SU’s Jukebox rules halftime

Their dance steps, sound dazzles; forming halftime score amazes
By SCOTT DYER
Capitol news bureau

When halftime rolls around at today’s Bayou Classic, don’t look for NBC to cut away from the Superdome to update scores and highlights.

NBC figured out years ago that the half-time show — and especially the Southern University band — is one of the biggest drawing cards at the Bayou Classic.

Southern University marching band members, from left, Eric Reese, Henry Mimms, Edward Prim and Donald Burkhalter, tune up on their tubas in the school’s band room during Bayou Classic week. In recent years, the band’s trademark has been to spell out the half-time score of the game in progress.

And because no one can possibly know what the score is until moments before half-time begins, SU Band Director Isaac "Doc" Greggs and company have to be ready for virtually any numerical possibility.

"Ain’t nobody in the United States can do that but us," Greggs said.

The first time the band, dubbed the "Human Jukebox," spelled out a score on the field was about 20 years ago in a game against Florida A & M.

Jaguar fans went crazy, Greggs said. Two decades later, the novelty still hasn’t worn off, although the band doesn’t spell out the score at every game.

"The trick is to do it when your team is winning, because nobody really wants to be reminded that we’re losing," Greggs said. "That’s why I don’t do it unless I think we’re going to be in front at half-time. That’s why we don’t do it when we play at Saints’ games — they’re always behind."

In addition, Greggs said his band can do the time of day and even the temperature.

Despite the complexity of the formations, Greggs said the band actually practices very little, even for big shows like the Bayou Classic.

"I don’t believe there’s another band, especially at any other historically black college, that practices less than we do," Greggs said.

The secret, according to Greggs, is the intensive drills he holds for band members during the two weeks prior to the fall semester.

"That’s when they learn all the fundamentals," Greggs said.

The first week is for freshmen who are trying to make the band, Greggs said.

Asked how long the freshmen practice during those sessions, Greggs replied: "Till I get sleepy."

Greggs said returning upperclassmen join the freshmen during the second week.

But the hard work pays off when school starts. And Greggs said that’s important because the top priority for each band member isn’t to strut their stuff at a half-time show, but to succeed in the classroom.

"Band is second. The top priority is for us to get our degrees," said Ronald Barriere, a senior from New Orleans who plays the French horn in Gregg’s band.

Greggs said the short practices are a tribute to the quality of the musicians in his band.

Barriere said many of the band members come from New Orleans, where many top-notch high school musicians set their sights on the Southern band at an early age.

And even though he doesn’t recruit band members, Greggs said he’s got a waiting list of students eager to join.

Greggs said he even maintains a taxi squad in case band members get ill or can’t perform for some other reason.

Trombonist Terrence Taplin said he never really considered going anywhere else. His father, Clarence, played in the Southern band for Greggs and Taplin wanted to follow in dad’s footsteps.

Even though Taplin is a second-generation band member, he had to make the cut just like everyone else.

"If you can’t cut it, it doesn’t make any difference who you are," Taplin said.

Greggs came under fire a few years ago from former Southern University President Dolores Spikes for not having any women in his marching band.

Greggs said he actually inherited that situation from his predecessor.

"I think she (Spikes) thought it was my idea to keep the girls out of the band, but that’s never been the case," Greggs said.

Today, Greggs has six women in the band, but only those who meet the same rigid standards as the male musicians.

Greggs said his female band members are "natural soldiers."

Greggs said he still limits what majorettes, dancing girls, are allowed to do. He said there’s a very good reason for that.

"Ain’t no girls going to march onto the field with me, no way. Because we go out there and do all that work, and you know what happens? Here come the cameras and they don’t shoot nothing but the girls," Greggs said.

Greggs said he generally schedules a single segment of the show where the dancers "come in, perform, and then get out of the way."

Greggs said practice sessions for the Human Jukebox focus more on sound than formations.

One of the secrets to the Jaguars’ sound quality is instrumentation, Greggs said.

While many marching bands include a small army of clarinets, Greggs’ band only has handful of clarinets and a single piccolo. Saxophones make up the difference and give the Human Jukebox a unique sound.

Greggs claims that other bands are so determined to emulate Southern’s band that they generally scout the Jaguars’ Friday night practices.

"Friday night, whoever we’re playing generally has somebody out there, looking to see what we’re going to do," Greggs said. "But if you don’t have your act together by Friday, it’s not going to make any difference anyway. It’s too late to change then."

Before coming to Southern, Greggs said he was "winning state championships" as a Shreveport high school band director.

Greggs was initially hired as band director of the Southern University Lab School, and worked there for four years before moving over to the Jaguars band.

That was 31 years ago, and at this point, Greggs said he has no plans to go anywhere else, although other colleges like LSU, Tulane and the University of Washington have tried to recruit him through the years.

"When I leave Southern University, I’m going to heaven," Greggs said.