Dr. Lewis Liddell, Sr., Director of Bands, 1992-present

Dr. Lewis Liddell, Sr. is a native of Jackson, Mississippi where he attended Jim Hill, Lanier, and Brinkley High Schools, graduating from the latter in 1963.  He received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi, Master of Music Education degree from the University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, Louisiana, and the Doctorate from Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi.  He pursued additional studies at Louisiana Tech University, Jackson State University, the University of Louisiana Monroe, Southeastern Louisiana University, and the University of Southern Mississippi.  Dr. Liddell studied conducting under Professor William W. Davis and the national renowned conductor, Dr. Joe Barry Mullins, and marching band techniques under Dr. William C. Moffit, originator of patterns of motion.

Dr. Lewis Liddell, Sr.  is Associate Professor of Music, Director of Bands, and coordinator of the instrumental division at Jackson State University.  In addition to directing the Jackson State University Marching Band, “The Sonic Boom of the South” and conducting the Symphonic Band, he supervises a staff of six directors and is responsible for the administration of the total band program:  Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Woodwind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Pep Band, and the Prancing J-Settes (Dance Line).  As a member of the undergraduate and graduate faculty, his teaching duties include directing Master Theses/research projects, applied clarinet, oboe, bassoon, wind literature, marching band techniques, music appreciation, and conducting.

His teaching career began in 1967,  as band director at Wesley Ray High School, Angie, Louisiana.   In 1970, Dr. Liddell assumed the band director’s position at his high school alma mater, Brinkley High School, Jackson, Mississippi.  After 14 years of teaching and directing award winning bands in Jackson Public Schools, including the national renowned Provine High School band, the 1982 Mid-America National Champion (sponsored by “Six Flags Over St. Louis”), Dr. Liddell moved to higher education.  Serving as Director of Bands at Jackson State University since July 1992, his diverse university teaching and administrative experiences include:

• Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Kentucky State
  University, Frankfort, Kentucky
• Chairperson Division of Fine Arts and Assistant Professor of Fine Arts,
  Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky
• Assistant to the President and Assistant Professor of Education, Murray
  State University, Murray, Kentucky
• Affirmative Action Officer and Assistant Professor of Education, Murray
  State University, Murray, Kentucky
• Director of Institutional Research and Assistant Professor of Education,
  Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky
• Affirmative Action Officer and Adjunct Professor of Sociology, Winona
  State University, Winona, Minnesota
• Assistant to the Dean, College of Arts and Science and Associate
  Professor of Music, North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro,
  North Carolina

An excellent clarinetist in his own right, an intense disciplinarian, he is a superb bandmaster and teacher–the dynamic force behind the Jackson State University band program.  Under his leadership, the band program has received statewide, regional, and national recognition as a “Benchmark” of musical excellence.  The marching band has grown from a standard marching band of 128 members to an electrifying marching unit of more than 290 members strong.  The Sonic Boom is frequently invited to perform at athletic events, battle of bands, and  extravaganzas.  Also, the marching band unit has been nationally televised more than 30 times.  Some of the most notable performances include  halftime appearances for the New York Jets, Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles, Senior Bowl (1997 and 2004), Indianapolis Colts, and the Dallas Mavericks.  The band has participated in marching band extravaganzas with capacity audiences in the following cities and stadiums:

• Louisiana Super Dome, New Orleans, Louisiana
• The Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
• Ladd Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
• Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tennessee
• Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama
• Memorial Stadium, Jackson, Mississippi
• Shreveport, Louisiana

As noted, the Sonic Boom has a history of many stellar performances, however, recently, the marching band has received unprecedented national recognition as listed below:

• March 2003–The marching and was featured on the 34th
  NAACP Image Awards, with a special guest performance
  by “Cedric the Entertainer.” The program was aired
  nationwide on FOX Television
• April 2003–The marching band was invited to perform at
  the 2004 Senior Bowl
• August 2003–Drum major, Tamara Myles was featured
  on the cover of Black Voices Quarterly (BVQ) magazine.
  Also, the marching band was featured in an article on
  college bands
• October 2003–The marching band was enshrined in the
  NCAA Hall of Champions. Dr. Liddell and drum major
  Tamara Myles were panelists on the NCAA Hall of Champions
  education program “The Drumline–The Student Performer”
• October 2003–Dr. Liddell narrated a video entitled “War &
  Thunder BEHIND THE DRUMLINE,” produced by Donna
  Lawrence Productions for the NCAA
• October 2003–The marching band was filmed by Electronic
  Art Sports (EA Sports) for the 2005 vision of the video game
  “EA Sports NCAA Football 2005.”
• October 2003–Promotional video of “The Sonic Boom of the
  South,” produced by EA Sports for the Jackson State University band
• January 2004–The marching band performed at the 2004 Senior Bowl
• April 2004–The band performed at the NBA Grizzle basketball
  game in Memphis, Tennessee

Notwithstanding the many accolades received by the marching band, Dr. Liddell appropriately cautions and maintains that the marching band is only justified to extent that it is a direct outgrowth of a quality symphonic/concert band program.  Since the Symphonic Band’s 1965 historical performance at the New York World’s Fair (one of the first historically black college to perform at a world’s fair), the Symphonic Band has received continued recognition for its long legacy of outstanding musical accomplishments.  As the band program’s premiere performing ensemble, in 1995, the Symphonic Band was featured at the National Black Music Caucus Professional Conference held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  More recently, the Symphonic Band was featured at the National Black Music Caucus Professional Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Also, it is significant to note that the national recognition received by the band program could only have been accomplished with a competent band staff.  Under Dr. Liddell’s leadership, he has recruited and developed a true professional band staff.  Three members of the five member staff have earned doctorates and one is currently the candidate for the PhD.  All members of the band staff are superb teachers and band masters in their own right.

Dr. Liddell has served as an adjudicator, consultant, clinician, speaker and conductor throughout the nation.  He has also served as guest conductor for the All West Tennessee Honors Band, the All City Senior High Symphonic Band, Jackson Public School Music Festival All-City Band, and Northwestern High School, Miami, Florida, to name a few.

As a person that came up through the ranks, Dr. Liddell’s experiences are varied and diverse.  He has taught music on all levels–elementary, secondary, collegiate, and graduate.  Among his many diverse experiences, he has served as pianist and a church choir director.  And he was an actor in “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sing,” a movie based on a book by Maya Angelou, originally aired on CBS Television in 1979.  The movie has since become an African-American history month classic, frequently televised on educational television stations.  Also, he has authored more than 150 computer programs.  In 1991, he presented his computer program “Mentor Three: A Student Advisement Records Management Degree Auditing System” at the annual meeting of the Southeast Region of the Decision Sciences Institute in Washington, D.C.  In addition to the presentation of his computer program, Dr. Liddell was a discussant, on “Issues in Top Management and Expert Systems.”

Dr. Liddell’s numerous honors and awards include the 1996 Atlanta Metropolitan Battle of the Bands Award,  the “Ambassadors of SWAC” Award (Louisiana/Mississippi BEO)–2002, Jackson Music Award, 2005 Martin Luther King Music Education Award, North Mississippi Band Festival Service to State of Mississippi Award, and the Jackson State University National Alumni Association’s Achievement Award.  Recently, he was inducted into the Mississippi Magnolia Band Director’s Hall of Fame.  His affiliations include the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and Kappa Kappa Psi Band Fraternity.  Dr. Liddell’s biography is listed in Personalities of the South, Notable Americans, and several other publications.