National Battle Of The Bands Preview: Dr. Brian Simmons Interview | Texas Southern
HOUSTON – Special guest, Dr. Brian Simmons, director of the renowned Texas Southern University marching band, Ocean of Soul. The band is gearing up for the National Battle of the Bands competition, and Dr. Simmons gives the inside scoop on their preparations and what we can expect from their performance.
Join host Kyle T. Mosley as he delves into the world of HBCU marching bands and gets all the details on the new additions to the band, the drum majors, and the exciting field designs that Ocean of Soul will showcase. Don't miss this captivating interview packed with insights and secrets of the upcoming competition. Get ready to be blown away by the energy and talent of Texas Southern University's Ocean of Soul in this episode of HBCU Legends!
KEY QUOTES
"In this year, I've really challenged the band to let them know. I'm like, look, it's some stuff that we normally wait mid season to put on y'all and introduce y'all to no. We're gonna introduce it right now so you can, you know, get acclimated to what's going on with Texas And University around here."
— Dr. Brian Simmons 00:05:0200:05:16
Engaging Audiences with HBC Marching Bands: "The thing about audience engagement is you don't give you don't you're not supposed to necessarily give them an opportunity to do something. you just have to put something out there that you know they're gonna respond to. You have to put something out there that you know."
— Dr. Brian Simmons 00:06:2100:06:28
KEY POINTS
- Conversation about Texas Southern University's Ocean of Soul and their preparation for the national battle of the bands competition
- Discussion on how new students in the band are getting acclimated and prepared for the competition
- Overview of the drum majors for this season and their roles in setting the tone for the band
- Mention of new designs and field designs that will be showcased during the performance
- Talk about the limited time (10 minutes) to perform and the need to provide audience engagement
- Emphasis on the importance of understanding pop culture and incorporating it into the performance to cater to the audience
- Mention of surprises and elements in the performance that will cater to different audience members, from different generations
- Brief mention of battles in the stands before the field drills and the importance of paying attention to all sections during the performance
TIME STAMPS
- 0:02:01 Students prepared, band confident, quality content.
- 00:06:05 Engaging audience, importance of pop culture.
- 00:08:46 Teach, drill, practice, and prepare for performances.
- 00:10:31 Music evolves, combining various influences and expertise.
- 00:13:57 Juvenile's performance brings new life to old music.
- 00:18:38 Texas Southern University marching band demands respect.
- 00:21:29 "Ocean of Soul performs at national battle."