The Band Staff
Instructional Staff
- Frank B. Wickes, Director of Bands Emeritus
- Blair Guillaume, Golden Girl Instructor
- Johnette Folse, Colorguard Instructor
- Mark Bonner, Jr., Graduate Assistant
- Cliff Croomes, Graduate Assistant
- Nick Doshier, Graduate Assistant
- Joseph Meinweiser, Graduate Assistant
- Lisa Tatum, Graduate Assistant
- Sean McLean, Drumline Graduate Assistant
Operations Staff
- Kara Duplantier, Bands Business Officer
- Stephen Koivisto, Instrument Technician
- Robert Dowie, Leadership and Development Coordinator
- Steven Miley, Videographer
- Greg Renoud, Videographer
- Jennifer Renoud, Videographer/Photographer
- Craig Macaluso, Photographer
2018-2019 Football Schedule
- 09/02/18 - Miami @ AT&T Stadium - Full Band Trip
- 09/08/18 - Southeastern @ Baton Rouge
- 09/15/18 - Auburn @ Auburn
- 09/22/18 - Louisiana Tech @ Baton Rouge
- 09/29/18 - Ole Miss @ Baton Rouge
- 10/06/18 - Florida @ Gainesville (Occurs during Fall Break)
- 10/13/18 - Georgia @ Baton Rouge
- 10/20/18 - Mississippi St. @ Baton Rouge - Homecoming
- 10/27/18 - OPEN
- 11/03/18 - Alabama @ Baton Rouge - LSU Salutes
- 11/10/18 - Arkansas @ Fayetteville
- 11/17/18 - Rice @ Baton Rouge - Alumni Band
- 11/24/18 - Texas A&M @ College Station
- 12/01/18 - SEC Championship @ Atlanta (if necessary)
Tiger Band Eligibility
All members of Tiger Band must be a full time student and have a cumulative 2.0 grade point average to be a member of the organization and be awarded your $1000 stipend. This stipend will be distributed in four payments: $250 in September, $250 in October, $250 in November, and $250 after we have returned from the bowl game and your materials have been turned in (sometime near the start of the Spring 19 semester). If you drop below 12 credit hours, you forfeit the rest of your stipend payments.
Welcome Letter from Director of Bands Dr. Damon Talley:
I hope that you are enjoying a wonderful summer! As we take time to catch our breath and reflect on things while campus slows down a bit, I am filled with appreciation for all of the terrific things that you have done over the past year to make this program among the best in the country. The amount of excitement and pride that you bring to the LSU faithful, not just on football Saturdays, but throughout the year, makes YOU a part of that great tradition. And that tradition will be on full view this year as we celebrate the 125th Anniversary of The Golden Band from Tigerland! Drs. Llinás and Jones have been working hard on some very exciting halftime shows, including a special tribute to the great history of Tiger Band during halftime of the Alumni Band game in November. As we celebrate with great pride the tradition that has been built over the past 125 years, you are building the tradition that will begin the next 125 years. What an exciting time to be a part of it all!! Your arrival on campus in August is always one of the most exciting times of the year, and I look forward to seeing all of you then! Geaux Tigers!
What instrumentalists need for the Fall:
- Two Gold TB Shirts: Each instrumentalist will be issued two gold TB t-shirts. The gold shirt is to be worn underneath the uniform jacket so select a suitable size. No changes can be made once you give us your information. If you wish to purchase an extra shirt after band camp, you may purchase one by contacting Kara Duplantier (karadup@lsul.edu) for $20.
- Khaki Shorts & Belt: The casual uniform for instrumentalists is the gold t-shirt and khaki shorts (Dockers style--no cargo shorts please). We wear this uniform for TB performances such as the Pep Rallies, etc. We supply the t-shirt and you supply the shorts. We tuck our shirts in and wear a brown belt at our performances.
- Black Socks: Instrumentalists wear black tall socks with the uniform. We suggest purchasing several pairs. Ankle socks are not accepted and will result in a grade deduction.
- White Gloves: Everyone wears white gloves with the exception of the Drumline and Colorguard. White cotton gloves for instrumentalists will be sold by Kappa Kappa Psi for approximately $5 a pair. These can be purchased during uniform distribution times before home games.
- Band Shoes: All new band members will receive a new pair of shoes at the Band Department's expense. These shoes should last you several years if you take care of them. If returning members would like new shoes, they could purchase them by contacting Kara Duplantier.
- Hair Accessories: All band members, excluding auxiliary units, are required to wear black hair accessories (pony tail holders, etc.). No bandanas or thick head bands are allowed with the uniform.
- Instruments: Band members will be provided an LSU instrument at no cost. However, we do allow selected wind players to perform on their personal instruments if they would like to. When you complete the band camp registration form, select the appropriate option and if applicable, we will have your instrument ready for you at band camp. To check out an instrument before band camp (to practice over the summer), please email Steve Koivisto at stevekoi@lsu.edu to coordinate a pickup date.
MUSIC
All wind players will receive the audition music for Preseason Band Camp after they have completed the band camp registration form. It will consist of school songs and the first halftime show. We will email you PDF's once your registration is complete. If you play an instrument with more than one part (i.e. 1st/2nd/3rd trumpet), you have been assigned a temporary part. Because we need strong players on all parts, many 1st chair high school students and music majors play 2nd and 3rd part in TB. If you are sent music that exceeds your range and you would like to move down to 2nd or 3rd part, contact one of the directors. After your playing audition during Preseason Band Camp, we will assign you your permanent part.
The GBFTL does not print any music - we access our drill and music through PDF documents that you use on your phones. Designed by former TB members, the e-flip is the future of music and drill access for marching bands. All music and drill will be disseminated via OneDrive for the year. No one will ever lose their music or flip folders again with this process. Everyone must have a waterproof option for their phones for the season (this could either be a waterproof case or a zip-lock bag)! We will provide you with portable battery packs on the first day of camp. Make sure that you bring your cellular device charging cable with you. Please make these arrangements before arriving at band camp on August 12th. Please download OneDrive on your smartphone BEFORE arriving to camp.
TB will also being incorporating Ultimate Drill Book into our daily rehearsal routine! Once we have finalized the ensemble, we will provide you with an activation code. All drill will be uploaded to the app complete with the show music that will give you access to drill/music with one quick button tap during rehearsals which is sure to make the learning process smooth and streamlined! Please download the app before arriving at camp but DO NOT pay for any licenses as we will secure those. For more information about UDB and to familiarize yourself with this new addition to our routine, click here.
Out of Town Trips - 2018-2019 TB
- LSU vs. Miami - Sunday, September 2. Full Band - Leave Saturday & return Monday
- LSU vs. Auburn - Saturday, September 15. Pep Band - Leave Friday pm & return Sunday
- LSU vs. Florida - Saturday, October 6. Pep Band - Leave Friday am & return Sunday
- LSU vs. Arkansas - Saturday, November 10. Pep Band - Leave Friday am & return Sunday
- LSU vs. A&M - Saturday, November 24. Pep Band - Leave Friday pm & return Sunday
- LSU vs. TBA - SEC Championship Game (if applicable) - Saturday, December 1. Full Band - Leave Friday pm & return Sunday
- LSU vs. TBA - Bowl Game/Playoffs - Full Band - Attendance is mandatory.
2018-2019 TB Preseason Schedule
We will provide lunch and dinner for all students attending our 2018-2019 TB Preseason Camp. Students are responsible for their own breakfast. Below is a breakdown of when meals begin for each specific group (these personnel are expected to report each subsequent weekday). Regardless of your dorm move-in date, please follow the below schedule for meals:
- Monday-Wednesday, August 6-8, 2018 - Graduate Assistants, Student Staff (which includes Band Managers, Equipment Managers, Section Leaders/Captains, Social Outreach Team, & Librarians) (Lunch and Dinner)
- Thursday, August 9th, 2018 - Student Staff excluding section leaders/captains (Lunch and Dinner)
- Friday, August 10, 2018 - Student Staff excluding wind section leaders (Lunch and Dinner), Full Colorguard, Full Golden Girls, Drumline Applicants (Dinner) - Report time for drumline is 10:00 am/Report time for Auxiliary Members is 1:00 pm. Applicants auditioning for the drumline note that lunch is not included on Friday, August 10th.
- Saturday, August 11, 2018 - Student Staff (including wind Section Leaders), CG, GG, DL (Lunch and Dinner)
- Sunday, August 12, 2018 - Student Staff, CG, GG, DL, & New Members (Lunch and Dinner)
- Monday, August 13, 2018 - Student Staff, CG, GG, DL, & New Members (Lunch and Dinner)
- Tuesday, August 14, 2018 - Student Staff, CG, GG, DL, & New Members (Lunch and Dinner) - Returning Members (Dinner Only)
- Wednesday, August 15, 2018 - New and Returning Members (Lunch and Dinner)
- Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 2018-2019 TB Only (Lunch and Dinner)
- Friday, August 17, 2018 - 2018-2019 TB Only (Lunch and Dinner)
- Saturday, August 18, 2018 - 2018-2019 TB Only (Lunch and Dinner)
- Sunday, August 19, 2018 - 2018-2019 TB Only - No meals
Band Camp Schedule - Note all times and locations subject to change. Locations are as follows:
- TBH - Tiger Band Hall - Located on Aster Street just West of Highland Rd.
- BF - Band Field - Located behind TBH
- DS - Dance Studio
- CF - Cheer Facility
- FH - Field House - Located just behind the PMAC (Basketball Arena)
- IFF - Indoor Football Facility - Located West of Nicholson Dr on Stadium Dr.
- 5 - The Five - Dining Hall located Northwest of the Greek Theater
- PMAC - Pete Maravich Assembly Center - Located just North of Tiger Stadium
Note that there are different start dates in the schedule below depending on your section and which year in TB this will be for you. The summary is:
- Student Staff begins on Monday, August 6th, and continues until the end of camp
- Section Leaders begin August 6th, then have the 9th & 10th off before returning on the 11th
- New Members begin Sunday, August 12th, at noon (note that you have the option to move into your dorms on the 11th
- Returning Members begin Tuesday, August 14th at noon. Note that the official LSU dorm move-in date is Sunday, August 12th and you would need to move into your dorms then even though you do not report to camp until the 14th.
Preseason Housing
Students who are registered to live on campus and have registered for Preseason Band Camp, will be able to move into their respective dorms/residence halls according to the prescribed schedule found on the band camp registration form. You are only eligible for early move in if you have registered for band camp by July 22nd. The Band Department will pay for the early move-in until the dorms officially open. Note that there is a dorm that has been dedicated to only students who are in Tiger Band or in the College of Music and Dramatic Arts. Click here for more details. If you are a returning member, note that the official LSU dorm move-in date is Sunday, August 12th. This means that although you do not report to band camp until Tuesday, you will still need to move into your dorms on August 12th.
Note if you are living in West Campus Apartments, make sure you are not signed up for one of the restricted apartments. If you are, that will affect your ability to move in early. If you are not sure if this impacts you, contact Lynn Livingston with Residential Life at (225) 578-4441.
Freshmen: Let Kappa Kappa Psi help you move in! They are available to assist you for all On-Campus Dorms by appointment only. This is scheduled through Shaid Stewart at VPS@lsukkpsi.org and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. You must contact Shaid by July 26th to set up your appointment to be considered.
Preseason Move-in Schedule:
- Thursday, August 9 - Student Staff, Colorguard, Golden Girls, and Drumline
- Friday, August 10 - Colorguard, Golden Girls, and Drumline
- Saturday, August 11 - New Members (Wind Players)
- Sunday, August 12 - Returning Members & New Members (Wind Players) - Note this is the official LSU Move-in Date. Returning members will need to move-in on the 12th even though you do not report to band camp until the 14th.
Important: Please check restrictions associated to your dorm (if any). If you are not staying in a LSU residential hall, you will need to secure your own housing during band camp week.
A Letter from Assistant Director Dr. Kelvin Jones:
Welcome back to LSU everyone! Man I am soooooo excited to get back into the swing of things. It is so lonely being in the office without the band action taking place throughout the halls whether it is the Color Guard toss spins, the Golden Girls getting those L's just right, the drumline finding random places to put ‘pudding pops’ in the music, or many of the other facets that go into being a part of the greatest band in the world! With this being year 125 of Tiger Band, boy do we have some special things in store for the year! For new members, you are embarking on a program that is steeply rooted in generations of pride, history, and tradition. On top of the cool activities we have planned with TGBFTL, of course many of you are here because of the football team/games boy do we have an action-packed football schedule this year! Coach O has already told me to ‘get your popcorn ready, it’s going to be a good one!’ From starting the season off against Miami in Arlington, TX in ATT Stadium, to Auburn two weeks later, to playing Georgia and Alabama in Tiger Stadium. This season will surely be one for the ages. Plus, come December, traveling to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game, and then back to Arlington, TX (or Miami, FL) and then to the Bay Area in California for the National Championship game. Hey, even though Team USA isn’t in the World Cup, “I believe that we (LSU) will win.” Let's just do our best to support and help our football team get there. While we will have a lot of work to do in the upcoming months (exciting shows, planning, drill, and cool new music), let's not forget to enjoy the wonderful camaraderie and musical spirit that will make this 125-year edition of Tiger Band a unique and special one. Best wishes and I look forward to seeing each and every one of you in the upcoming days! Forever LSU and Geaux Tigers!
2018-2019 Student Leadership
Drum Major: Beau Bujol
Piccolo Section Leaders: Emily Firmin & Schyler Lee
Clarinet Section Leaders: Benjamin Buller & Lauren Slay
Saxophone Section Leaders: David Hochkeppel & Joshua Poche
Mellophone Section Leaders: Josh Clavin & Morgan Easterday
Trumpet Section Leaders: Tim Ratliff, Tito Selosse, & Shaid Stewart
Trombone Section Leaders: Matthew Landry & Ryan Williams
Baritone Section Leaders: Scott Poulin & Stephen St. Pierre
Tuba Section Leaders: Nick Arnaud & Zach Cusimano
Drumline Section Leaders: Kevin McCabe & Tyler Stewart
Colorguard Captains: Mieklan Bortnick & Alex Freeman
Golden Girl Captains: Madelyn Hall & Eleanor Koonce
Librarians: Phillip Gerarve, Haleigh Jones, and Jacob Pettigrew
Social Outreach Team: Victoria Dekerlegand, Donna Greaber, Collin Lindrew, Kate Roy, & Abigail Young
Equipment Managers: George McLaughlin & Schyler Mire
2018 is the 125th anniversary of the Tiger Band!
You get to be a part of this honor as we pay tribute to our predecessors with the alumni band November 17th with a "Through the Years" halftime show.
New LSU Students
Register for MUS 4250
By the time you report to Preseason Band Camp, you must have completed your registration to LSU. In addition, MUS 4250 (Tiger Band) must be on your schedule. If you have not completed these items, you will not be allowed to attend the first away game. If you have an issue registering for TB, contact us. If you do not make TB, you will need to drop the class during the first week of classes to avoid any grade penalties on your transcript.
LSU Orientation
Please schedule your Freshman Orientation before band camp. If your orientation is scheduled during band camp, you will be forced to miss valuable rehearsals to take placement tests, meet with advisors, etc. If your orientation is scheduled during band camp, make every effort to change that. If you are unable to, please contact our staff immediately so that we could discuss your involvement.
Typical TB Home Game Saturday Schedule
- 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: Colorguard Rehearsal (IFF)
- 12:00 am - 1:00 am: Drumline Rehearsal (IFF)
- 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: TB Rehearsal (IFF)
- 3:15 pm: Lunch Served (TBH)
- 4:00 pm: Polish Horns & Shoes, Get Dressed, Purchase Gloves (if necessary), warm-up
- 4:50 pm - 5:00 pm: Line-up/Parade to the Stadium via PMAC (Dalrymple Dr.)
- 6:45 pm: Pregame! (Tiger Stadium)
- 7:00 pm: Kick-off! Geaux Tigers!! (Tiger Stadium)
- 11:00 pm (approx): Depart Stadium - Everyone marches back together and we are dismissed after we return to the Tiger Band Hall.
A Message from Tiger Band Director Dr. Dennis Llinás:
To all of you auditioning for the 2018-2019 Tiger Band,
I want to offer you all my most sincere Welcome! It is an honor to enter my third year as the director of Tiger Band. The staff has been working tirelessly to come up with show designs, order operations materials, and make sure your arrival is seamless. We are so fortunate to be a part of this organization for the 125th Anniversary! There are a few surprises in store for the season that I think everyone will thoroughly enjoy.
We welcome back talented teaching assistants Cliff Croomes, Joseph Meinweiser, and Mark Bonner to work with you this season. This year, we are excited to welcome to our band family Lisa Tatum and Nick Doshier as incoming masters students in wind conducting. We also welcome Sean McClean as our drumline teaching assistant. In addition, we are thrilled to welcome back the talents of Blair Guillaume and Johnette Folse working with both of our auxiliary units. With this staff, we have a talented team working to make your year exceptional. I could not be more excited to work with these outstanding teachers!
Most importantly, an organization of this magnitude cannot be run by one person. It takes a team of advisors and teachers to create the powerful organization we all are proud to be associated with. I am honored to share the responsibility of our organization with Dr. Kelvin Jones and to have the valuable support of our director of bands, Dr. Damon Talley. They are wonderful people who make a huge impact on this program.
It is an honor to be a part of this organization in any capacity. This band has been around for 125 years taking the field to support our football team and to invigorate our fans. An organization of this maturity is comprised of many members throughout its history who have gone on to various professions across the globe. They worked extremely hard to build the sense of pride and excellence that is associated with the Tiger Band. Now, it is our obligation to continue the legacy we are about to inherit as the performing members of the 2018-2019 version of The Golden Band from Tigerland!
Bengal Brass
Bengal Brass is our pep band and one of the most enjoyable experiences of being in a major institution like LSU! Comprised of TB members through a separate audition in September, this group of 72 members performs at all Volleyball, Women's/Men's Basketball, and Gymnastics events. The best part is you get paid $30 per event that you perform at! With an extremely limited rehearsal schedule (only a few rehearsals at the beginning of the season then no regular rehearsals after) you get paid to do what you enjoy most - play music in a comfortable air conditioned environment! Auditions will take place September 5th and 6th at 5:45 in TBH. This ensemble is led by none other than the vivacious, soulful, charismatic, and musically talented Dr. Kelvin "King of Soul" Jones!
Tigerama will be November 16th!
Tigerama is the largest performing fundraiser for the Tiger Band. It consists of performances by the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, and Tiger Band. In addition, there will be an auction and a VIP reception for the patrons. This year, Tigerama will take place in Baton Rouge at the Union Theater! We will have two performances: one in the morning for the School-Day Performance and one in the evening for the full show. The dress rehearsal will take place Thursday, November 15th in the Union Theater from 3:30-6:00 pm. Please mark your calendars and plan accordingly.
REGISTER FOR PRESEASON BAND CAMP
Everyone must register online for the 2018-2019 TB Preseason Band Camp. You must be registered by July 22nd so do not wait! To complete the registration form click the link below. The password is geauxTB. Once you have registered for band camp, we will email you the audition music.
Click below to register for the 2018-2019 Preseason Band Camp! The password is geauxTB.
Concert Ensemble Information
There are 3 concert bands at LSU. Any student interested in being a part of a concert ensemble auditions according to the schedule below. At the conclusion of those auditions, students are placed into the ensemble they qualify for. The auditions will consist of excerpts that are posted on our website at bands.lsu.edu. Each audition takes place behind a screen and typically last approximately 5 minutes per student. We encourage all Tiger Band instrumentalists to audition!
LSU Wind Ensemble: The Wind Ensemble is comprised primarily of graduate students and upperclassmen music majors who represent the finest wind and percussion students in the School of Music. This group averages 50 members per year and gives 3 concerts each semester on and off campus. The ensemble rehearses 3 days a week: MWF from 12:30-2:20 pm. The Wind Ensemble is under the direction of Director of Bands Dr. Damon Talley.
LSU Symphonic Winds: The Symphonic Winds is comprised of approximately 50 talented musicians who represent the finest graduate and undergraduate music majors as well as a few non-music majors. The ensemble has 2 concerts per semester and rehearses MWF from 12:30-2:20 pm. The Symphonic Winds are under the direction of Associate Director of Bands Dr. Dennis Llinás.
LSU Symphonic Band: The Symphonic Band is the largest concert ensemble and is comprised of talented students who are both music majors and non-music majors. The ensemble averages 80 members and rehearses on Monday evenings from 3:40-5:30 in the fall and MW from 3:40-5:30 in the spring. The Symphonic Band is under the direction of Dr. Kelvin Jones.
Fall 2018 Concert Ensemble Audition Schedule
All auditions will take place in the Tiger Band Hall unless otherwise indicated. For dates, times, and audition excerpts, please click here.
