The Coahoma Community College Marching Maroon Typhoon (MMT) is excitedly preparing to perform at Mardi Gras 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mardi Gras is a magical time of year when many gather to enjoy, celebrate, and have a great time. Most Mardi Gras krewes today developed from private social clubs with restrictive membership policies. Since all these parade organizations are completely funded by their members, New Orleanians call it the "Greatest Free Show on Earth!"
The highlight of Mardi Gras celebrations are the high-energy and fun-filled parades.
Kylon Hightower, a native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, shared that he is looking forward to participating in the Mardi Gras festivities. He serves as a drum major in the band and is a sophomore General Education/Barbering major.
"We have been putting in an enormous amount of hard work preparing for this event. We are conditioning, marching around campus, and going over music numerous times," he shared. "It has not been easy, but we have roughly a month to get everyone prepared for this big opportunity."
Hightower is no newcomer to performing in the Big Easy. He most looks forward to attending Mardi Gras and participating in the many performances before the big crowds that usually attend these festive parades.
"This is my second time going to Mardi Gras with this musical program, and I can't wait to enjoy the atmosphere and show out in front of everyone," said Hightower.
Kalyn Jordan, majorette captain and sophomore Pre-Nursing major, said her team, the Dancin' Jewels, has been busy preparing for Mardi Gras. She has been diligent in ensuring the Jewels are parade-ready!
"We have had non-stop practices on various routines, greetings, and practicing with the band outside," shared Jordan. "The most challenging part about preparing for this huge event is gaining unity and looking as one team, but we are going to make it out on top."
The experience is what she most looks forward to sharing with her team. The exposure will help bring greater attention to her team's efforts.
"I look forward to putting the Coahoma Jewels out there and showing everyone we are a dance team. Many people do not know that Coahoma has a dance team, but we plan to change that and use this to get more ladies to try out for us," said Jordan.
Eddie L. Buggs, director of bands, believes that experiences like this create memories that students will remember for a lifetime. He has been at the helm of MMT since 2021. He works feverously to prepare Coahoma's students for the next level.
"Preparing for Mardi Gras takes many stages. First, we have to make sure the band sounds well," he shared. "So, we have been concentrating on the music we will play. We have a list, and we are purging that list to ensure each song represents Coahoma Community College."
Buggs shared that students must be ready for the physical portion of Mardi Gras parades. Unlike typical parades, those at Mardi Gras can last several miles, making it essential that CCC students be conditioned.
"The parades are long and go up to 2 to 3 hours. Our goal is to make sure the band is physically fit to handle this. As we practice, we'll add a little longer to build their stamina," said Buggs. "We are working on marching, executing the precision, and the perfection-ship of music. We may not reach perfection, but we strive for it."
He also shared how the exposure of participating in Mardi Gras can be a recruitment tool for Coahoma.
"There will be hundreds of bands there that will get to see and hear us play. Hopefully, this will enlist some spark in people to consider attending Coahoma," he said. "Local schools can also see us performing at Mardi Gras and be inspired to want to participate with Coahoma in the future."
Buggs added, "the goal is to expand our visits and get invited to even bigger parades such as Macy's, the Rose Bowl Parade, or D- Day Parade in France."
Buggs' goal is to help publicize CCC, get the Coahoma name out there, bring students in, and make Coahoma Community College student's first choice.
The Marching Maroon Typhoon will perform at the Krewe D'Etat Parade on Friday, February 17th, in Uptown New Orleans at 6:30 P.M. and Krewe of Nomtoc Parade on Saturday, February 18th, in Westbank New Orleans at 10:45 A.M.