For 60 years, as football season approaches, the echos of the drumline signal the Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners are ready to take the field. Some locals "sneak" into practice to admire the sound of around 500 musicians, color guard and marching ballerinas, or drive around town with their windows down to take in the sounds of the Southerners.
Although the first band for JSU was formed around 1923, and the first full time band director did not start until 1948, in the fall of 1956, the Marching Southerners and Ballerinas made their official debut.
The Marching Southerners' unique sound reminds one more of a orchestra than a typical marching band. Their unique sound is packed with trumpets, bass trombones and 20-J tubas. Their look is military-like in precision and artistic in formations.
The Marching Southerners have played in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee and on the U.S.S. Missouri for the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Crowds rise to their feet in applause after each and every performance. Once you see them perform, in person, you'll understand why they're regarded as one of the best marching bands in the land.
No comments:
Post a Comment