Jag Fest nears for band, fans

The Southern University Marching Band is set to entertain fans this weekend with some of today's top pop tunes, oldies, and standards alongside the Southern University Dancing Dolls for its first ever Jag Fest.

The festivities, featuring R&B star Cupid, will kick off at 6 p.m. in the Felton G. Clark Activity Center. Tickets for Jag Fest are available for $15 in the Cashier's Office, the SU Ticket Office, any Ticketmaster, or from any current member of the band.

The Southern University Marching Band is debatably one of the greatest show-style marching bands of all-time. From their high-stepping, precision drills to their ability to wow a vast array of demographics around the globe, the Human Jukebox is easily one of the most entertaining marching bands in the world.

The SU Marching Band has performed on local, national, and international stages since its formation. Some noteworthy performances include US presidential inaugurations, Super Bowl appearances, Sugar Bowl appearances as well as a six-week stint performance at the world-famed Radio City Music Hall.

Recently, M'hammed Boughalia, Algerian National Band director who visited the university as part of a delegation of musicians and music officials from Algeria who were traveling about the country to be exposed to different forms of music were left "in awe" of the sounds of the Jukebox.

According to Boughalia, he hopes his North African home county of Algeria can "bring a model band like [the SU Marching Band]" to educate music students.

Earlier this year, HBCU Digest, an online magazine, ranked the Human Jukebox as the top marching band among America's historically black colleges and universities. The SU Marching Band bested the likes of Florida A&M University's Marching 100 and Boombox Classic rival, Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of the South.

Director of Bands, Lawrence Jackson, said being considered the best band in the county is a tribute to the hard work of the staff and student musicians.

"To be considered the best is an awesome payoff for the hours of sacrifice invested by our young men and women," said Jackson.

Being a part of any organization takes a considerable amount of time and effort. But, being a successful member of the Human Jukebox requires unwavering dedication and time management.

"The only way anyone [in the band] can successfully manage such a hectic schedule is through careful time preparation and planning," said William Tucker, Senior Therapeutic Recreation major and trumpet section leader from Columbus, GA.

In 2006, on the heels of Hurricane Katrina devastation, the Jukebox entertained a crowd of more than 70,000 in the, now, Mercedez-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

The co-ed marching band was also the first band in the country to ever be featured on ABC's Nightline back in 2004.

Also noteworthy, the band's clean-cut, signature uniforms caught the eye of a high-profile fashion magazine and the band was deemed "Best Dressed Band" back in 2008.

The Human Jukebox has ultimately redefined and set the standard for college bands the world over. This explains why they are "often imitated, but never duplicated."