Greetings to all alumni and friends who proudly embody the unwavering spirit of Prairie View A&M University. It is without a doubt that I have one of the greatest privileges in the world to lead the Marching Storm and University Bands into the future. In my first season as Director of Bands we concentrated on raising the standards of excellence that have been built by all of the bandsmen and directors before us. Our focus was to uphold ten basic pillars of the band:
1. Preparation
2. Commitment
3. Consistency
4. Discipline
5. Character
6. Pride
7. Scholarship
8. Family
9. Responsibility
10. Marching Storm
Now as we move forward our focus is on widening our reach as it relates to recruitment, while at the same time, continuing to nurture and pull from our most dedicated sources and supporters. Because of the ever-evolving academic requirements at the university, we have had to adapt our recruiting efforts to keep up with that evolution. In our recruiting efforts we have generated a tremendous amount of interest in the Marching Storm from our most loyal feeder programs, as well as from schools that have not traditionally supported the Marching Storm. I attribute this to the work, commitment and enthusiasm our current band students have displayed which are evident in our performances.
The future looks bright for the Marching Storm! We are in the process of seeking more performances on the world stage such as The Rose Bowl parade, Macy’s parade and professional sports team performances, as well as local community events. We will continue to support the overall recruiting efforts at Prairie View A&M for incoming students. We will continue to lead in our efforts to showcase cutting edge technology, innovations in ensemble sound, marching techniques and student academic success.
It has always been my vision that at Prairie View, we not just build outstanding bandsmen but we build outstanding people. My dream for the Prairie View A & M University bands program is that we have incredible musical successes on and off the field and ultimately an incredibly high graduation rate among Marching Storm members.
Sincerely,
Dr. Timmey T. Zachery
Director of Bands
Prairie View A& M University