As this weekend’s annual Tiger Band reunion game nears, former LSU Colorguard members are preparing to step back in time.
The group celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and will include football fans in the celebration with a halftime performance during Saturday’s game.
School of Music Assistant Dean Carol Larsen, captain of the original colorguard, is preparing to take the field for the first time in 39 years, and found herself having to learn a few new tricks.
“I lock the door, close the blinds and I’m in here with that umbrella every lunch hour, twirling,” she said, pointing at her makeshift flag in the corner of the room.
Spinning the flags wasn’t part of the job for the original guard. Instead they simply marched while holding them upright, fastened into belt pockets on the front of their uniforms.
“The flags added beauty and pageantry to the shows, but we didn’t do much with them,” Larsen said.
In 1970, the Golden Band from Tigerland was named the “All-American College TV Band” in the only collegiate marching-band competition of the time. The award caused a surge of students to audition for Tiger Band, but the band had limited money to purchase uniforms.  
In 1971, Tiger Band Director William F. Swor decided to create a third auxiliary unit to free up space for additional members — the LSU Colorguard. Swor selected existing female members of the band to serve.
Larsen marched with a glockenspiel for two years in the band before being selected as captain of the first colorguard.
Larsen said taking the field as a member of the original guard was a prideful feeling like no other, especially since the football team had recently won a national championship.
She said it was exciting to be part of a new group.  
“We were no longer anonymous members of a group of hundreds,” said Larsen, “[We were] now much more visible.”
Larsen said the increased visibility gave colorguard members a sense of personal responsibility to perform well.  
She said guard members remained instrumentalists first and foremost. On the band’s traditional pre-game march down Victory Hill, they would carry a flag in one hand and an instrument in the other. The guard would play instruments in the stands and march with flags during the halftime performance.
The original 12-member guard carried flags representing each of the ten SEC schools in addition to two solid white flags. Larsen said the flags were tall and metal with sturdy, heavy fabric and large standards on the top.
She said the flags were treated with respect similar to that of an American flag.
“We couldn’t be seen dragging the Ole Miss flag through the dirt,” Larsen said.
Tiger Band Director Roy King said the skill level of today’s guard is very different from when it started.
“The intricate choreography goes with the music and creates a visual accompaniment, if you will, to the music being performed,” said King.
At 31 members, the current colorguard is the largest in University history.
Larsen said she had some influence on the group’s uniforms during her time as captain. She described the uniforms as short, white skirts over a sleeveless top with a bolero jacket and short, white boots.
“It was a relief not to wear a full band uniform in September,” Larsen said.
Monya King, colorguard member from 1981 to 1984, is coordinating events for the former guard members during the alumni weekend. King said the alumnae have held two practices over the summer in preparation for their halftime performance, and both were well attended.
Current colorguard captain and graduate student Emily Brinks said it’s a unique feeling to be a part of game day and march down the hill while students and fans cheer.
“It’s exciting to see and about one million times more exciting to be a part of it,” Brinks said.
Brinks said the guard perfects its performances and makes the skills look easy, but in reality the effort takes a lot of coordination. They practice for nearly nine hours during the week, with the band and as an individual   section, in preparation for games.
She said she thinks it’s wonderful to see how excited the alumni are to be able to perform.
“It’s exciting to have a chance to be on the field with the people who are kind of responsible for making our team what it is today,” Brinks said. As this weekend’s annual Tiger Band reunion game nears, former colorguard members are preparing to step back in time.
 
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Contact Haylie Navarre at [email protected]