< How Morgan State's new leader prepares for the Battle of the Bands

ASMA KHALID, HOST:

College marching bands are going to take part in a huge showcase tomorrow in Montgomery, Ala. It's the 20-year-old Honda Battle of the Bands. And Morgan State University of Maryland will make its debut and perform with five other HBCU bands. They had their final rehearsal this week, and NPR's Ben Abrams was there.

BEN ABRAMS, BYLINE: The dark Baltimore sky gave way to the bright lights of Hughes Memorial Stadium, and the members of Morgan State's Mighty Marching Machine (ph) were settling into their lines on the AstroTurf. As they're chatting, a drum major stands in front of them and signals that it's time to get serious.

(SOUNDBITE OF WHISTLE)

TORY JAMES: (Shouting) Band, one, two, attention.

MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MACHINE: (Shouting) M-S-U.

ABRAMS: More than 100 college kids stand silent in the crisp Valentine's night air. Then one of the directors in a blue fleece jacket comes forward and gives his commands.

UNIDENTIFIED BAND DIRECTOR: (Shouting) One, two, ready and...

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICIENT MARCHING MACHINE)

ABRAMS: As the Morgan State Band runs through their show opener, a man in a gray suit wearing a black overcoat and an orange beanie walks across the field carrying a megaphone.

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICIENT MARCHING MACHINE)

JORIM REID: Don't hang over. Good sound.

ABRAMS: That's Dr. Jorim Reid, Morgan State's director of bands. This practice is Reid's last chance to fine tune the Mighty Marching Machine, or the M3, before they head down to Alabama. This milestone is also happening during Reid's first year with Morgan State.

REID: I didn't want to be a band director. I wanted to be an assistant where I would just be able to write, teach and compose, arrange music. But, you know, the universe had other plans.

ABRAMS: And now those plans are helping his new band make history.

REID: (Shouting) And...

MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MACHINE: (Shouting) Morgan State.

REID: My tempo - one, two, ready...

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MARCHINE PERFORMANCE OF KEYSHIA COLE SONG, "ENOUGH OF NO LOVE")

REID: And...

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MARCHINE PERFORMANCE OF KEYSHIA COLE SONG, "ENOUGH OF NO LOVE")

ABRAMS: Dr. Reid has set a high standard for Morgan State.

REID: Be the best. I mean, be the best period, not just the best HBCU band. And beyond just marching band, why not have a stellar music program? I would like to see us to be the mecca of music, be the magnificent mecca of music.

ABRAMS: Reid's excitement for Morgan State's debut on a new stage is being matched note for note by his band members.

NYREE JACKSON: I'm Nyree Jackson. I'm 22 years old. I'm a junior, and my major is elementary education. I play trombone.

ABRAMS: Jackson says she's always felt at home playing music, but she's not taking the Battle of the Bands appearance for granted.

JACKSON: It means a lot because as a child, when I was in middle school, I always dreamt to do something like this. So, like, to actually be a part of it, and this is our first time actually going to Honda, it's like, I'm scared and I'm fangirling at the same time. Like, I'm so nervous, but I'm excited. Like, oh my gosh, like ah (laughter).

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MACHINE PERFORMANCE OF LLOYD SONG, "GET IT SHAWTY")

JAMES: My name is Tory James. I'm 21. I'm a junior, and I'm the head drum major of the Magnificent Marching Machine.

ABRAMS: This is James' fourth year with the program. But his path to leadership at MSU has some notes that are similar to his band leader.

JAMES: At first, it started off as a joke, but then as I got to grow, I really wanted the whole entire band program to be better, everybody to step up, take accountability for everybody's actions, responsibility, leadership, integrity, honesty. I want everything to come with this band program. And I felt like me being drum major really is going to push that into a new direction.

ABRAMS: James is also ready to bring a new sound to Alabama on Saturday.

JAMES: I feel like Dr. Reid is trying to appeal more to this generation now, like actually write out songs that we listen to - like, for example, like, Gucci Mane, the Tems remix, the, you know, the (singing) 5 in the morning - yeah - actually appeal to stuff that's hot instead of, you know, like Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire. And there's nothing wrong with that. But all the time? Like, you should - you know, there's got to be a switch here and there. And I feel like Dr. Reid is definitely doing that.

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MACHINE PERFORMANCE OF TEMS SONG, "FREE MIND")

ABRAMS: Morgan State is the most northern of the six HBCU bands playing in Montgomery tomorrow. Tory James wants to show the crowd what his town has to offer.

JAMES: A lot of people don't know about, I guess, our Baltimore culture and music. And that's what we're trying to bring down the Honda to the South because I'm pretty sure we play a lot of songs down there nobody's going to know or what is this? Like, the Tems joint, that's a Baltimore - Park Heights strut, that's a Baltimore thing. And it's starting to get big. But we want to make sure people actually notice, like, where we come from and the type stuff we really do.

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MACHINE)

ABRAMS: Dr. Reid is excited about the most important thing his band members will get out of competing to Saturday.

REID: Exposure, just going down there. And a lot of our students have never seen or been in that type of environment because it's going to be a different experience, a different behavior, a different sound, a different look, how they walk, how they sit, how they talk. And that alone is more valuable than anything, is just having that experience and exposure.

ABRAMS: Experience and exposure is also what Tory James is looking for in this performance as he grows as a musician.

JAMES: I feel like it will help me step out my comfort zone because I've done a lot of performances. I've been performing almost all my life, but I don't think I've ever seen or been in a performance this big or up to this caliber.

ABRAMS: Regardless of how the M3 band does on Saturday, Reid feels they have a common bond with all the musicians there. It's what makes HBCU bands special.

REID: It's the B. The Blackness is what makes it special, who we are as Black people, that music, that grit. And when I say grit, I mean in the limited resources that we often have compared to other institutions. But you wouldn't know it. You wouldn't know it because of the talent. And that's why I talk about the B. We just have to find a way to be great. And I think that's what makes us unique. And that's what I love about our schools.

ABRAMS: And band members like Nyree Jackson will march into the battle with a winning spirit.

JACKSON: Mama, we made it. Yeah. M3, go live. Woot, woot.

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MACHINE PERFORMANCE OF WHITNEY HOUSTON SONG, "I WANT TO DANCE WITH SOMEBODY")

ABRAMS: Ben Abrams, NPR News, Baltimore.

(SOUNDBITE OF MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MAGNIFICENT MARCHING MACHINE PERFORMANCE OF WHITNEY HOUSTON SONG, "I WANT TO DANCE WITH SOMEBODY")

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