18 What School Did the Members of the Commodores Attend

CONTACT US

John Q. Lennard, Director
Tuskegee University Bands
Chambliss Music Hall, Rm. 107
1200 W. Montgomery Rd.
Tuskegee, AL 36088

Email: jlennard@tuskegee.edu
Phone: 334-724-4789
Fax: 334-724-4295

TU BAND SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Woodwind and Brass

• Chromatic Scale throughout the range of the instrument
• 9 major scales
• 3 minor scales
• A prepared piece (etude, solo and ensemble solo, all state audition piece)
• Sight Reading

Percussion

• 40 Essential rudiments (www.pas.org) (on Snare drum)
• A prepared piece (etude, solo and ensemble solo, all state audition piece) (Snare Drum)
• Sight Reading
• 5 Major scales on Mallet Percussion

PIPERETTE AND TWIRLING DIVA AUDITIONS

Auditions for Crimson Piperettes and The Twirling Divas take place in the August Pre-Drill period. Ladies interested in trying out MUST contact the coordinator or band director to be invited to Pre-Drill and have important information pertaining to the tryout process.

Potential Piperettes please email: Piperette00@yahoo.com and Potential Twirling Divas please email:TwirlingDivas@yahoo.com

ABOUT THE BAND PROGRAM

The Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Piper Band has enjoyed a long history of excellence. At the tender age of 25 years (1906), Tuskegee Institute could boast of a well-organized band of 35 pieces and an 18-piece orchestra. Organizationally, the band was part of the Military Department, an administrative arrangement of several years' duration. Captain Elbert V. Williams was bandmaster and Captain N. Emerson Perkins succeeded him. George B. Thornton served as acting bandmaster during 1914-15, on a part-time basis, after which Captain Frank L. Drye was appointed bandmaster of the 45-member Tuskegee Institute Band.

In 1931, the School of Music was established under the directorship of William L. Dawson. The band became a component of the newly formed department. In the 1940s, it became the Department of Music, still headed by Dawson. Captain Drye held the title of Head of Band Instruments, and Director of Bands. The band, consisted of 75 pieces including drum majors, juvenile drum majors, majorettes and herald trumpeters.

Subsequent directors of the Tuskegee Marching Band have been Dr. William P. Foster (Director of Bands Emeritus at Florida A&M University), Dr. Lucius R. Wyatt (former Director of Bands at Prairie View A&M University), Edward Graves (Director of Bands at Tennessee State University), Ronald J. Sarjeant (retired Director of Bands at South Carolina State University), and Warren L. Duncan (Director of Bands Emeritus and Chairman of the Dept. of Fine and Performing Arts at Tuskegee University).

DIRECTOR OF BANDS

The Tuskegee University Band is under the direction of Mr. John Q. Lennard, a native of Tuskegee, AL.

Lennard is a graduate of Florida A&M University where he earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. Lennard is a charter member of the FAMU Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Professional Music Fraternity of America. He is also a member of the Zeta Phi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity at Tuskegee University.

After college, Lennard served as a high school band director in Homestead, Miami, and Orlando, Florida and Tuskegee, Alabama. He also taught elementary music at the Rio Grande Charter School in Orlando, Florida.

He has performed music across the world in places such as Switzerland, France, Belgium, England, the Netherlands, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. Lennard is also an accomplished saxophone player and has had the distinctive opportunity to perform with or open for great musicians such as:

• Wynton Marsalis
• The Ohio Players
• Victor Goines
• Nat Adderly
• Jimmy Heath and the Heath Brothers
• The Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster
• Brian McKnight
• Donnell Jones
• Ruben Studdard
• The Phat Cat Players
• Dr. Dorinda Clark-Cole
• Kurt Carr
• P.J. Morton
• Marvin Sapp
• Beverly Crawford
• Richard Smallwood
• Byron Cage

Lennard is a member of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Tuskegee University. He follows in the footsteps of long-time Director of Bands, Mr. Warren L. Duncan, who now serves as Head of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Tuskegee University.

MCP STAFF

Other Band Staff includes:

JeGayde Colvert,
Announcer, Coordinator of Percussion Section and Equipment Manager

Kimberly Allen and Robin Cobb,
Coordinators and Choreographers of the Crimson Piperette Dance Line

Cierra Kenerly and Tunisia Thomas
Coordinators of the Twirling Divas Flag Line

Stefan Smith,
Arranger, Photographer/Videographer

Tyrone Jackson,
Dance Routine Coordinator

Jabari Leslie
Logistics Coordinators

BAND HISTORY

The Marching Crimson Pipers (MCP)

Band Motto -- "Setting standards is what we have done…Maintaining those standards is what we do every day."

Academic Motto --  "It is more important to march across the stage than it is to march across the field."

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The high-stepping Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers (MCP) is part of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. The Tuskegee University Band Program consists of four band components:

• Marching Band
• Concert Band
• Jazz Ensemble
• Basketball Pep Band

The MCP have enjoyed a long history of excellence, including major appearances in the highly acclaimed Honda Battle of the Bands.  This SIAC portion of the Annual Invitational Showcase is usually held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA and features marching bands from 10 participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's). The event attracts and thoroughly entertains nearly 65,000 fans.

LISTING OF DIRECTORS

Originally, the band was part of the Military Department. Hence, the bandmasters were military captains. In 1931, the School of Music was established under the directorship of William L. Dawson.

• Charles A. White 1894–1896
• James W. Davis 1896–1897
• Captain Elbert V. Williams 1905–1907
• Major Nathaniel Clark Smith 1907–1913
• Captain N. Emerson Perkins 1913–1914
• George B. Thornton 1914-1915
• Captain Frank L. Drye 1915–1917
• William Gary Thomas 1917–1918

  

• J. W. Fentress 1918–1919
• Captain Frank L. Drye headed the band again in 1919
• Gilbert A. Baxter 1943–1944
• Dr. William P. Foster 1944–1946 (Director of Bands Emeritus at Florida A&M University 1946–1998)
• Alton A. Davenport 1946–1956
• Melville C. Bryant 1956-1960
• Dr. Lucius R. Wyatt 1960–1963
• Edward L. Graves 1963–1965 (Director of Bands at Tennessee State University 1979–2011)
• Dr. Lucius R. Wyatt 1965–1971
• Ronald J. Sarjeant 1971–1973
• Dr. Lucius R. Wyatt 1973–1974
• Ronald J. Sarjeant 1974–1976 (Director of Bands at South Carolina State University 1976–2004)
• Warren L. Duncan 1976-2014 (Director of Bands Emeritus)
• John Q. Lennard 2014-Present

DISTINGUISHED BAND ALUMNI

Some of the distinguished band alumni include:

• William L. Dawson (famed choral director and arranger)
• Ralph Ellison (writer)
• Lionel Richie (music icon/ member of the Commodores)
• William King (trumpet player for the Commodores)
• Ronald LaPread (bass player for the Commodores)
• Conrad Hutchinson Jr. (legendary band director of Grambling State University "World Famed" Marching Band)

PERFORMANCES

For nearly 100 years, the Marching Crimson Pipers, known for their unique marching style, powerful music arrangements, intricate dance steps and quality presentations by the dancing piperettes, flag line and soulful drum majors, have performed at:

• Soldier Field (Chicago)
• Crosley Field (Cincinnati)
• Tampa Stadium (Tampa)
• The Tangerine Bowl (Orlando)
• Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (Atlanta)
• Georgia Dome (Atlanta)
• Browns Stadium (Cleveland)
• Edward Jones Dome (St. Louis)
• Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
• Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg)
• Legion Field (Birmingham)
• Rynearson Stadium (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
• Cardinal Stadium (Louisville)
• Rice Stadium (Houston)
• Texas Stadium (Dallas)
• The Stagg Bowl - NCAA Division III Championship Football Game (Phenix City)
• Mardi Gras Parade (Mobile)
• Governor's Inaugural Parade (Montgomery)
• The Peanut Festival (Dothan)
• The band was featured on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" (Los Angeles)
• The Senior Bowl (Mobile)
• and numerous other stadiums, parades and functions throughout the nation.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

The Honda Battle of the Bands program includes two components. The Celebration Tour provides an opportunity for 45 participating schools from around the country to earn a $1,000 grant for their halftime performances at selected football games during the fall.

At the end of the Tour, the 10 bands that demonstrate the most showmanship, musicianship and fan interaction will be invited to the Invitational Showcase. Each of the 10 schools selected will receive an additional funds toward its scholarship fund. The invitees will include the two top bands from each of the four HBCU athletic conferences (CIAA, SWAC, MEAC, SIAC) and two independent schools.

The selection process is based solely on a three-tiered process. Thirty-three percent of the vote will be from the on-line fan voting at http://www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com . Thirty-three percent will be from the commissioners of the four conferences and school presidents, and thirty-three percent will be from the band directors. Commissioners, presidents and band directors are not allowed to vote for their own school(s). All on-line surveys must be completed and submitted by the deadline.

The Marching Crimson Pipers of Tuskegee University, now under the direction of Mr. John Q. Lennard, historically brought a large number of fans to the Georgia Dome, which seemed to fuel the Crimson Pipers' already dynamic program and performance.

BAND SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships (participation grants) are available by audition. For more information, contact: John Q. Lennard, Director of Bands, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL. 36088; email jlennard@tuskegee.edu or call 334-724-4789

18 What School Did the Members of the Commodores Attend

Source: https://www.tuskegee.edu/band

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