MC Marching Band, MC Jazz Band announce fall concert slate

Members of the MC Marching Band pose for a photo at the MC Celebration Gala on Sept. 18, 2025.

Mississippi College’s marching band will be showcasing its musical chops this fall at high-profile events, from statewide band competitions and the Mississippi State Fair to the annual Clinton Christmas Parade. Duval Salvant, MC director of bands, has lined up an impressive schedule for the Blue and Gold squad.

“The great part about our schedule is going to other places and showing off what we’re doing with the MC Marching Band,” Salvant said.

The theme for this year’s setlist is an ode to electronic music. It allows the band to demonstrate how techno sound can translate into an analog style.

Including a medley of Daft Punk chart-toppers and selections by well-known electronic artists such as Clean Bandit and Muse, the MC Marching Band’s program is certain to be a crowd-pleaser for audiences of all ages.

Salvant said the repertoire fits the band members’ skillsets.

“Every band director worries about having too many drummers or trumpets and not enough flutes and clarinets,” he said. “This is the most balanced band we’ve had in a long time. It’s a nice, well-rounded ensemble. We have great band members who are willing to get out of their comfort zone and play different types of instruments.

“These students enjoy participating in band just for the love of doing it.”

The Marching Band’s performance schedule kicked off Sept. 18 at the MC Celebration Gala, where the band members debuted their new blue-and-gold uniforms that reflect a blend of classical and modern styles: one side of the coat jacket represents a traditional band uniform while the other side contains a more contemporary pattern that includes an eagle wing floating down one arm. The divergent looks are separated by a classic Choctaw feather pattern.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, the MC Marching Band is scheduled to perform at the CD Hagen Invitational at Brandon High School. The high school competition draws talented band performers from across the state, turning MC’s 2:15 p.m. performance into a recruiting event.

“These students, from eighth grade to seniors in high school, are from different parts of the state,” Salvant said. “They might never have known about what we’re doing at MC.

“We get to show them what we’re doing. We’ll be answering questions and promoting the school.”

Band leaders like to call the month of October, “Band-tober” because of all the appearances their squads make during the month. The MC Marching Band is no different. Its jam-packed October slate includes the Copiah Marching Festival at noon on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Copiah Academy; the Great American Parade at the Mississippi State Fair at 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 13, at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson; the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools’ Marching Band Festival at noon on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Jackson Academy; and Mississippi College’s Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 25. The MC Marching Band will conclude its fall tour by performing in the Clinton Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Not to be outdone, the MC Jazz Band has a pair of performances scheduled this fall. Reflecting Mississippi College’s Bicentennial celebration, Salvant has prepared a selection of historical jazz pieces that highlight the influential role the musical genre has had on American life in the 20th century. The program will include music from the earliest days of jazz through the Bebop era.

The band is scheduled to perform at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, on the lawn of the Eudora Welty House in Jackson, and at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the Entergy Theater at the Gore Arts Complex on MC’s East Campus.

“We’re starting with charts as old as 1914 and making our way through the 1950s,” Salvant said. “During the Welty House performance, we’ll pepper in some popular jazz standards.

“It will be a nice, elegant evening of jazz in the city.”

For more information about the MC Marching Band, visit music.mc.edu/ensembles/band/Choctaw-marching-band. For more information about the MC Jazz Band, visit music.mc.edu/ensembles/band/jazz-band.