George Edwards (marching band director)
Encyclopedia
Professor George W. Edwards (1948–2009) was the Nationally Renowned Director of Bands for Prairie View A&M University
(PVAMU), Prairie View
, Texas
until his death on 28 May 2009 resulting from an automobile accident that took place on 10 May 2009 in Houston, Texas.
Professor Edwards hailed from Chattanooga, Tennessee
and completed his undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University
, (FAMU) Tallahassee, Florida
. While at FAMU, he played as part of famed Marching 100
, performing under the legendary Dr. William P. Foster, where he received a number of distinctive awards and opportunities; some of which were his selection as Student Arranger, the Outstanding Senior Award, and having his arrangements played by the Marching 100 at Super Bowl III
. Mr. Edwards went on to complete his Master's Degree at Michigan State University
with many of his marching band arrangements performed and recorded by the Michigan State University Spartan Marching Band
.
, known as the McFunk B.O.X., in a showstyle half-time event at the football games. Professor Edwards incorporated some of the FAMU concepts of innovative formations and fast-stepping, while adding unique framing, drum routines, and their majorettes, the Black Foxes, to create a half-time show that provided the "Storm" with national recognition and their pick of the best of the best high school band members from across the nation.
Skyrocketing to national acclaim, the Storm performed, appeared, or were featured as part of the following activities:
- 2001 - Performed in President George W. Bush's Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C.
- 2004 - The Marching Storm Band and the Black Foxes were featured in the Black College Band Exhibition, "And the Band Played On," which was seen by more than 30,000 at the Dallas Museum of African-American History
- 2004 - The PVAMU Drum Line, "The Box" and the "Black Foxes," were featured performers with Beyonce at the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game
- 2004 - 2007 - Featured in the Dallas Weekly; Urban Sports News
- 2004 - Featured on numerous occasions in The Dallas Morning News
- 2005 - Featured in British Broadcasting New Radio Special, "Marching All Together"
- 2005 - Featured in The Times
- 2006 - The band performed at the Essence Music Festival in Houston
- 2006 - Invited to perform at the Macy's Day Parade (a lifelong goal of Professor Edwards), but were unable to raise the $400,000 necessary for the trip to New York City
- 2007 - Featured article and video in The New York Times
- 2008 - "The Box" was flown to Los Angeles
for a command performance for executives from Honda Corporation and The Tournament of Roses Parade
- 2008 - The Marching Storm Band and the Black Foxes performed at the Texas A&M University
-University of Miami
football game at Kyle Field in College Station and received overwhelming accolades from ESPN television commentators
- 2009 - George Edwards led the "Storm" in the 120th Tournament of Roses Association Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA where they were the first Black College Band to perform in the Rose Bowl's Parade pilot program to include bands from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the parade each year
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas and is a member of the Texas A&M University System. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools...
(PVAMU), Prairie View
Prairie View
Prairie View may refer to:in the United States*Prairie View, Illinois*Prairie View, Kansas*Prairie View , listed on the NRHP in Missouri*Prairie View, Texas**Prairie View A&M University...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
until his death on 28 May 2009 resulting from an automobile accident that took place on 10 May 2009 in Houston, Texas.
Professor Edwards hailed from Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and completed his undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, the state capital, and is one of eleven member institutions of the State University System of Florida...
, (FAMU) Tallahassee, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. While at FAMU, he played as part of famed Marching 100
Marching 100
The Marching 100 is the official name of the marching band at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida.-History:The first band at FAMU was organized in 1892, under P.A. Van Weller...
, performing under the legendary Dr. William P. Foster, where he received a number of distinctive awards and opportunities; some of which were his selection as Student Arranger, the Outstanding Senior Award, and having his arrangements played by the Marching 100 at Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
. Mr. Edwards went on to complete his Master's Degree at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
with many of his marching band arrangements performed and recorded by the Michigan State University Spartan Marching Band
Michigan State University Spartan Marching Band
The Spartan Marching Band is Michigan State University's Marching Band. Founded in 1870 as a 10-member student group, the 300-member SMB has since grown into one of the premier college bands in the nation...
.
Director of Bands at Prairie View A&M University
After joining PVAMU in 1978 and becoming its Director of Bands, Professor Edwards took the struggling marching band of 25 known as the "Marching Storm", and helped them become a world-renowned, first-class composition of musical athletes. Through Professor Edwards direction, the Marching Storm became the first marching band to debut its drumlineDrumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...
, known as the McFunk B.O.X., in a showstyle half-time event at the football games. Professor Edwards incorporated some of the FAMU concepts of innovative formations and fast-stepping, while adding unique framing, drum routines, and their majorettes, the Black Foxes, to create a half-time show that provided the "Storm" with national recognition and their pick of the best of the best high school band members from across the nation.
Skyrocketing to national acclaim, the Storm performed, appeared, or were featured as part of the following activities:
- 2001 - Performed in President George W. Bush's Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C.
- 2004 - The Marching Storm Band and the Black Foxes were featured in the Black College Band Exhibition, "And the Band Played On," which was seen by more than 30,000 at the Dallas Museum of African-American History
- 2004 - The PVAMU Drum Line, "The Box" and the "Black Foxes," were featured performers with Beyonce at the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game
- 2004 - 2007 - Featured in the Dallas Weekly; Urban Sports News
- 2004 - Featured on numerous occasions in The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
- 2005 - Featured in British Broadcasting New Radio Special, "Marching All Together"
- 2005 - Featured in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
- 2006 - The band performed at the Essence Music Festival in Houston
- 2006 - Invited to perform at the Macy's Day Parade (a lifelong goal of Professor Edwards), but were unable to raise the $400,000 necessary for the trip to New York City
- 2007 - Featured article and video in The New York Times
- 2008 - "The Box" was flown to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for a command performance for executives from Honda Corporation and The Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
- 2008 - The Marching Storm Band and the Black Foxes performed at the Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
-University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
football game at Kyle Field in College Station and received overwhelming accolades from ESPN television commentators
- 2009 - George Edwards led the "Storm" in the 120th Tournament of Roses Association Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA where they were the first Black College Band to perform in the Rose Bowl's Parade pilot program to include bands from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the parade each year