The Pride of Acadiana Marching Band is an ecclectic mix of students. The 237-member band includes UL Lafayette students from each of the eight academic colleges and the Graduate School.
It also includes about a dozen students from South Louisiana Community College. According to Director Brian Taylor, the Pride has included SLCC students since 2008.
“ This is a great cooperative learning experience for these students because they can earn their associate’s degree or get enough credits to transfer to UL Lafayette and participate in the band at the same time,” said Taylor. “It keeps them in school. It lets them continue with a great musical activity and it keeps them involved with the university.”
The program also allows the band to grow. Taylor said this year’s band is the second largest in the past 20 years.
The Pride of Acadiana performs at all home games, adding music and pageantry to the Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns football. It also performs during select away games, high school contest exhibitions, and special events, such as the 2004 Louisiana governor’s inauguration and New Orleans Saints half-time show in 2008 and 2009.
The band gained an international reputation by performing in the 2005 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and on NBC’s Today’s Show prior to the parade. An estimated 60 million people watch the Macy’s parade worldwide each year and the band was one of only two college marching bands chosen.
In April 2009, the Pride traveled to Great Britain for performance in Edinburgh, Scotland and London, England.
Over the New Year's Holiday 2010, the Pride traveled to Madrid, Spain to perform in the Madrid King's Parade. This parade is viewed by more than one million people live and is broadcast to more than 100 million people throughout the hispanic world.
Membership in the band is open to all majors by audition or high school band director’s recommendation. Rehearsals take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12:15 - 2:15 p.m. in the fall semester only.