Sound of Today

The Sound of Today (SOT) is the name of the award-winning marching band at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (formerly Northeast Louisiana University, Monroe, Louisiana). Began under band director Jack W. White in 1970. Another name for the "Sound of Today" is "the House that Jack Built." During the 1970s, the band grew to more than 200 members. Each year the Sound of Today produced an album of its "greatest hits", music from the half time shows of that football season. Unlike modern marching bands and corps, who develop one show and repeat it all season, the Sound of Today produced an entirely new halftime show for every home game in a season. The band was known for the quality of its music and for the precision of its drills. In the mid-70's the band marched in 8-to-5 and used a knees-up bicycle step and mark time. With the uniform's white shoes, this produced flashy movements the crowds enjoyed. In subsequent years, the band moved to a corp-style step allowing for faster, more complex forms on the field. The excellence maintained by the program resulted in routine trips to play halftime shows for the New Orleans Saints in the Super Dome. These shows were recorded "live" on that year's album.