Interviews on RSOS going to Honda

Honda Battle of the Bands 2011

Just Monday, November 8^th, the Red sea of Sound received notice that we have made it to the 2011 Honda Battle of the Bands. The energy throughout the day was electric. It is truly an honor to be apart of this year’s line-up. Along with our band, seven other bands will also be in attendance: Virginia State’s Trojan Explosion, Jackson State’s Sonic Boom, Albany State’s Marching Rams, Bethune-Cookman’s Marching Wildcats, Clark Atlanta’s Mighty Marching Panthers, South Carolina’s Marching 101, and Tennessee State’s Aristocrat of Bands. The event is set to take place January 29, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. Also, this will give Winston Salem State national recognition amongst other HBCU bands, directors, etc. This shows how our program is growing and it will continue to do so under the direction of Dr. Magruder. It is now time to put in the many hours of hard work regardless of how cold it may be during practice. We have reached the mountaintop and must continue to strive for the best. In addition, I would like to congratulate my fellow Rams for a job well done and may this experience be one that we’ll all remember.

Animoto Vid

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Virginia State University: Trojan Explosion

Being a native of Virginia, raised around the Petersburg area, I often get the question “why didn’t you go to VSU?”  Yeah, I would be closer to home and whatnot, but honestly I love my school and my band. Currently WSSU and VSU are both a part of the CIAA division, which provides a rival between the bands. Naturally I am going to say that The Red Sea of Sound is the best but I must give the Trojan Explosion a chance.  Trojan Explosion, under the direction of Dr. Mark W. Phillips, is a band which is a powerhouse of sorts. They know how to entertain their audiences with halftime performances. On September 17th, they participated in the 3-way Brawl for It All. This was a 3-way battle between VSU, NSU, and NCA&T. I will remain unbiased and will not voice my opinion as to whom I believe won but I will say that VSU represented the CIAA division well. However, I can only say so based off of clips on YouTube because I did not actually attend the event. Along with this 3-way brawl, VSU is also one of the bands in the CIAA division that is on the ballot for the 2011 Honda Battle of The Bands. This is the only band we, the RSOS, have to take into consideration when competing. As of now we do not know for sure who will attend this battle but this is the last week to vote. Therefore, I encourage everyone to vote for Winston Salem State. Good luck to all the bands represented, including VSU, and hopefully we will see you all in January.    

The Red Sea of Sound-Homecoming 2010!!!

When I hear the words “Love the Band,” Winston Salem State University’s Red Sea of Sound is what I think of. Under the direction of Dr. Michael Magruder, this is truly a growing program. I have only been a part of this band for 3 months, but I know what to do when Doc says “know your role.” Just last week we performed our halftime show which included arrangements of Trey Songz and Lady GaGa songs. It was a long week for us but we still got work done. However, even with the long hours, we still had fun and participated in Spirit Week which was sponsored by the Kappa Lambda chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. This was when the band got to show school spirit with days such as Wacky Tacky Red and Black Day, or our creativeness with days such as Costume Day or Opposite Day. After the game on Sunday, we got up early and travelled to Martinsville, Virginia, where we played the National Anthem for the Sprint NASCAR race on national television. This was a big deal and is useful for recruitment. As I mentioned earlier, we are a growing program and we need others who are willing to join and show their pride here in the Ram Community.

Love The Band

When it comes to football games, spectators are usually satisfied with just watching the game. However, if a person was to attend a game at a Historically Black College or University they would experience a whole new type of entertainment: the halftime show. More specifically the band during the halftime show. I myself am a member of the Winston Salem State University marching band, The Red Sea of Sound. Though I am currently a freshman and this is my first year, I still feel a sense of pride when performing and talking about my band. In this blog I will be focusing on different HBCU marching bands and the pride that radiates within their program. I will focus on different performances of HBCU bands across the U.S.  The topic of discussion will include different battle of the bands such as Honda which takes place in January. This blog is meant to create friendly competition amongst band members, alumni, and any other supporters of a specific band. My goal is not to offend anyone or their alma mater and if a person feels that they are not represented fairly please feel free to leave comment about your band. There are many HBCU marching bands and it is hard to keep up with all of them.