Landon Chambliss stood in his purple and gold Tiger Band uniform, clutching his brass trumpet in the Caesars, then Mercedes Benz, Superdome in 2019 where he and 325 other band members lined up in positions they had been practicing for weeks. They waited as the jumbotron counted down the seconds before they took the field before the national championship game between LSU and Clemson.
The stadium was far from quiet, the political science senior said. As soon as the drum major, the student responsible for conducting the band, stepped onto the field for Tiger Band’s traditional pregame performance, nearly 75,000 audience members lit up and clapped along so loud, Chambliss noted, that he could hardly hear his colleagues play.
“And from there, it’s magic,” Chambliss said.
A few years later, Chambliss found himself as the drum major of the 2022 Golden Band from Tigerland. Showing strong dedication to their craft, the marching band meets from 3:50 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and performs most Saturdays for football games.
“We’re very proud of what we do, and it’s an honor every game to play for such a great university and a great football team,” Chambliss said.
Since Chambliss first heard Louis Armstrong at age 6, he has dreamed of playing just like the world-renowned trumpet player. Shortly after, his stepfather gave him a trumpet.
Chambliss has stuck with his passion for music ever since.
After four years in Tiger Band, one of the largest organizations on LSU’s campus that dates back to 1893, he’s learned that it’s more than just a bunch of people playing instruments together.
“If it wasn’t for the love I have for this organization and the culture of love that we have within this band, I would not be in this position that I am currently,” Chambliss said.
Communications sciences and disorders senior Madison Mistretta is one of the two section leaders of the Golden Girls and remembers when the confetti went off during the 2019 football championship. It was one of her favorite memories.
She could see the excitement in everyone’s faces, she said, and there wasn’t one moment when she didn’t have a smile on her face.
“I will never forget that and when the confetti went off and everyone was just going crazy,” Mistretta said. “There’s a picture of us dancing when the confetti went off, and it’s probably one of my favorite pictures ever.”
Mistretta said that the Golden Girls get the best of both worlds by being in the marching band.
“I would describe Golden Girls as a dance team that is built on tradition and culture that is intertwined with the band,” Mistretta said.
Growing up in Baton Rouge, Mistretta has wanted to be a Golden Girl for as long as she can remember, beginning dancing when she was five-years-old to fulfill her dream.
“They’ll always have my back,” Mistretta said. “It’s just crazy to think that I’m actually living my dream. It’s just amazing.”
Mistretta said her best friends are the other members of the Golden Girls. Even during the offseason, she always finds herself hanging out with her team. They’ve always had her back, she said.
Sociology junior Jenna Bourgeois is one of the two color guard captains and believes color guard, through their use of flags and dance, is a different way to artistically express oneself, especially by using equipment to perform.
Performing in Tiger Stadium is one of the best feelings ever, and hearing the crowd cheering is exhilarating, she said.
Bourgeois said that the first time she performed in pregame during a gameday was when she knew it was where she’s supposed to be. In the midst of applying to law school, she said that performing provides an escape from the stress of life.
“We put in a lot more time than I think people realize,” Bourgeois said. “It’s not as easy as it looks, but the time we put in is super worth it, and it shows on the field too.”
With as many hours each member dedicates to practices and game days, Bourgeois feels like she can go up to her fellow marching band members at any point. The work they all put in brings them together, she said.
“I love Tiger Band because I’ve done color guard for so long, but in Tiger Band, it feels like there’s a family within it,” she said.
The motto for Tiger Band this year is “one Tiger Band family,” Bourgeois said. She believes it emphasizes the community dynamic the members have.
When Kelvin Jones became the Tiger Band director in 2019, one of his main priorities was to reinforce the community Tiger Band represents. He created an acronym, TBF, meaning Tiger Band Family, to showcase the community he and his staff fosters.
“We work with great students, some of the smartest and brightest I’ve ever been around like ever,” Jones said.
On a day-to-day basis, Jones facilitates the band from an organizational standpoint, he said.
Most members aren’t music majors, Jones said, with most being science and engineering students.
“How can we create and manifest life-long skills that can transcend, not just music, but leadership, leadership development, growth, maturity, ambassadorship, a spirit of giving, attitude of gratitude, all those things we talk about on a daily basis?” Jones said.
Not all of the more than-300 members are exactly the same, Jones said, so cultivating a space where everyone feels safe and valued is significant in order to motivate all of its members to work harder.
“I love people, and I love music, but the people come first,” he said. “If you don’t have a dynamic with people, they don’t want to make music at a high level.”
He believes the development of the family dynamic manifests strong leadership and a place of love.
“We want anybody at the stadium to know this is a tiger party, a LSU tiger party, and we’re here to support our fighting tigers any way possible,” Jones said.
Director of LSU’s Tiger Marching Band Kelvin Jones gives feedback on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, at the LSU Band Hall on Aster Street in Baton Rouge, La.
