By Anthony Howard
Three Jackson State University students traveled to Los Angeles over the summer to intern in the first-ever HBCU-inspired Precision Drill Band Camp at Crenshaw High School.
Senior music education majors Christopher Dixon and Lamont Bell are members of Sonic Boom. Criminal justice major Shelbie Newman is a Prancing J-Sette. During the two-week camp, the trio mentored students exposing them to the iconic styles of the Sonic Boom of the South.
“It was such a pleasure to have the JSU Scholars here with us for the Harmony Project.1st Precision Drill HBCU Inspired Marching Band Camp,” Mara Hall, education and teaching manager for Harmony Project. “Starting this pipeline with my alma mater was an honor, and I look forward to expanding the program to other HBCUs.”
(L to R Dixon, Newman, Hall, and Bell/ Photo special to JSU)
Hall said she prides herself in “lifting as she climbs” and wanted to give the JSU interns an opportunity to work in their field while learning, growing, and honing their craft.
“They all have such a deep love for music, dance and HBCU culture that they shared with the students in Los Angeles. The three interns definitely changed lives and inspired the student participants at the camp,” she added.
Harmony Project provides children with high-quality music instruction and social support year-round at no cost. Through a network of world-class instructors, college success programming, and continuous opportunities for advancement, the organization motivates youth to achieve their greatest aspirations and cultivate the human potential of the communities from Long Beach to Pasadena and Inglewood to Boyle Heights.
The camp aims to immerse students across various Harmony Project sites in a musically challenging experience that would prepare them for their futures as artists and community leaders. The camp consisted of students from various California neighborhoods.
Dixon expressed how interning at the camp allowed him to experience life as the band director he aspires to be.
“The biggest thing I learned was how to connect with your students,” said Dixon, a saxophonist from Chicago. “I’m going to be in front of different students every day from different backgrounds, and I have to learn how to inspire them. By taking an interest in the music and things they liked, I was able to connect with them and understand how they learn.”
The JSU students worked with the students in a full band and one-on-one setting, sharing their experiences as musicians and HBCU college students in the South. The camp was designed to mirror the rich band traditions and cultures of HBCUs.
“I had the chance to work with two snare drummers who recently graduated high school and will attend Alabama State in the fall,” explained Bell, a percussionist from Caruthersville, Missouri. “I worked with them on what they needed to know before they started the season.”
The students in the camp became familiar with playing music from various cultures and periods, including house music, pop, and Afro-Cuban music. By the end of the camp, every student learned something new about the universal language of music.
At the end-of-camp performance, the band played eight songs, complete with a dance routine for their families and the general public in attendance.