SEMO Marching Band invited to perform at regional competition

The Southeast Missouri State University Marching Band has been invited to perform during a Bands of America Super Regional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 21, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Bands of America annually hosts three Super Regional Championships that take place in Indianapolis, St. Louis and San Antonio. Each championship will consist of up to 84 high school bands participating in two days of competition.

Only two university bands are invited to perform at each Super Regional Championship, and this is the first year SEMO's Marching Band has been asked.

"This is a big deal for us," said Jim Daughters, director of SEMO's Marching Band. "It recognizes all the hard work that our students are doing with the Marching Band."

Daughters said in the history of SEMO's Marching Band the high point was getting to perform during Super Bowl 5 in 1971. He said this opportunity is a "runner-up to the Super Bowl." He said he was so excited when he got the call he started jumping up and down in his living room, danced and even cried a little.

Daughters said this is not just a proud moment for the Marching Band, but the university as a whole, including athletics and the art, theater and dance departments.

"We've got a good team of people who work with us," Daughters said. "It's just a big giant community that helps us design props, choreography and the music."

Daughters said he and his team will start planning the 15-minute program as soon as this weekend. He said designing a performance for the Super Regionals is similar to putting together a Broadway show.

"The kids are dancing, playing instruments, moving on the field. They're telling a story. It's very theatrical," Daughters said.

"We are very proud of our Southeast Marching Band," university president Carlos Vargas said. "They are such an integral part of our campus, and it is wonderful to see their hard work being recognized with this honor. We know they will represent SEMO well and inspire more Redhawks to join us with their performance."

Daughters said putting SEMO on a national stage benefits everyone in terms of brand recognition. He said, since there are usually up to 20,000 people in the audience, performing at a Super Regional competition is a huge recruiting opportunity for SEMO. It's not only the competing band members and their families in the stands, Daughters said, it's also bands that will perform at the Grand National Championship, also held at Lucas Oil Stadium, looking to get a feel for the space and a sense of the atmosphere. The event will also be livestreamed internationally potentially giving SEMO exposure to millions of viewers.

Daughters said he is most happy for the message this opportunity communicates to his students.

"They worked their tails off for the last two years and they have consistently gotten better and they can see firsthand that hard work does pay off," Daughters said. "When they're out there sweating on the field when it's 100 degrees, and they're still pushing, it's not for nothing."