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When people think of Jacksonville State University, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Marching Southerners' trademark sound.
One of the keys to building that powerful sound is the use of proper equipment. No one expects you to use a professional-level horn on the field, but it is essential that your marching horn play in tune and be in good working order. A visit to your local repair shop this summer might be a wise investment.
Have your horn checked for leaks, and get those sticky valves or missing pads repaired before you show up the first day of camp. Clarinet and saxophone players should plan to have a supply of quality reeds on hand throughout marching season. Go ahead now and throw out all those useless, worn-out reeds! Finally, if you don't already make cleaning your horn a habit, please at least take the time to clean your horn thoroughly once before the beginning of the season.
All these factors -- leaky, misaligned horns, cracked reeds and nasty, gummed-up instruments -- wreak havoc on your individual playing and diminish the quality of the full band's sound.
Each section has additional guidelines, listed below, to ensure that no one arrives in camp using improper equipment. While by no means comprehensive, these guidelines have proven over time to be the best choices for most people. As with everything, of course, there may be exceptions.
If you don't see your preferred mouthpiece listed, ask your section leaders about it. Generally, it boils down to how you sound when you play on that mouthpiece. Simply put, if you find that you're sacrificing tone for a few notes of extended range, that will not be accepted in the Southerners.
Your section leader will have the final decision about any equipment not listed below. Remember, if you do have to get a new mouthpiece, it may take some time getting comfortable with it, so please don't wait until August to start playing on it!
Flutes/Piccs:
Those auditioning for piccolo will need to have a plastic horn and should practice with a tuner all summer, since the auditions will be with tuners.
Clarinets:
Horns should be plastic. The University has a limited number of plastic clarinets available for checkout during camp for those who need them.
Saxophones:
Selmer C* or similar symphonic mouthpiece preferred. Rock or jazz-style metal mouthpieces should generally not be used in Southerners.
Trumpets:
Bach 1.5C or 3C or equivalent.
Mellophones:
Blessing 5, 6 or 8 mellophone mouthpiece (horn majors only may use a French horn mouthpiece with a converter bit).
Trombones:
Bach 5G or larger; Shilke 51D or larger (large-bore horns with F-attachment are preferred).
Baritones/Euphs:
Bach 3G or larger; Shilke 51D or larger.
20Js:
Marcinkiewicz H1 or LS "Bill Rose" Model or any mouthpiece of the Helleburg variety. Bach 18 or 24AW's are totally unacceptable.
