Former band director Freeman to serve as parade grand marshal

For the 2008 Homecoming Parade, Southern University alum and former Director of Bands, Ludwig Freeman will have the honor of being the parade’s grand marshal.
“All of our parade grand marshals have been Southern graduates and have gone on to make great contributions to society,” said Terral Jackson, director of the Smith-Brown Memorial Union.
“Freeman’s motto was always ‘Not as good as, but better than.’ He never wanted his band to be as good as any other bands, but better than any other band,” said Norvan Daniel, adjunct professor of music and former band member.
Daniel said Freeman’s innovative leadership helped form the foundation that made the band earn nationwide acclaim. Under Freeman’s direction, the band played its first for its first NFL game – a 1968 game between the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears.
“Once you make it (to) national television, everyone had a chance to see (the) Human Jukebox,” Daniel said. “When we first played for the NFL that’s when the amount of accolades exploded.”
One of Freeman’s innovations was the band’s uniforms. Freeman designed the uniform in the mid-1960s, but were later updated by longtime director Isaac Greggs. Freeman’s designs were based on early University of Michigan uniforms. Southern’s band recently ranked number one among best-dressed bands by fashionnew100.com beating out other schools such as LSU, Southern California and Tennessee State.
Not only was Freeman able to better his school during his time as band director, he also attempted to better his students.
“All band directors have been Southern alumni and are raising the bar in keeping the tradition alive,” said Daniel. “They are keeping the torch bright by explaining to band members that it is great to be in the band—but have other values such as being gentlemen, citizenship, and education.”
For all of those interested in attending the parade and seeing Ludwig Freeman as the grand marshal and the other participants the parade begins at 8 a.m. tomorrow on Caughman Street across from the Exxon refinery and will circle through the Scotlandville area.