I believe the fraternity has encountered another “Rutgers Incident”. Not a Federal Law changing the rules of the land, but rather another “incident” that will rattle the very core of the organization for years to come…
Tag Archives: HBCU
HAZING: What Is It And Why Is It Still An Issue In 2019?
Hazing in college bands is a lot like racism in America… It’s our dirty little secret that we don’t address.
What Makes A Band Even More Spectacular?… A Great Announcer!
As I think back to some of the “legendary” marching band performances, a few voices from the past speak out to me and are forever attached to those performances
BAND STORIES: What Lead You To Join A College Band?
It was a magical moment. One of the few times I got goosebumps from a marching band arrangement. I was sold. I knew it at that moment.
EXCERPTS FROM “THE MAN BEHIND THE BATON” BY DR. WILLIAM P. FOSTER: Excerpt Ten – “Slowing Down But Still Pushing Forward”
In this excerpt Dr Foster discusses tools he used to recruit for the Marching 100 and how successful these efforts proved to be over the years. He also mentions the talents of his very qualified staff and how their hard work and dedicated assistance made it possible for him to announce his retirement as Chair of the Department of Music and Director of Bands at Florida A&M University in 1998.
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND: The Parable of Tennessee State
Many would argue that any reputable list of “the best” black college bands would have to include at least one powerhouse from each conference. That’s a fair assumption, but at the same time it is the exact issue that has plagued Tennessee State University’s Aristocrat of Bands (AOB) and others.
EXCERPTS FROM “THE MAN BEHIND THE BATON” BY DR. WILLIAM P. FOSTER: Excerpt Nine – The FAMU Band Motto
I created the motto because I needed something to help me guide band students to a higher place, a level of excellence for which they were all striving. It gave them something by which they could live daily.
IS BIGGER BETTER?: Can A Small Band Ever Really Be The “Best Band”?
Small bands have always had to work twice as hard, be twice as right, and sound twice as nice, just to be accepted as a formidable opponent. I guess that much has remained the same.
EXCERPTS FROM “THE MAN BEHIND THE BATON” BY DR. WILLIAM P. FOSTER: Excerpt Eight – The Bicentennial Bastille Day Parade
EXCERPT EIGHT: The Bicentennial Bastille Day Parade – The Paris, France experience was exhilarating, a historic milestone and high honor for the band to be the official and sole representative of the United States of America in the Bastille Day Parade.
A TRADITION OF INNOVATION: The Traditional Style
After more than 50 years, has there been significant innovation within the traditional style?… And Should there be?