History
Prior to the formation of the marching band, Miss Carolyn Glover had organized ensembles every year, beginning in 1933 at the North Carolina College at Durham. This group consisted of students who owned their instruments and were music lovers who performed for receptions and campus cultural programs and events. North Carolina College at Durham’s first marching band was organized by Dr. Stephen J. Wright, who later became president of Fisk University, during the 1938–1939 school year. The first group is believed to have numbered only about 25 students.
In the first 50 years of operation, North Carolina College had only four directors: Mr. Wesley Howard, Dr. Joseph Mitchell, Mr. Hershel McGinnis and Mr. Richard Jones. Under Jones, the college band enjoyed great success. Aside from their halftime performances at all of the college’s football games and other campus events, the band made many outside appearances, including the1960 North Carolina Governor’s Inauguration and the much-talked-about performance on October 29, 1961, before more than 56,000 fans during the halftime of the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game at Yankee Stadium.
From its humble beginning, the band grew from 25 to 120 pieces under the direction of Richard Jones and won national acclaim as a precision marching group and a well-balanced musical organization.
Following the tenure of Mr. Richard Jones, succeeding directors continued the band’s tradition of excellence. NCCU alumnus Dr. Joseph Mitchell became director and served the university for five years. Mr. Willie Williams followed Mitchell as director.
After his tenure, Joseph Mitchell became acting band director for one year until Dr. Jerry Head joined the faculty. For eight years another alumnus, Mr. Xavier Cason, served as director. His successor was Ms. Robyn Reaves, the first female band director in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
After Ms. Robyn Reaves, the marching band was led by Dr. Jorim Reid. During his 14-year tenure, the band grew to over 200 members and gained national recognition performing at the Honda Battle of the Bands Showcase in Atlanta, GA, five times and the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, California, in 2010. Through the elegance and pageantry presented in this era from 2001 to 2013, the Sound Machine saw a huge attraction and growth within its culture and numbers. The “Marching Sound Machine” as it was known at the time, experienced significant growth, with the years 2008 to 2011 being the biggest the ensemble has been (200 members).
Dr. Thurman Hollins was appointed director of marching and symphonic bands in 2014. The band has performed for many campus and community events, parades, and band exhibitions. In 2014 and 2021, the Sound Machine performed at the “Battle in the Apple” basketball game in Brooklyn, New York, and continues to represent the legacy of musical excellence at NCCU. The band under Dr. Hollins also was invited to perform at the National Battle of the Bands and the Queen’s City Battle of the Bands. In his last year, the band was also invited to the inaugural HBCU Culture Battle of the Bands, which was held in Charlotte, NC.
Currently, Professor Jovan Alexander Wilson is at the helm of the machine (2022–present) and was officially named director of bands in 2023. In 2022, the band saw its second visit to the Celebration Bowl and record-breaking numbers for attendance at the Spring 2023 Band Blast High School Day Event, with 400+ high school students attending. In 2023, the band made their way around the United States, with their first-ever appearance at the Rose Bowl Stadium, performing at halftime and entertaining the crowd, and to Indianapolis to win the Circle City Battle of the Bands against Mississippi Valley State University.