Trojan Summer Music Games

By AMY S. LANSDON

News Editor

Music can make the world go ’round, and Troy State University is getting a turn again this year as it hosts the second annual Trojan Summer Music Games.

Troy State University’s "Sound of the South" Marching Band will play host to the Games Thursday July 27, featuring some of the best bugle corps from across the nation.

What makes the Summer Music Games important to Troy State Univeristy, Troy and Pike County is the number of people who attend the games from out of town.

"The impact of the Trojan Summer Music games is three-fold," said Susan Smith, director of the Summer Music Games, adjunct professor at TSU and a member of the band staff. "The Games support the "Sound of the South, get high school students on the TSU campus and brings about 5,000 people to town."

One of the most important elements of the Summer Music Games is the people and businesses who sponsor the Games.

"We are sending out information packets now," Smith said. "There are different levels of sponsorship from Platnum sponsors to patron sponsors and costs for sponsorships range from $35 to $1,000.

"Our sponsors are very important to make the event a success by offsetting some of the costs of the event and helps pay for the band’s uniforms."

Although the event was

a tremendous success last year, Smith said more events are being added this year to make it even better.

"This year we’re adding a solo and ensemble competition for high school students where they can earn gold, silver or bronze medals," Smith said. "We are turning this event into a true version of a musical Olympic games."

The judging for solo and ensembles will begin at 10 a.m. and there will be a clinic in the afternoon featuring

Carolina Crown, a finalist in last year’s DCI world championship. Eight corps, part of Drum Corps International’s annual summer tour, will perform beginning at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

The corps use only brass, percussion and color guard to create an exciting blend of music and choreography. Each corp is composed of high school and college band students ages 14 to 21 who are chosen through auditions.

"We are pleased to have several corps, such as Tarheel Sun, who participated last year, returning to Troy," Smith said. "However, we’re also hosting several other corps on the DCI this year, including the Cadets, who won three DCI world championships in the 1990s."

Groups scheduled to perform are Tarheel Sun from Apex, N.C.; Tampa Bay Thunder; The Cadets of Bergenfield, N.J.; Carolina Crown of Ft. Mill, S.C.; Blue Knights of Denver; Southwind of MAdison, Wis.; Troopers of Casper, Wyo.; and Teal Sound of Atlantic Beach, Fla.

Smith said the even becomes a city-wide project with hundreds of volunteers involved.

"We are working with the Pike County Chamber of Commerce to promote this event and make it even more successful," Smith said.

Tickets are $20 for premium reserved (seatback chairs), reserved seats are $15, general admission is $10, and the group school rate is $8 each for orders of 20 or more tickets. Call 334-241-9567 to order tickets. All proceeds will benefit the TSU band program.

She added that anyone wishing to learn more about the Trojan Summer Music Games should visit the band’s website at www.tsumusic.org.