Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of the South (2025-2026)





On the first episode of “Battle of The Bands,” Sonic Boom members break down the iconic “swing and sway.”

“The rocking movement that you see us do is called the swing and sag that helps distinguish us from any other band. And if you see us from the far, you’ll see the plumes, which are the white things on top of our head. You’ll see them moving in a swaying motion. When you see that it’ll let you know that the whole band in on one accord,” says a band member.

Combined with the momentum of the crowd, the Sonic Boom’s “swing and sway” is just the warm up for their vigorous performance. At one point, the musicians hold their leg in a “chair” position/ 90 degree angle before charging onto the field in formation.

“Yeah, there’s other great bands out here and give credit where due, but marching in with the Sonic Boom Of The South, I don’t think there’s no other feeling,” another student explains in the clip.

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Behind The Battle: The Sonic Boom Of The South

This Facebook Watch series goes behind the scenes of the Jackson State University marching band "the Sonic Boom of the South."
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A long lost BOOM tradition is officially back

 
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Welcome to the official media page of JSU’s Sonic Boom of the South Band! Here, you'll find a treasure trove of Jackson State University Band's music and films. Our platform is dedicated to bringing the vibrant performances and stellar recordings of our talented student musicians right to your...
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Alumni Dowell and Vivian Taylor look back on the impact of JSU in their lives ahead of 50th Class Reunion​


(JACKSON, Miss.) — As JSU graduates and former university employees, Dowell and Vivian Taylor have many special JSU memories they carry as they prepare to celebrate their Golden Class Anniversary this weekend.

Many of their recollections as students are connected to their time as members of the Sonic Boom of the South and Prancing J-Settes.

In addition to earning their bachelor’s and master’s degrees from JSU, the Taylors had long and successful careers at their alma mater – Dowell, as the award-winning immediate past band director of the Sonic Boom, and Vivian as an accomplished former professor, associate dean and director of teacher education in the College of Education and Human Development.

“It is an incredible feeling to be reflective and realize that it has been 50 years. It’s almost unbelievable, and it makes you kind of wonder where did the time go,” says Vivian.

“For me, it is absolutely extraordinarily wonderful to be able to celebrate 50 years of graduation from Thee I Love,” says Dowell.

“We are fortunate enough to still be in reasonably good health and now have the opportunity to reconnect with some of our freshman class from 1972.”

Memories as Students

It was with the J-Settes that Vivian took her first flight to Las Vegas and attended her first NBA and NFL games.

She remembers the many leadership development opportunities she was afforded as a student through the Honors College under the direction of the late Dr. Maria Harvey as well as Dr. Harvey’s Spanish classes.

For Dowell, as a music major, many of his fondest memories include being in the music building where he took his music education and skills to another level.

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His other most cherished memories were in the Boom, where he was a tuba player (also known as a Tuba Dawg, spelled D-A-W-G, as he clarifies).

“Those late night rehearsals prepared me to be a band director.” While a student, Dowell wrote and arranged several pieces of music for the band, and he penned the famous “I’m so glad I go to JSU” tune known as “Spirit.”


Dowell Career Highlights

While his career and post-graduate studies also involved being band director at Kentucky State University and pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music (until his position as JSU band director brought him back to Jackson State), Dowell spent the majority of his career at JSU through three separate stints.

In addition to band director, he served as Director of Music Technology and conducted both the Symphonic and Marching Bands.

Under his 34 years of leadership, the band and Dowell received many awards and performed across the country for numerous notable events and received national media attention.

In 1987, he rearranged the band’s theme song “Get Ready” after some of the sheet music from the original arrangement by Boom member, John Paul Jones, was lost.

Dowell’s arrangement has stood the test of time and is still played by the band today, and throughout his career, he has been honored by organizations including the Honda Battle of the Bands, the Jackson City Council, the Sonic Boom National Alumni Association, and the HBCU National Band Director’s Consortium. In 2018, he was inducted into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.

From his current vantage point as a retiree and Golden Class member, Dowell says retirement is a “bliss and a blessing.”

“It’s rare that you get the chance to see your work of 34 years of service through others. The current band staff–I hired at least 90 percent of them, including Dr. Roderick Little, and to see them as successful as they are, it makes it all worthwhile.”

Former band director, associate dean in College of Education reflect as members of 1976 golden class - JSU Newsroom

Alumni Dowell and Vivian Taylor look back on the impact of JSU in their lives ahead of 50th Class Reunion (JACKSON, Miss.) -- As JSU graduates and former university employees, Dowell and Vivian Taylor have many special JSU memories they carry as they prepare to celebrate their Golden Class...
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Dowell and Vivian Taylor receiving Golden Diplomas
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJNvvYxBt4M&t=4791s
 
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