The HBCU Band Media Arms Race
In the era of digital media, instant gratification is the norm rather than the exception. It’s no different in HBCU Band Culture. LONG gone are the days where you really…
VFTS Top 5 All-Time HBCU Band Media Appearances In The Modern Era
If you’re a bandhead, you watch band footage…period. It’s just like breathing or getting up in the morning. It just comes naturally to anybody that was immersed in the culture.…
Band Season 2019-20: First Week Superlatives & Observations
Welp…The first weekend of the 2019-2020 HBCU band season got off to the typical smoking hot start. From the seven cities of Hampton Roads Virginia to NRG Stadium in Houston…
Maybe This Isn’t for You: Cautionary Tales Of Pre-Drill
Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine Alright fam, I’ve got some words to spit today. SMH… Before I get this edition of View From The Sidelines started I want to clarify…
Ambrosia For Bandheads
Hello, and welcome to another edition of VFTS. Yeah, it’s STILL the dog days of summer, which means (as a bandhead) you’re kinda in suspended animation until August hits and…
Cleaning the Slate, and saying ‘Hello’ from The Other Side…
Some folks have ENTIRELY too much free time on their hands…smh I take a little hiatus from the blog to enjoy the season for JUST A MINUTE and stuff pops…
We Aren’t Anybody’s Scapegoats…
When I started writing this column (now blog) for the 5th Quarter website community back in the day, I did so with the understanding that there would be days where…
Knowing When To Walk Away…A Bandsmen’s Dilemma
I had a pretty interesting debate going with some of my friends this morning about a scenario that ANYBODY that’s marched in an HBCU program has faced. WHEN do you…
Oh…So….It ain’t “Just Us”???
Before we get started with the festivities, I’d like to thank all of the folks over the years that have taken the time to read my thoughts on our craft.…
Show up…Show Out…But BE Creative!
As a self-admitted ‘band enthusiast’ (b.k.a. BandHead), I have a tendency to be a bit ‘critical’ when it comes to our craft. As an H.B.C.U. ‘BandHead’, you could say that…