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Showing posts with label FAMU Marching 100. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FAMU Marching 100. Show all posts
Alumni and experts discuss what happened at FAMU and how to make sure it never happens again.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida - After the vigils for Robert Champion, after the marches, after the homicide investigation and after the headlines, the campus of Florida A&M University will have to move forward.
Champion, a 26-year-old drum major for FAMU's celebrated Marching 100 band, died on Nov. 19 from what authorities say was hazing.
Since then, three other members of the band have been arrested in connection with a hazing incident that occurred three weeks before Champion's death and resulted in a female student's leg being broken. Law enforcement has also opened an investigation into FAMU's finances pertaining to the band's travel.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- For all of the tears shed and pain felt in the aftermath of Robert Champion’s death, it is likely that the practice of hazing will continue. We need only review the number of young men and women who died before Champion took his final breath.
That said, hazing is such a facet of so many fraternities’ and sororities’ cultural norm that ridding them of the practice would be akin to stripping them of much of their identity.
Atlanta, Georgia -- Clarinet player Bria Shante Hunter had to decide which option was more painful: turning in the FAMU bandmates who, she now says, had administered a serious beating, or walking around on a broken leg.
For a week the Atlanta freshman tried living with a fractured femur. But on Nov. 7 she reported the incident to FAMU band director Julian White, who sent her to the hospital and referred the case to the campus police.
Hunter told authorities that her injuries -- including blood clots as well as the cracked thigh bone -- were the result of being struck repeatedly for failing to live up to the credo of the Red Dawg Order, a sub-group made up solely of students from the Atlanta area, within the renowned and prestigious FAMU Marching 100. The existence of the order is one outward indication of the profound ties between Atlanta and the band many regard as the best in the world.
The consequences of Hunter's decision to come forward -- she has decided she can no longer remain at the school, and will relinquish the $85,000 scholarship she won as a member of the band -- illustrate the powerful and complex bonds that tie members to the band.
Decatur, Georgia (CNN) -- Somber chords sounded at a funeral service Wednesday for a drum major whose death has sparked an investigation of hazing allegations at his Florida university. Criticisms of hazing and rallying cries for change echoed throughout the three-hour church ceremony.
"I call on every mother, every father, every niece, every uncle: Do what is necessary now to stop this tragedy so that it will never happen again," the Rev. John Tatum shouted into a microphone as he pointed at hundreds of people packed into the pews at Beulah Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia.
Authorities have not specified what caused 26-year-old drum major Robert Champion's death after a performance earlier this month with the Marching 100 band from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). Officials said hazing was involved, and his family has said it plans to sue the school "to get answers."
Speaking at Wednesday's service, FAMU President James H. Ammons pledged to ...
Jacksonville, Florida -- Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion died last month – likely from hazing. Now the survival of a lot of other things at the historically black university is looking shaky as well.
The famed Marching 100, a band that has performed at Super Bowls, at the Grammys and in Paris, has been suspended. Their performance at Carnegie Hall is off. So are performances by the music department.
And the band director, Julian White, a former neighbor of mine here in Jacksonville - so dedicated to his art that his life story probably ought to be written in musical notes instead of words - must now fight to salvage his job and his legacy.
Ammons refuses to sell the Rattlers brand for cheap
Tallahassee, FL - For the right price, Florida A&M would consider accepting an invitation to play in the nationally televised MEAC-SWAC Challenge football game — even if it remains in Orlando.
"What FAMU could do for that MEAC-SWAC game is something that no other team in the MEAC or the SWAC can do," FAMU president James Ammons told the Democrat in an exclusive interview recently. "We feel that we should have a fair market value for us to be in that game."
He didn't say what the payout is, but said it's more than $100,000 and not close to the gate receipts of a home football game. Other sources have said the Challenge payout is less than $175,000.
That is small compared to what the football team brings in when it plays in guaranteed games and its annual classics in Orlando and Atlanta. Each of those showcase games is worth more than $600,000.
Tallahassee, FL - Tyler Bass knows the wacky things that could happen in a football game, especially to quarterbacks. He saw a lot of it in his freshman year at the University of Memphis.
As best Bass, now a backup quarterback at Florida A&M, could recollect, three upper-class quarterbacks ahead of him went down in one game. He got the call to finish the fourth quarter of the game with East Carolina holding an insurmountable lead.
Such a scenario might not play out at FAMU with Austin Trainor as starter, but if Rattlers coach Joe Taylor should ever have to realize a coach's worst fear about his quarterback, he just might not have much to worry about.
For the first time in more than seven seasons, FAMU has a talented trio of backup quarterbacks. Taylor had been living on the edge with...
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida A&M University was originally founded in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students that served the underrepresented and underprivileged.
Today, Florida A&M University boasts an extraordinarily diverse student body including citizens from across the State of Florida and the globe. For nearly 125 years, Florida A&M University has served as a beacon of hope for thousands of talented young men and women seeking to improve their lives through the pursuit of a college education.
To celebrate its rich history, Florida A&M University will kick off its 125th anniversary on October 3, 2011. The University is proud of its history and is dedicated and committed to providing “Excellence with Caring” to a new generation of scholars.
A year-long series of special events are planned to celebrate the aspirations and accomplishments achieved over the past 125 years as well as illuminate the university’s vision for its future.
FAMU Yesterday. FAMU Today. FAMU Forever. President's 2011 Gala Honoring the Marching "100" Florida A&M University will kick off its year long 125-year Anniversary Celebration during the President’s Gala on Friday, October 7, 2011. This year’s gala theme is “Marching for Excellence” and will pay tribute to the life of William P. Foster, the “Dean of America’s Band Directors,” and the incomparable Marching “100.”
In video #2, the late Dr. William P. Foster, conducting "Knocks Me Off My Feet" with the 1996 edition of the Florida A&M University "Marching 100". The arranger was Mr. Lindsey B. Sarjeant, Assistant Director of Bands and University Arranger, Florida A&M University.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE 125TH CELEBRATION EVENTS -- VISIT:FAMU125.COM.
Tallahassee, FL - After a week of training and practice, this is what it all came down too. "I've learned how to play my instrument better, how to dance better with my instrument, and also how to keep consistency as I play my horn," said camper, Lomario Marchman. More than 300 middle and high school students from around the United States flocked to Florida A&M's campus to sharpen their musical skills.
During their time at camp, students were mentored and trained by members of the FAMU Marching 100 and their directors. But it wasn't just about the music, life skills also played a big part. "I've learned how to cooperate with people. I've learned how to like have great relationships with people," said camper, Jasmine Bailey.
Over the past decade, fine arts programs across the nation have been on the chopping block due to lack of funding. FAMU's Associate Band director Shelby Chipman says budget cuts can be challenging, but this year's turnout proves that fine arts will never be completely out of the picture.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (April 5) - Alabama State University held off the Florida A&M University baseball team, as they scored a run in the bottom of the 11th inning to hand the Rattlers a 12-11 loss in extra innings, here Tuesday afternoon at the ASU Baseball Complex.
Both FAMU (10-23) and ASU (11-14) finished with 14 hits each.
The Rattler were led by both Tobi Adeyemi and Jimmie Terrell as they both finished with three hits each for FAMU, while Jourdan Mott and Gerald Washington both finished with three hits apiece for the Hornets.
Ron James (1-0) picked the win for the ASU as he pitched two and one-third innings giving up two hits and striking out one in relief, while Stephen Dollar received the loss for FAMU as he gave up two hits, two earned runs and striking out two in two and two-thirds innings of relief.
The Hornets took advantage of a FAMU infielder’s error to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as both Drew Quinney and Reginald Mitchell scored on the Rattler error.
LLOYD, FL — After he'd been on the pulpit at Mount Zion AME Church for about 10 minutes, sweat began to roll down Padric Scott's face.
"Let God step in and show out," he urged the congregation that gathered last Sunday to hear him preach his trial sermon at the small church located about 20 miles east of Tallahassee.
Scott, a defensive tackle on the Florida A&M football team, kept his listeners spell-bound. His father, Edward, a prominent Tallahassee dentist who also is the church's minister, sat at his left and hardly batted an eye. Coach Joe Taylor, sitting at his left, seemed captivated. "We make a big deal out of it, especially when...
Videographer: hhorns2002; Continuing the Legacy: 1996 FAMU Marching 100 - "Knocks Me Off My Feet"
FAMU players set for the spring game
Players hoping to be starters or at least secure a spot on the three-deep depth chart for the Florida A&M football team will get their job interviews today in the annual Orange and Green game at Bragg Stadium.
The questions will come in the form of plays from coach Joe Taylor and his staff. The players will have to respond by executing on the field. "I've told them that all of them will be evaluated and we'd have it on film," Taylor said.
The attraction, of course, will be the quarterback matchup between designated starter Austin Trainor and Memphis transfer Tyler Bass. They will go head-to-head in the first quarter, with Trainor starting for the Green team, while Bass will be the one under center for the Orange team.
Sixty-five years is a long time to be a dynasty in the music field, and without a doubt, Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band has been more than that and some more.
In the Spring of 1989, the Marching 100 was invited to represent the United States in the French Bicentennial Bastille Day Parade in Paris (Bicentennial of the French Revolution) by Artistic Director Jean Paul Goude. The FAMU Marching 100 was the sole band from the U.S. invited.
Mr. Goude specifically requested that the Marching 100 play a medley of James Brown music, the Godfather of Soul. Within this window before the world, Jean Paul Goude wanted the French people and the world to be exposed to Black Music, music based on African rhythms and riffs. The band had made a lasting impression on Goude ten years earlier, while he lived in New York, and he had seen the Florida A&M band playing at the Super Bowl or some other game at the Orange Bowl. He thought the band was extraordinary and needless to say, it left a lifetime impression on him.
The legendary Dr. William P. Foster stated, "this was a tribute to black music."
The parade was basically about the rights of man, first--representing all countries with a touch of African music. There was an under theme--World Music and world music is based on African music and rhythms. The Bastille Day Parade would be a global showcase of the impact of African music on the world.
James Brown "influenced pop music like no one had before and he deserved recognition," said Goude. Folks had made careers off of one riff of James Brown music and he was the "Godfather of Soul" in American music.
Goude, in a documentary explaining why the FAMU Marching 100 was chosen, stated, "Afro-American music is the music that makes the planet dance." "Florida A&M University Marching 100 does it better than anyone else in the World."
The brilliant music arranger and composer, Mr. Lindsey B. Sarjeant, Assistant Director of Bands, Arranger made the rare transition in 1972 from recent graduate from FAMU (1971) to assistant university music arranger and composer under Mr. Richard Powell, a white guy from Puget Sound, Washington. Powell was a truly gifted arranger that was a somewhat music pioneer in arranging wonderful black pop music of the day (late 60's -70's era) for the Marching 100. He was also an excellent music composition instructor.
Mr. Sarjeant has been responsible for the powerful and dynamic, artistic sounds of the internationally famous Florida A&M University Marching 100 for nearly 40 years. He is an Associate professor at Florida A&M University and serves as Director of Jazz Studies, director of jazz ensembles and arranger for the famous Marching “100” Band, symphonic Band and jazz ensemble. He is a brilliant jazz pianist, composer, jazz lecturer, jazz historian, adjudicator and jazz keyboard clinician.
Video number 9 and 10 are very rare--back in the day with black and white television and video cameras. Studying the Marching 100 performances from 1946 to 2011 is a doctoral thesis in our social, political and economic evolution and black pop music culture. Like the Godfather of Soul revolutionized pop/soul music to the masses, so did the Marching 100 on the American and World stage.
(beepbeep)
Credits:
1. Videographer: BAGHDAD11B, "JAMES BROWN RIFFS" PART 1: FAMU HOMECOMING 08'
2. Videographer: BAGHDAD11B, "JAMES BROWN RIFFS" PART 2: FAMU HOMECOMING 08'
3. Videographer: TAPEMASTER28, FAMU 1989 Band "Spend The Night"
4. Videographer: FAMU 1996 "Knocks Me Off My Feet"
5. Videographer: hhorns2002, "FAMU 2008 Segment on "CBS Evening News"
6. Videographer: ImmaaBeGaga, "FAMU 2007 Super Bowl performance with PRINCE
7. Videographer: TAPEMASTER28,"Never Would Have Made It 2008 (ATL Classic)" with Minister Genleah "Star" Crawford, former FAMU Marching 100 Trombonist.
8. Videographer: bayshawn, "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral, 2007"
9. Videographer: hhorns2002, FAMU Marching 100, "Tribute to Paris" Halftime Show 1989 -- in Paris, France
10. Videographer: TAPEMASTER28, FAMU Marching 100 "Congratulations" - 1989
LeDawn Gibson, the former head coach of the Winter Haven girl's basketball team, is no stranger to exceeding expectations. During her first season as the head coach of the Florida A&M women's basketball team, she coached the Lady Rattlers to a victory over then-favored Coppin State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.
In her second season, despite a heavily depleted roster caused by injuries, she led the team to an 18-11 overall record, its best win total since a 17-win season in 2003. The season included victories over out-of-conference opponents South Florida and Florida.
Season Opener: Nov. 12, 2010 - At University of Arkansas, 12 noon, Little Rock, AR
Safety Anthony Shutt went out with a minor injury. Cornerback Qier Hall was cramping, while defensive back Curtis Holcomb was still hobbling from an old ankle injury. That was just last Saturday against Morgan State for Florida A&M. Each unit has been hit, but no unit was hit as hard all season with injuries as the secondary last week.
When Jerral Stewart blew a coverage that allowed a Morgan State touchdown, the Florida A&M cornerback shrugged it off as just another situation that he'd have to overcome. On the ensuing Bears possession, Stewart snagged an interception that he returned for a touchdown. He felt a bit of redemption.
Florida A&M University is going the way of the heavyweights of college athletics in hopes of cashing in on its name and tradition in athletics.
The university announced Tuesday that it has signed a three-year agreement with International Management Group for the mega marketing company to encourage Corporate America to spend some of its advertising dollars with the school. The partnership is believed to be the first between IMG and a school in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Florida A&M University officials on Tuesday announced a multi-year deal with IMG College that will put at least $250,000 (annually) of extra revenue in the athletics department.
IMG College, a division of IMG Worldwide, is considered the leader in developing integrated licensing marketing and multimedia opportunities for collegiate brands across a regional and national platform. The company has a partnership with the NCAA and its 88 championships, leading conferences and universities.
Florida A&M center Shelley Anthony heard enough about linebacker Brandon Jackson to know that he'll be the main player who could cause havoc for the Rattlers' offense, although he couldn't readily recall his name.
"We've got to block, whoever he is," Anthony said during Tuesday's team press conference. "What's his name, Jackson?
The Battle Presented by AT&T – an inside look at the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) Marching Bands from Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M – will air five 30-minute shows during four straight weeks, every Thursday from Nov. 4 to Nov. 25, on ESPNU. The shows reach into the training, discipline, heart and soul that make up HBCU bands. The bands train rigorously day-in and day-out for the football games and rivalries that date back decades as part of the HBCU culture.
First meeting with FAMU in 2005 attracted 43,122 fans to Raymond James Stadium, the second largest home crowd in USF Bulls history.
TAMPA, FL - Florida A&M will travel to Tampa to play the University South Florida in football in 2011 and 2015. USF announced today it has finalized its 2011 schedule, which also includes a visit by Texas-El Paso.
The Rattlers and Bulls will meet Sept. 17 at Raymond James Stadium, while the Miners will visit Sept. 24. USF will pay $400,000 to Florida A&M for the meeting, while UTEP will receive $650,000, according to contract figures provided by USF. FAMU, an NCAA Division I-AA team (FCS), will get $450,000 for 2015 game.
Sometimes the Florida A&M football players who make up the secondary can't help but feel a little overlooked. It goes back to last season when quarterback Curtis Pulley was stealing headlines on a weekly basis.
This season, an injury to star running back Philip Sylvester has put sophomore Eddie Rocker into the conversation about who could be better. Meanwhile, the secondary is becoming the heart and soul of FAMU's defense without much fanfare.
