Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm

 

The very soul and spirit of every historically black university is conveyed through its marching band. From the deep, rich sounds of the tubas, the elegance of the majorettes down to the exuberant dance routines of the drum majors, black college life would not be the same without its bands.  With that in mind, no marching band comes close to uplifting its fans like the Prairie View A&M University “Marching Storm”.  The band’s high octane, in-your-face routines are unmatched.  The Marching Storm stands out from the rest of the pack with its theme-oriented halftime pageants, innovative drum routines and professional musical sound.

 

 

                                            

                                                                    Drum Majors

 

Through its performances, the nationally regarded Marching Storm and their renowned, classy dance troupe, the “Black Foxes”, has had the privilege of sharing the spirit and culture of Prairie View to a wide range of audiences and venues.  The band has participated in high profile events such as the inaugural parades of George W. Bush, Jr. as governor of Texas and President of the United States, Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif, the Battle of The Flowers Parade in San Antonio, Texas, the opening of Houston’s Reliant Stadium and a live nationally televised audience on CBS’s “The Early Show” in January 2001.

As a result of its past success, the Storm’s popularity stretches from coast to coast as they were selected through a nationwide vote to participate in the annual Honda Battle of the Bands for three consecutive years.  During January of 2004, the Storm received a standing ovation from a capacity crowd for its performance in the Georgia Dome during the second annual Honda Battle of the Bands contest in Atlanta.  In July of 2006, the Storm also performed during the annual ESSENCE Music Festival held in Reliant Stadium.

 

 

                                             

                                                               The Black Foxes

 

With all of the aforementioned achievements it could be easy for a band of this magnitude to rest on its laurels.  However, the band has astonishingly been in existence for 80-plus years! The great success that the band has experienced can be attributed to its tremendous work ethic.  For a monument to stand the test of time to the degree that the Marching Storm has, truly takes sacrifice, dedication, and extreme hard work.  In addition to work ethic, a strong leader is also needed and that’s where former head band director George Edwards (1948-2009) came into play.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

For 24 years, Edwards, commonly referred to as “Prof”, transformed the band from a small ensemble to a national icon known as the “Marching Storm.”  The proud holder of a bachelor’s and master’s in music education from Florida A&M and Michigan State Universities, Edwards received musical training from some of the best in the business. 

A host of assistant directors have been alongside Edwards throughout the years but the “Big 3” of Dr. William McQueen (drills/instrumentation), Professor Larry Jones (percussion) and Dr. Margaret Sherrod (“Black Foxes” Dance Troupe) has played a huge role in the success of the Storm.  Along with the three, former Storm drum major Mark Gordon continued the tradition and returned to assist Edwards and staff several years ago.

 

                                               

                                                                      The Box

 

Several of the Marching Storm’s prominent alumni include the likes of Terry Ellis (member of the Multi-Platinum recording group EnVogue), Virgin Records singing group IDEAL and Ricky LaFontaine of the Richard Smallwood Singers.  In addition, the Storm also has several alumni directing award-winning high school bands across the state of Texas.

                                       

The Marching Storm’s intense and highly choreographed style allows them to share a little of Pantherland with those who ordinarily do not get to experience Prairie View A&M’s magic. 

 

 

“Are you ready for The Storm?”