Published Sept. 23, 2021
Allen Parrish is the University of Louisiana Monroe’s new Director of Athletic Bands
and an Assistant Professor in the School of Visual and Performing Arts. Parrish hopes
to grow the Sound of Today Marching Band from 120 to 200 or more members.
Siddharth Gaulee/ULM Photo Services
“If my people have to be out here, I want to be out here with them. I’m not standing
in the shade.”
Allen Parrish, ULM Director of Athletic Bands
On being on the practice field with the Sound of Today Marching Band
By Mark Henderson
Special to the University of Louisiana Monroe
It’s 97 in the shade. It feels like 108 degrees. But there is no shade to be found
on the ULM Sound of Today Marching Band practice field. The heat takes its toll on
an early September afternoon.
Crisscrossing the field, a man in a sports cap and ULM shirt guides the musicians
through precision routines. That’s Allen Parrish, D.M.A., the new Director of Athletic
Bands and Assistant Professor in the University of Louisiana Monroe School of Visual
and Performing Arts.
“If my people have to be out here, I want to be out here with them. I’m not standing
in the shade,” said Parrish.
The band takes regular water breaks, and Parrish frequently reminds his musicians,
“You are so much more important than a hole in a line. Take care of yourselves.”
Break over, the musicians return to the practice field, take their positions, and
go again. It’s a good performance, and Parrish has the band move to its next set.
The practices in the sweltering summer heat pay off.
The Sound of Today was in tune and in step for the 8-minute halftime show during at
the Warhawks first home game – a win over visiting Jackson State.
Parrish says his musicians are ready for the second home game, Saturday at 7 p.m.
when the Troy Trojans come calling. The SOT second halftime show features Latin Pop.
Parrish admits to pushing the band with new music and new moves – and he likes what
he sees.
“The strength of this band is in its hard work ethic and its desire to be better,”
he said.
Parrish earned his doctorate of musical arts at Southern Mississippi University. Before
joining ULM, Parrish taught low brass classes at a community college.
He was hired by ULM in March and has been on campus since June. Parrish had time to
think about what he wanted to bring to the band even before officially taking the
reins of the Sound of Today on Aug. 9.
“The music comes first. And you should have music that the audience will enjoy. The
students told me they wanted something to tie all the music together,” Parrish said.
At the same time, the music has to be something to which the band can march.
“It’s perhaps the hardest music they’ve ever played,” Parrish said. “At the same time,
many of the students are telling me it’s the best time they ever had because they
are challenged.”
ULM’s Instrumental music majors march in the band as part of their scholarship requirements.
Of the nearly 120 players in the group, however, 70 to 80 percent are non-music majors.
Participating non-majors are eligible for scholarships and grants. They also can earn
up to two credits.
“We have a lot of strong players in each section,” Parrish said. “I’m relying on juniors
and seniors, and my section leaders, to work with the freshmen to get them up to speed.”
Parrish has a three-to-four-year plan to give the band a bigger sound, with a goal
of more than 200 players in the next few years.
He intends to create a quality product people will want to join, make use of out-of-state
tuition waivers to attract high school musicians from Arkansas, spend time in high
schools recruiting talent, and invite students to the ULM campus.
