2007 NFL draft, Durant was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the 16th pick of the second round and the 48th overall, making him the highest selection in Hampton University history and highest paid rookie from HU with a four-year $3.4 million contract, including $1.72 million in guarantees. Durant said that he simply wants to give back…

Delaware State University could not contain running back Omar Cuff, as University of Delaware beat Delaware State 44-7 today in the first-round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. This was the first ever meeting between the two schools in football, located 45 minutes apart. Cuff ran for a school record 288 yards and four touchdowns against the Hornets before a Delaware Stadium record crowd of 19,765. The MEAC Champions Hornets ends the season at 10-2. UD advances at 9-3 to face the winner of #1 seed Northern Iowa and New Hampshire…

Florida A & M University Lady Rattlers ended their regular season in Volleyball in falling 3-0 (30-20, 30-28, 30-28) to the University of South Florida on Wednesday. The MEAC champions are 18-7 on the season and await their next opponent in the NCAA Tournament. FAMU won their seventh Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Title in a row and their eighth in nine seasons. The NCAA selection show is scheduled for 8p.m. Sunday on ESPNU...

Photo: University of Arkansas Pine Bluff M4 - Golden Girls.


--beepbeep