Dedric Hayes, a junior tuba player at Southern University, always knew he wanted to attend an HBCU. Growing up in a family steeped in Southern University tradition, the school’s band — known for its thunderous brass and dynamic sound — played a significant part in his decision.
“Both my parents attended Southern University, so I always had a leaning towards Southern … I always loved it down here,” he said.
Like Hayes, many students are drawn to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) because of their renowned marching bands. Band directors see their roles not only as important to these programs, but also to the overall recruitment efforts at their respective universities.
Recently, HBCU bands have had influence in broader culture: Beyoncé created an entire concert centered around the HBCU band experience, and Jackson State University participated in the 2024 halftime show alongside Usher at the Super Bowl. In August, the Alabama State band participated in HBCU Night with the Atlanta Braves.
“It was real showtime, real business,” said Bryan McKinney, a Jackson State alum who was a trombone player in the university band. “So I would definitely say it was a great experience, literally surreal. Actually seeing these big celebrities up close, actually performing with them, working with them, seeing their process, their creative process, and how much actually goes into it, like a lot of behind the scenes stuff, it’s definitely crazy to see in person.”
Hayes said many other students considered their current institutions partly because band programs made them more attractive.
“If it wasn’t for the band, a lot of people wouldn’t even consider coming to college … A lot of students come to different HBCUs because they have seen the band program and know the history,” he said.
Band directors understand the impact of their programs. Taylor Whitehead, director of bands at Virginia State University, sees the Trojan Explosion as the heartbeat of the institution.
“HBCU bands are woven into the fabrics of the history of many schools,” Whitehead said. “You can really change lives through the band department.”
Whitehead not only directs the band but sees his other duties as pivotal to recruitment of other students to Virginia State University.
“I travel to high schools, take our band out to perform, and host on-campus and virtual events,” he said.
At Jackson State University, Roderick Little is equally committed to using the band to draw in new students.
“We draw people to the university because they know about our band programs,” he said.
He pointed to Talladega College as an another example — the central Alabama HBCU performed at the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump in 2017. The institution then enjoyed multiple years of record enrollment; leadership credited the band as a draw.
HBCU bands are more than recruitment tools; they are vital to the identity and culture of the schools they represent. Their performances serve as a reminder of the unique role these institutions play in shaping future generations.
“The local HBCUs, like Jackson State, they are the launching pad for Black excellence for Black social and economic mobility. They become, in many places, the most important institution in a community,” said Robert Luckett, a civil rights historian at Jackson State University.
Luckett said his employer’s band represents a radical departure from a state history fraught with violence and strife where race relations are concerned.
“We think about a lot of things, but you say Jackson State to just about anybody in the world, and the first thing to come back at you is the Sonic Boom of the South,” he said. “The excellence, the beauty, the pageantry, the showmanship… it’s an expression of pride in a state like Mississippi where, for most of the 20th century, that type of expression could get a Black person killed. And so the Boom is important in that regard,” Luckett said.
Hayes, the band member at Southern University, said his experience there has shaped him not just musically, but personall. Band duties require a great deal of discipline, which has carried over to how he approaches his classes.
“I always try to keep that same energy for my academics … I have to put that same energy into academics as I do into the band department,” Hayes said.
He’ll leave Southern with a better understanding of his talents and how he can use them to reach his eventual goals.
“The biggest thing playing in this band has taught me is that to achieve something in life, I have to push past certain comfort zones and mindsets,” he said. “You never know what’s holding you back until you challenge yourself.”