SPECIAL FEATURE “Jackson State Band was called the ‘Sonic Boom’ and Texas Southern University had the ‘Ocean of Soul,’ so it only fit that we needed a shorter name,” said Graham, current UAPB Director of Bands. In 1998, the band made the M4 formation on the football field and the fans approved. Over the years, the term M4 has been presented to students as the M4 Life. Graham said a former student who was terminally ill wrote a letter speaking of what M4 meant to him and the student signed the letter – M4 for Life. Graham said the components of an M4 Life is that band members must take care of the spiritual, physical, academic and recreational parts of their lives.
BAND HISTORY 101
Graham assumed the directorship in July 1994. Under his leadership, M4 has become one of the largest and most successful collegiate band programs in the nation. Also, under his guidance, the band has grown to nearly 300 members and has traveled and performed throughout the nation. The band began in 1946 under the direction of Alma L. Brown, who also was the Woodwind Instruments instructor. Music Department Chairperson, Ariel M. Lovelace, hired Harold Strong as the University band director from 1952 until his retirement in 1981. Burris was the next band director and he continued the traditions of the band program that were established by Strong. Other directors of the UAPB Band include Dr. Joseph L. Miller who introduced the current marching style used by the band today. Kelvin W. Washington succeeded Dr. Miller as director. Washington maintained a successful band program during the two-year death penalty given to the UAPB football program.
TIME TO GROW
Prior to 1994 the band was much smaller with only 5060 students, and the band needed to grow. "That first year was hard,” Graham said. “We couldn’t produce the sound the band needed because we didn’t have enough trumpet players. I’ll never forget that we were playing Jackson State University and the band challenged us during the game, but we could not return the challenge. I promised myself that would never happen again.” Graham and his staff went recruiting for the next year. He said then Choir Director Shelton McGee showed him how to recruit students to Pine Bluff (from the Memphis area). He and his assistant recruited in Monroe, Louisiana, Shreveport, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma. The next year was the year of the Gateway Classic and Graham said former Chancellor L.A. Davis Jr. asked if Graham could have 120 band members. Consequently, due to strong recruiting efforts, the band was over 200 members strong. 32
UAPB Magazine • University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
“...When students are a part of an organization, they will have the tendency to stay and graduate and the return level will be higher.” That next year, M4 was voted the most outstanding band at the Gateway Classic. A new era had begun. “This was an exciting time of building and growing for the University, and we had a lot of energy,” Graham said. “This was and is a service for the University that we provide. When we recruit, we don’t just recruit for the band, but we recruit students for the campus. These are nursing students, math students, education, science and social work students we recruit, and we will never turn away a qualified student who wants to be in the band because that’s another recruit for the University. When students are a part of an organization, they will have the tendency to stay and graduate and the return level will be higher.” Before Graham came in 1994, M4 had a very meager scholarship budget. Since then, the band’s recruitment level has improved, the University has supported it, and the scholarship budget has increased.
BAND CAMP
Three weeks before University classes begin, M4 Band members will wake up at 4:00 a.m. for morning runs to the Golden Lion Stadium in preparation for the exciting and strenuous season ahead. They will run up the stadium bleachers, take their places and watch the sun rise over the lake. Then Graham recites the story of the lion and the gazelle in Africa. “We tell the students the view at the top is great. Don’t be late for your date with destiny,” Graham said. “Some of these kids live in the inner city, and they have never seen the sun rise before. We talk about what this [the sunrise] means to them.” When M4 Band Camp is officially in session, the energy of the upcoming school year is prevalent on “The Yard.” The toe tapping rat-tat-tat of percussions and the soulful call of horns cannot be ignored. Section leaders arrive the first week, then the freshmen, followed by upper classmen. After the morning run and cardio session, the students have breakfast, and are in training until 8:30 p.m., learning fundamentals, scales, music, commands and movements. Diet and nutrition also is addressed during Band Camp no soft drinks, more water, and no junk food. Meals in the cafeteria are specially ordered to provide the nutritional substance needed for endurance. If the temperature outside is too hot, M4 stays inside until the temperature cools down.