Set the scene: A green 1999 Monte Carlo cruising north on I-35 during a late-July weekday, en route to Langston University to catch a few hours of the Marching Pride’s band camp in the early 2000s.
I remember making that trip often with my father, who was the band director at Frederick A. Douglass High School in Oklahoma City. It was late summer break. Students were trickling back onto campus, and band camp was in full swing.
Although I was just a kid, those memories stuck with me. Langston felt larger than life. Untouchable. And so did the band. Before I fell in love with athletics, I wanted to play trumpet and one day be a drum major for the Marching Pride.
Fast forward 20 years, and I’m back at Langston’s Homecoming with my now-retired father. The football team was undefeated, the stadium packed, but what hit me was the band. The sound was full—explosive when needed but never overwhelming. Everyone was in unison, the weaknesses were hard to find, and the band was bigger than ever, closing in on 200 members.
Now in 2025, I’m back on campus again—this time not as a kid in awe but as a reporter covering the Marching Pride, now under the direction of Dr. Mark Gordon of Houston. With so much buzz surrounding the next month and a half, I wanted his perspective on how attention and pressure affect students this early in the semester.
“Eighty percent of this is mental, and only 10 percent is the work,” Gordon said. “My job is to get in their heads and give them the confidence that they can do it. Once that happens, we hit the field.”
The band’s days start before sunrise. “We’re usually out there by 5:45 a.m.,” he said. “Last night, we didn’t leave until 10:30.”
It’s a nonstop process. After a quick meal around six, they’re back outside by nine or ten, rehearsing before the heat sets in. Lunch gives them a short break at noon, but by one o’clock, it’s back to sectionals, drilling music until about 3:30. Then the full band comes together for hours of practice before dinner. By seven, they’re back on the field again, often pushing until nine or ten at night. And then it starts all over again before dawn.
I grew up a big band kid myself—a trumpet player from sixth grade through high school, with four years of marching band experience. Between that and watching my dad direct for two decades, I know the grind. The hours, the pressure, the repetition—it can wear kids down until some lose their love for music.
College band feels different, though. The students are more committed. The stakes are higher, and so is the workload. The long days either sharpen them or break them down.
“Yeah, burnout happens. Some kids realize quickly that it’s too much on their plate. On the outside, we make it look easy, but once they’re in it—early mornings, long days, the discipline—it’s not for everybody. Band camp really separates who’s built for this. If you can push through these first weeks, you can make it through the season,” Gordon said.
That bond is strengthened by the Pride’s diversity.
“We’ve got students from all over—Oklahoma, across the U.S., and internationally. Last year, there were over 100 from the Bahamas, as well as newcomers from Ghana, Honduras and Native American communities here in Oklahoma. It’s a melting pot, and that mix of cultures teaches them respect for each other’s traditions, whether it’s food, faith or just how they see the world. That shared learning, on top of the grind, makes the bond even stronger,” Gordon said.
That sense of respect and collaboration fuels the culture Gordon has built. Students may be away from home, but they’re never alone. Everyone’s adjusting, everyone’s adapting, and everyone’s pushing through together.
The Lions are diving headfirst into the season with the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands at Houston’s NRG Stadium on Aug. 23. They’ll compete against powerhouse HBCU programs like Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Florida A&M and Prairie View A&M. These are considered the best of the best—and Langston is right there with them.
For Tyyaun Broils, this weekend feels different.
“The only reason I’m nervous is because this is my first year as head drum major,” Broils said. “In the past, I was on the side, supporting the head drum major. But now, I’m the one in the spotlight; the one in the white uniform instead of the gray. That comes with a lot more pressure. At first, I thought being a drum major was just about giving commands, but I’ve learned it requires a lot of humility, too. So yeah, I’m nervous, but with practice, I know I’ll be fine.”
Langston’s dance captain, Wanishi Avila, shares that mix of nerves and excitement.
“I’m excited, but I’m also nervous because I set the pace,” she said. “The girls are looking at me; I’m the one leading. That means I have to make sure I look good so everybody else can look good.”
Nerves like those can be a good thing. They force precision, sharpen focus and often lead to unforgettable performances. Gordon knows his band is ready to deliver.
“You’ve got the people who come to see the dancers out front—the gorgeous Golden Felines. Then you’ve got the true band heads who want to see the drum majors come in, see the band’s drills and formations, and watch the show unfold. And of course, you’ve got the kids who only care about the drumline. So my formula is to put it all together—everything fueled up at once. Not many can pull that off, but we make it happen.”
The Pride’s heavy workload won’t be wasted. Their schedule is stacked: after Houston, it’s the Shreveport Classic against Grambling State, then the Labor Day Classic in Mississippi. A week later comes the home opener against Louisiana Christian, followed by the Birmingham Battle of the Bands. And finally, the biggest stage of them all—halftime of the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game in Missouri.
For Gordon, for Broils, for Avila, and for every band member wearing orange and blue, this moment is bigger than just notes and formations. It’s about putting Langston University on a national stage and proving, once again, that the Marching Pride belongs in the conversation with the very best.
A great story!