The Pride of the South, the Ole Miss Marching Band Saturday, October 17th, 2009 in the Grove at Oxford, Mississippi. Almost 11 minutes long, it includes the warm-up, and they saved the best for last.
He gets really nervous on game days. So many things that can and have gone wrong. Of all the people there, he is actually THE MOST interested. He is the best band director you will ever meet. And loves those kids, this band more than anyone. Come out to a practice anytime and he'll be happy to show you his love for this band and what makes this band the best band you'll ever have the privilege to see.
Hope you completely enjoyed the whole experience! I grew up in Pearl, MS and that was my dream...but parents moved to Florida when I was in middle school.
When you have 200 people who you consider your children, sometimes overwhelming worry for their well being can be misconstrued by others that have no clue what all goes on behind the scenes. Know this is lengthy, but I have such a tremendous respect for David Willson. I've seen first hand how much he cares and how much he invests in each individual. He doesn't care how good you are, how smart or rich you are, he treats everyone equally and like they are the most valuable person in the band.
I know this was 10 years ago posted but to let you know how much he worries about us, one game one of our guard girls had made it to the grove and he waited 15 min and then started and you could see the worry on his face. Two days later she was found in her boyfriend’s closet dead. After that, we made sure we would always be at least 15 min early so he didn’t have to worry even more. He just retired and they had his celebration this past weekend and I was unable to attend and have cried a lot since. He is still like a father figure to all of us. We almost lost him back in 2021. We were all worried he wasn’t going to make it but he did and is doing well. Thank you for posting this. ❤❤❤
I really hate they took away from dixie with love. That was always one of my favorite moments when Ole Miss comes to town. It's just like Alabama without Rammer Jammer or Tennessee without Rocky Top. It just doesn't work.
Just think how you would feel every Saturday morning if you were responsible for 200 plus kids and their safety who were packed in a small space surrounded by thousands of drunken fans for 20 years. You would be surprised the amount of things that it all entails. For example a few years ago, we experienced a student not showing up for game day because she had been murdered. The band has experienced violent fans throwing objects at them as well as punches.
For anyone who is "offended" by the playing of Dixie, I say to you, then don't listen. Maybe I don't like some of the stuff you listen to. Get over it.
