Kudos to the Famous Maroon Band

615dawg said:

Looked and sounded awesome Saturday night. I was hard on you last year for not wearing uniforms early season but with the Iowa kid passing away, I understand why you have to do it.

The lights were cool, and you gave us another reason to love the interlocking MSU. Here it is for those who missed it.

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MagicDawg said:

The FMB is marching right at 410 people. It is down about 10 from the largest ever in 2019.
Alumni Band members were also on the field Saturday night and it was SPECTACULAR to be back down there on Scott Field to see that happen.
When the Sudler Trophy was presented and the crowd responded with the cowbells of approval it was very moving.
Thank you for supporting the Famous Maroon Band.

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skip dog said:

that is a super cool image!! Good job band.....

Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like the band numbers have shrunk a good bit

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DesotoCountyDawg said:

Can you share with everyone that doesn’t really know about that how big of a deal it is to win that trophy

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MagicDawg said:

The whole weekend has been a celebration, starting with a concert Thursday, an alumni banquet Friday, the game and presentation Saturday, and a current band banquet Sunday.

The Sudler Trophy recognizes collegiate marching bands of excellence. You have to have made outstanding contributions that arguably have improved the art and impacted your community beyond just the band and its own fans. It used to be annual but it is now only given out every two years. Requires objectively highest musical standards, innovative marching routines and ideas, and important contributions to the advancement of the performance standards of college marching bands over a number of years. A program can only win it once. There were 13 finalists this year. This is only the 35th time it has been awarded, and the first time to any band in Mississippi.

I wish Ms. Lance's speech from Friday night's banquet was available online. It was excellent. Also, the chairman of the committee -- a director emeritus from a career at UCLA -- gave remarks and expressed his opinion that this was actually long overdue.

Former Maroon Band director (and longtime MSU postmaster) Henry Wamsley almost singlehandedly started music education in the state of Mississippi. It was at the Alabama game of 1926 that the band first ditched the A&M military uniforms and wore maroon jackets and white pants. The band had been called "the Famous Forty" before that. At the game apparently the announcer said "Here comes that MAROON band" and eventually the titles merged. The Alabama band refused to even take the field after the Maroon Band played at that game based on the ovation that they received from the crowd.

As for the Sudler -- it's a notable accolade. The trophy will live at the band hall for two years. They will have a replica made to keep forever. Interesting trivia: the trophy has the names of every winner on plaques around the base. It has gone all the way around and "Mississippi State University" is on a plaque that is on the front of the trophy. There's room for one more band before they have to add a level or something. But we're on the front of the trophy.

Photo is from the current band's banquet last night. I was booked to perform for them in the ballroom in the Union after the celebratory dinner.


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