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The Showcase of Southeast Texas marching band is gearing up for the 2016 season, its seventh since ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ reinstated the football program. “We are very excited for the upcoming season. We are poised to have our largest band yet, and we can’t wait to get back out there, perform for our fans, and support our great team,” said Eric Shannon, director of Athletic Bands.

This year’s shows will feature a variety of exciting music, ranging from symphonic and big band Latin music such as Stan Kenton’s Aspect and Chuck Mangione’s Legend of the One Eyed Sailor, to the music of David Bowie, Bonnie Tyler, Beyoncé, and The Black Eyed Peas. “One of the things we are going to do,” says Shannon, who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Oklahoma, “is overlay classic references to heroes with recent popular music. It should make for some really fun shows this fall!”

 “I’m proud to be part of one of the largest and most fun organizations on campus,” said Dakota Crespo, who will return this fall as a senior saxophone player. Getting to travel with friends is definitely one of the perks of being in the band, Crespo said. The Showcase travels each season to support the team at select away games and to perform at exhibitions. Travel plans for the 2016 season will be announced later in the summer.

The Showcase ended its 2015 season on a high note with the ¿ìÉ«ÊÓƵ Drumline, directed by Travis Fife and Matt Holm, competing at the Percussion Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), earning championship awards in both the Indoor Standstill Drumline and Chamber Percussion Ensemble categories.

Next season’s Showcase is projected to have the most members – including those who are not music majors – since the band’s return, according to Shannon.

“In 2015, 41 percent of our students were not music majors – and we love that! We want everyone, campus-wide, to know that this band is the university’s band – it belongs to every college, every department – and we hope we can attract students from every field to join.”

Summer rehearsals for the Showcase begin on August 15, with dorm move-in for band students beginning at 8 a.m. Students who are interested in participating are encouraged to go to lamar.edu/marchingband for more information. For further inquiry, contact Eric Shannon at (409) 880-7188 or email eshannon@lamar.edu.