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Pride of the South Marches On Despite Funding Concerns
Pride of the South practice their performance. Photo by Steven Gagliano
Saturday marks the beginning of the 2017 season for the Ole Miss Rebels. The Grove will be packed, the seats in the stadium will be filled, the crowd will be loud, and the band will be right in the center of the game day experience. “The Pride of the South” shows up every Saturday, and this year will be no different.
Contributing to the booming sounds of the band will be two brand new sousaphones (which is comparable to a tuba for non-music folks out there like me). The sousaphones were donated by Dr. Brett Bartlett, an alumnus of the band, and his mother, Beth Bartlett, who felt inclined to donate the instruments upon hearing that the majority of the sousaphones in use dated back to Brett’s time in the band in the 1980’s.
Sousaphone section
“My father passed away a few years ago, my mother and father used to give $50 at a time. My mother came to me recently and said ‘I’ve got some money, and I want to help the band out big time.’ To that, I asked ‘how big-time, mom?’,” Bartlett said. “I talked with David, and we decided that buying two new sousaphones is what the band needed because they were still using ones that were there when I was in the band.”
The band uses anywhere from 20-24, and the instruments don’t come cheap. Priced at around $8,000 a piece, the band cannot afford new ones and are hoping that their current ones hold up as the season approaches. David Willson, now in his 27th year as the band’s director, said that they can afford one or two instruments every year, but rising costs and diminishing budgets have taken their toll on the band.
“Most of ours were bought in the 1970’s, if you look at them closely you’ll see hairline cracks because of the metal fatigue,” Willson said. “Budgets are being cut, and the departments are doing what they can to meet their demands, so it’s a situation where it’s no one’s fault, but we have to try and find funds from new sources of funding. The administration provides so much, but there are shortfalls that we have, and I hope that the general fan knows how hard we work and how they can help with just a small donation.”
Band Director David Willson along with Susan Bartlett (left) and Beth Bartlett (right)
Those new sources can be anyone, the band has their “Friends of Note” foundation created by Dr. Bartlett and Willson in the mid-90’s to perpetually fund scholarship opportunities, and new equipment for the band which currently consists of 300 students. Band members are typically responsible for buying and maintaining their own instruments and the band struggles to quickly fix broken pieces. As one of the lowest funded bands in the SEC, Willson and Bartlett are doing everything they can to ensure the show goes on without a hitch.
While funding is an important aspect of the band’s needs, Willson hopes that fans recognize the amount of dedication that students put into their performance, and what game day would be without them.
“If I had one wish more than the funding, it would be that people have respect for what band students do,” Willson said. “They’ve been in the band since 6th grade, purchase their own instruments, go to rehearsals in all kinds of weather, endure peer pressure and stick with it. When they get to Ole Miss, they give up their chance to be a regular student on game day to provide fans with a great game day experience.”
Brett Bartlett during his time in the Pride of the South Band
Bartlett and his wife, Susan, whom he met during their time in the band, played Tenor saxophone Bartlett returned to Oxford after 25 years away, and his band experience continues to stick with him, and he hopes to continue to assist Willson in any way he can.
“We had been away for 25 years, so we’ve gotten back into it by going to practices, and checking in on a regular basis. We’re here for everything, and that’s allowed us to become more aware of what the situation is,” Bartlett said. “Everyone wants the band in the stadium, in the Grove, and during halftime but they have no idea how much funding, practice and time goes into the process.”
The band began practicing before students came back for classes, and they went from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. The dedication continued as classes began with at least 10 hours of practice each week. Willson recalls his first year as the band’s director and the future for the Pride of the South, with the “Friends of Note” having a goal of $2 million. They are currently resting around $900,000, and Wilson hopes that fans and alumni will value the band for what they bring to Ole Miss.
Willson recalls the first time he felt the value of the band from the alumni back in his third year as the director. When he took over the band had around 140 members and had “low morale”, but it all changed after a fundraising event in Memphis after a pep rally at the Peabody. Willson hopes to find the same generosity as they lean on the Ole Miss community for support.
“We were at a fundraiser at Rendezvous in Memphis, and many of the Memphis Club members were there and interacted with the band in a positive and encouraging way. After that night, the two biggest cynics in the band came to me and said, ‘the alumni really do care about us.’,” Willson recalls. “That is the day we turned the band around.”
Those who wish to contribute to either the Friends of Note scholarship endowment or the new University of Mississippi Marching Band Equipment Fund can contact Denson Hollis at the University of Mississippi Foundation Office or can send a check/donation to the Foundation or the band directly.
Steven Gagliano is the managing editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | W, 63-51 |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | W, 73-66 |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | W, 77-65 |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | W, 74-64 |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | L, 81-84 |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | L, 62-63 |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | L, 83-75 |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | W, 72-69 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | L, 92-82 |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | W, 98-84 |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |
Cindy
August 30, 2017 at 3:53 pm
I used to contribute to the band every year. Not a lot, but a little regularly. Then they stopped sending me a letter asking for donations. Maybe if they asked, they’d get more.
Carson
August 30, 2017 at 4:22 pm
Make a announcement today they will return to playing from Dixie with love. And Dixie during the game
And watch the money roll in. I will be glad to write the first check.
This is on Jones and bjork
Rick
August 30, 2017 at 4:31 pm
I used to donate. Not since they dumped the songs I love. Play the songs, and count me in.
I dare say there are a lot of folks just like me.
JD
August 30, 2017 at 4:55 pm
It’s a shame that the band has to pay a steep price for the administration’s “politicizing” the choice of songs. Very poor leadership at the top has created this mess. Bjork and Jones should be held accountable, but until the alums withhold more money, it will continue. It’s not the Rebs’ school any longer. It’s been capitulated to special interest groups that don’t come close to representing the majority of the student body and alumni base.
Ole Miss alum
August 30, 2017 at 7:59 pm
Amen!!!
TWM
August 30, 2017 at 10:05 pm
That is just one of the reasons Jones got “canned” Bjork should be canned too. More of rewriting history.
I don’t know if the confederate statues on the Oxford square and the Ole Miss campus are still standing or not
but I have an idea for those anti “true history” buffs. If the statues are down or taken down, maybe they can replace them with statues of Union General A. J. “Whiskey” Smith who ordered Oxford and the UM campus burned in Aug. 1864 because he was made a fool of by Nathan Bedford Forrest a day or two before. Forrest made a fool of a lot of the Union generals. It is chronicled that most of his troops were intoxicated when they lit the fires.
And that is just one of the reasons he was tagged with the name “Whiskey”
Martha Stuart Weaver
August 30, 2017 at 11:14 pm
Sorry, I miss To Dixie With Love & the old Southern traditional songs as much as any of you. But I just wrote the band a check because it’s not the fault of the students & band members. They still need scholarship money, expenses for trips, instrument repair, new instruments, etc. They should not be held accountable for the choices of our administration. Think through this and support our Pride of the South Band that is a part of our beloved Ole Miss!!
Ole Miss alum#2
August 31, 2017 at 9:46 am
Amen!!
Matt
August 31, 2017 at 10:20 am
martha
cash is is the only leverage we have
money talks, and your check says that you approve of the administration.
if you want to help a band member, give it to the kid directly
Marysue (Nana) Tettleton
August 31, 2017 at 1:03 pm
The Ole Miss Band is a special feature at football games and a smaller group at the basketball games. A memorial give in memory of Rebekah Tettleton, who died a year ago, and played in the band the year Ole Miss returned to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Mr. Wilson gave her a scholarship when she was truly in need of financial help. It was a great experience for Rebekah.
Rick
August 31, 2017 at 2:59 pm
There would be money for more scholarships if the administration would respond to the desires of the fans and donors.
Rebel Since Forever
September 1, 2017 at 12:34 pm
Take money out of your academic donations, athletic donations, or anything else. But its not the Band’s fault that songs were removed. The band feels more strongly about those songs than any of us cause they were the ones playing them and thriving off of everyone’s response. Its all negativity now, but none of those students were even around when those decisions were made so why punish them for it? Help the band out a little.
Bryan
September 1, 2017 at 3:29 pm
yes it’s tough the kids are caught in this, but the only way we can make a statement about the band is to withhold funds from the band.
Me skipping my donation to the library does not send a message about the band.
Hopefully kids will realize they are being screwed by the administration, particularly bjork. And move on to other opportunities. Also new recruits may realize the sad shape of the band and go elsewhere .
Maybe if their is no band, bjork will get the message. My gosh, I wish they would run that loser out of town.