When you attend a football game at an HBCU, the halftime show is not the time to use the restroom or grab refreshments.

At halftime, the rival schools’ bands take to the football field, and what occurs is more than a music routine. Rather, the showcase includes carefully choreographed performances that have been rehearsed for hours and hours over weeks to express the pride of not only the schools, but the legacy of HBCUs across the country.

Taylor Whitehead is the interim band director for Virginia State University’s 120-member marching band, known as the “Trojan Explosion.” He said the bond and hard work of the band keeps performances fresh and entertaining.

“When we play music, we try to play arrangements as close to the original song as possible,” he said. Mr. Whitehead is a VSU legacy student, meaning at least one parent is an alumnus. Both of his parents attended VSU, so he was very much familiar with the pageantry of the school’s performances before he joined the staff.

“We can be overshadowed by the bigger more popular HBCU bands like North Carolina A&T, so to get recognition and respect, we have to work twice as hard, which means getting results that are twice as good,” he said.

Halftime is when the football field belongs to the bands, and they battle it out just like the teams do during the game. But Mr. Whitehead said they reconcile in the end. “During game, the team on the other side of the field is your enemy, but following the game, we fellowship,” he said.

Like many Black musicians, Mr. Whitehead’s love of music began by singing in his church choir when he was young. He has a bachelor’s in music from VSU and a master’s in music from Norfolk State University. He was a public school band teacher for 20 years before returning to his alma mater as the part-time assistant music director in 2016. This year, he became the interim director.

His experience and passion for his work has attracted students to VSU and the marching band.

“Without Mr. Whitehead participating on Zoom my senior year, I would have not heard of VSU or come here,” said Myiles Spann, a sophomore mass communications major who plays the clarinet and euphonium, a brass wind instrument very similar to the tuba. He said the show he and his bandmates put together is entertainment that comes from hard work.

“It’s special because of the artistry and energy and the physical stamina required, because we high-step march, swing horns and play music at the same time for 3- to 4-minute drills,” he said. “The sound that comes from it is very powerful.”

Christine Jackson, a senior and music major, is part of the percussion team with the VSU marching band. Legendary percussionist Sheila E. heavily influenced her, and she also drew inspiration from the movie “Drumline.” Though she wasn’t completely sold on the idea of playing for a marching band at the collegiate level, her dad being a VSU alumnus helped.

“But the marching band REALLY helped in making my final decision to come to VSU,” she said.

The work required to participate in the band can easily give a young person reason for pause -practicing five days a week from the beginning of August through December, as well as being on the road together for performances. The group is together so much and so often, Mr. Whitehead said they become a family.

And the family dynamic was attractive to Jasmine Owens, a sophomore majoring in marketing who plays the clarinet. “VSU has a different energy level, compared to other bands around Virginia, and that brings a different level of excitement,” she said. “Because we are a smaller band, it was easier for us to bond with one another, so most of us clicked right away.”

VSU’s homecoming was last weekend when the school’s band played against Bowie State University at Rogers Stadium. For Mr. Whitehead it was a time for the band to really shine.

“I tell the students, ‘The alumni are the biggest supporters and biggest critics of the band,’ so we are working to ensure that we put on a show that everyone will enjoy for homecoming,” he said.

Homecomings at HBCUs are a festival, a celebration, Mr. Whitehead said, a time for alumni to return to school and for people who are unfamiliar, a chance to see what HBCU culture is like.

“For decades, most HBCU’s have a parade,” he said. “High school bands are a big part of it and this year we had bands coming from New York, New Jersey, D.C. and Virginia high schools as part of the parade.”