Katie Miller
Staff Writer
Even during the spring, the Sound of the South continues to uphold its legacy by providing service to Troy University through attendance at basketball, volleyball and occasional softball games, and it plays concerts throughout the semester that are open to the public.
This past semester, the band celebrated 50 years of exceptional fall performances.
Because of the band, our school is given an enormous group of motivated students who dedicate an immense amount of time to their passion and talent. Through this, the band has proven to be a very beneficial and crucial part of Troy University.
Kaycee Johnson, a junior music education major from Tifton, Georgia, plays the trumpet for the Sound of the South and the symphonic band. Last semester was Johnson’s first year marching with the SOTS, and she considers the band to be valuable to the university. “It is the biggest organization Troy has,” Johnson said. “I read somewhere that the Sound of the South takes up 5 percent of the student population.”
Johnson recalled Band Day in 2015, an event where middle school and high school students are given the opportunity to join the SOTS on the field.
“Being out there and seeing all the people, it really inspired them,” she said. “I know those kids say, ‘We played with the Sound of the South!’ So I think it’s a really cool experience for kids.”
Not only does Troy’s band offer younger students a chance to get a feel for college life, but it also attracts non-band members to football games. One of those students is Scarlett Crouch, a freshman chemistry major from Silverhill.
The band also contributes to the arts at Troy.
“I always love going to see fine arts,” Crouch said. “Just to see so many different options that people can do is really cool. It’s nice that you can have a creative outlet.
“I do like watching the halftime show because I’ve always been interested as to how much work goes into it,” Johnson said.
The Sound of the South practices every day to ensure the stability and performance quality of the program. High-quality sound is perfected through intense practices, and the band is no stranger to dedicating time to entertain.
The band has impacted many students in Troy University, and one of those most influenced by the program is Emmy Lawniczak, a sophomore music education major from Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Lawniczak served the Sound of the South last semester as one of the drum majors.
Lawniczak said the SOTS is a unique program at Troy.
“The synthesis of elements in band, the heat, the rigorous practice, the love for the art, and the love for those around you — it just can’t be found anywhere else,” Lawniczak said.
According to Lawniczak, students who do not participate in the band “get to have a taste of our experiences through our performances.”
All music the SOTS plays is upbeat and fun, and helps contribute to a fun atmosphere during a football game. Also, students who attend concerts during the spring concert season can expect to be further educated through music.
“The concert and symphony bands can provide an expansion of cultural and musical knowledge for the listener,” she said.
Lawniczak said that the Sound of the South is “probably the single most important thing (she) will ever participate in.”
Not only does the band enrich your senses in sound, it also prepares students with useful life skills that can be used during college and the future.
“I’ve become more decisive, more articulate, more patient and more confident,” Lawniczak said. “It’s an undeniable statement that being a part of the Sound of the South has made me a better person.”
The Sound of the South is a valuable organization in Troy University, not only because of the powerful and exciting sound it emits during football games, but because of the community the program provides for its students. Their leaders inspire band students, and students are continuously taught to settle for nothing less than their best.
The band program represents every virtue Troy University upholds, and will continue to do so in its years to come.
