At Virginia State University, the band marches on.
Photo by Kevin Coles / courtesy of VSU
The Virginia State University band, affectionately named the Trojan Explosion, prides itself on putting on energetic shows of high-stepping, complex maneuvers accompanied by excellent musicianship.
“Anyone who ever gets a chance to see us will most definitely be entertained,” says assistant band director Taylor Whitehead.
But excellence comes at a price. The level of commitment for band members is tremendous. On top of the same academic requirements as other students, members practice 3-4 hours a day during the week and perform at football games on Saturday. That’s a 6-8-hour commitment for home games; 12-16 hours for away games.
The 135-member band also travels to other events. Last spring, the Trojan Explosion gave performances in cities stretching from Atlanta to New York City.
The students do it for the joy of performing, but they also gain other benefits. “They learn time management and cooperative learning,” says Whitehead. “They gain life skills similar to those that you would find in the military in terms of discipline and structure. We empower a lot of our students and they become future leaders.” VSU.edu
This article originally appeared in our October 2018 issue.
