The Pride of the Southland Marching Band will be featured Tuesday morning on The Weather Channel as part of the network’s “Heat Week” shows. The show is scheduled to air at 8:40 a.m., but may be repeated several times during the week.
The Weather Channel airs on channel 68.1 on campus.
A producer and cameraman from The Weather Channel visited campus last week to film the show about how the band copes with practicing in the heat. They interviewed Director Don Ryder and Drum Major Andrew Vogel on the field at Neyland Stadium. They watched as band members donned their all-wool uniforms that, according to The Weather Channel’s scale, weigh about seven pounds. They also filmed part of the evening practice on the recreation fields.
“It was a lot of fun to host The Weather Channel team and introduce them to the Pride of the Southland Band. We love the national exposure because we’re really proud of what we do,” Ryder said. “Sure, it’s hot out there when we’re rehearsing for football games. But it’s all worthwhile because we want to present a pregame and half-time experience that makes Volunteer fans stand up and cheer.”
The segment is likely to be repeated several times, the producer said.