Music to my ears: Students play on despite the odds

Imagine: You’re walking through the Southern Miss campus, sipping on Coca-Cola from Seymour’s, hearing a crazy preacher man call students devil children and “so-whore-ity” girls, all while listening to the sound of live music in the background. Well...that’s what happened to me on Tuesday.

After the tornado damaged music buildings, students from the School of Music were forced outside to practice playing their instruments throughout various parts of campus, such as Centennial Lawn, West Memorial Drive and even the parking garage, creating a wonderful soundtrack to serenade students to class.  

In a few months, however, those students will be moving back into buildings and auditoriums, leaving campus musicless, sans the sounds of trumpets, saxophones and other instruments. That is not a good thing.

Students have embraced the music and have come to expect to see their peers blowing their horns. It’s hard to imagine walking by the Shoemaker Square fountain not hearing the sound of a saxophone or driving to the fourth floor of the parking garage and not seeing the guy with his tuba.

Working in the Office of Admissions as a student tour guide, I’ve picked up on activities that prospective students love to see. Prospectives love to see a campus that is vibrant and full of student life. Whether it’s watching the Quidditch team play on Pride Field or seeing students hammock in the gigantic oak tree by the Kennard-Washington building, visitors love seeing students roam campus.

Music students playing their instruments throughout campus undoubtedly creates a fun, exciting and lively atmosphere that everyone can enjoy. Can’t you just see President Lucas walking down the red brick road by Shoemaker Square sporting a fancy bow-tie and listening to jazz music? Or am I the only one?

Director of Bands Catherine Rand said students playing instruments outside has been good for the School of Music.

“Instead of being stuck on one end of the campus, we are now within the campus and within the student and university life because people get to see us,” Rand said. “It also brings you guys [the student body] to us in a way. You walk around saying, ‘Oh, that’s pretty nice.’ We have some amazing players.”

On behalf of the USM student body, I beg: please, don’t stop the music.