Dance & Aux Forum

Sixteen marching bands were nominated and now only one remains.

The St. Augustine Marching 100 was voted as the best marching band in the New Orleans area by the readers of NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.

Throughout November 2013, readers nominated then voted on their favorite marching band from the New Orleans-area, and the Purple Knights came out as victors.

The Marching 100 participated in the 125^th Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on New Years Day, the second time in school history, and to Jeffery Herbert, Director of Bands at St. Aug, being selected the best of New Orleans is an honor in itself, especially with all the “good bands” the city has to offer.

“We’re coming off the Tournament of Roses this year, also all the things this Marching 100 have been through, the legacy and tradition, this honor is the cream of the crop,” he said. “It’s the file’ in the gumbo and I’m just so excited about the Marching 100 being the best band in the city of New Orleans.”

From left to right: Austin Williams (8th), Lionel Johnson (8th), Lebron Joseph (12th), Brandon Ricks (6th), Derek Dunbar (6th) and Director of Bands Jeffery Herbert. (Patrick Greenfield, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

The band practices throughout the year, beginning in June with a military-style boot camp, which started with former band director Edwin Hampton, who "invented the wheel" for the Marching 100 according to Herbert. Practicing not only prepares the members for football season, but parade season, concert season and any event that may pop up during the year.

During football season, the Marching 100 has a new field show ready for each and every game. St. Augustine running back and LSU commitment Leonard Fournette, who is certainly leaving his mark at the school, believes the band has continued to thrive and helps feed the crowd and team, almost giving the Purple Knights an advantage over opponents.

"The level of the band has gotten better since my ninth-grade year," said Fournette. "When the band steps into Tad Gormley Stadium and you hear that 'Purple' playing, there's just something it does to you ... the crowd going crazy and just to know the 'Purple Nation' is in the building." 

St. Augustine Marching 100 beginning a field show during football season. (Patrick Greenfield, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

St. Aug's tight end Charles B. Jones II added, "When the band starts when we're on the field it just lets me know how much fan support we have. It gives us hope and makes us more aggressive, it gives us the drive to score."

Herbert attributes hard work, dedication, relentless practicing and the brotherhood that is built during the course of the year as contributing factors to the band's continued success. The tradition of the Marching 100 has held strong for more than half a century, and the younger generation are all well informed. Senior and head drum major Lebron Joseph knew early on he wanted to be a part of that tradition.

"I knew one day, in my heart, that I always wanted to become the leader of the Marching 100," Joseph said. "By me learning from previous drum majors and the band directors and the staff, I believe that's why I am what I am and who I am today."

Even sixth-grader and first-year band member Brandon Ricks knew he wanted to be a part of something special.

Marching 100 drum majors Lebron Joseph and Terrell Allen. (Patrick Greenfield, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

"If I couldn't be a part of the Marching 100 that would just break my heart, because I always wanted to go here and I love this school and I love the band," Ricks said.

Eighth grader Austin Williams added: "To be in the Marching 100 is like, you can't describe it. It's fun and sometimes you might get frustrated with it, but it's like a video game, it's addicting and you have to keep going back to it."

"The marching bands in New Orleans are so important to this city, to keep the city going and to keep these students motivated in each and every school," said Herbert. "But it's such an honor to say, for the first NOLA.com best band of the city of New Orleans, it was the St. Augustine Marching 100."

The Marching 100 will march in 11 Mardi Gras parades this season, including their first of the season, Cleopatra, on Feb. 21. The other parades: Pygmalion, Alla, Nyx, Muses, Hermes, Endymion, Mid-City, Bacchus, Orpheus and Zulu.

Landry-Walker, Rummel, Brother Martin, McMain, Karr, Destrehan, Mandeville, St. Paul’s, Bonnabel, Holy Cross, East Jefferson, Wright, Easton, West St. John and Jesuit were the other marching bands nominated.

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