SU Band Audition Tour looks to bring new faces to the Human Jukebox

The Southern University Department of Bands will be conducting an Audition Tour for the 2015-16 edition of the SU Human Jukebox, beginning April 6 and ending April 16. Directors in the department will travel to high schools in Texas, Tennessee and Georgia to recruit new members and raise awareness of the Human Jukebox.
“We’re going to get some new band members, so we can be better than ever next year,” said Director of Bands Nathan Haymer.
This Audition Tour will not be the first tour, but it will be the first of this extent. The idea of expanding the tour this far derives from the enrollment decrease at the university.
“With the enrollment issues at Southern, which we’re trying to correct, and issues with budget and scholarships, it’s important that we bring Southern to the world, instead of waiting on the world to come to us,” explained Haymer. “We have to let students know, we are interested in them,”
None of the actual band members will be accompanying the band staff on the trip, but Haymer says the notion is a nice one.
“It would be nice if we could afford it, that’s something that we might consider in the future,” said Haymer.
As to why Texas, Tennessee and Georgia are the stops on the tour, Haymer explained the route is purely for outreach. 
“We get about 35 percent of our band from Texas,” explained Haymer. “We have a lot of alumni there too. Tennessee, not so much, but that’s a good area for musicians, and we’re trying to tap into that. Same thing with Georgia,” finished Haymer.
As far as recruiting in-state, Pathway to Promise is a program that has been in play for the past year. The Division of Student Affairs collaborates with the band to visit middle and high schools around Louisiana to notify them of the requirements for being admitted to Southern, and the band performs for entertainment. The program gives prospective students a chance to speak with current student and discover their reasoning for attending SU, and places Southern on their radar for graduation.
Dates and locations, along with specific requirements for students who wish to audition can be found on the Southern University Marching Band Facebook page, and the Human Jukebox smartphone app. Students who wish to audition in-state can call (225) 771-3528 to schedule an audition on campus.