The Pride of Tallassee working on this year's show during band camp

It's not just Friday nights

By Michael Butler

"It's more than just playing "Eye of the Tiger" after the football team scores." That is Robbie Glasscock's take on the Pride of Tallassee.

When many think of the band, they probably think of halftime shows at J. E. "Hot" O'Brien Stadium, but being a part of Tallassee's award-winning band is more extensive.

"The obvious thing is playing at the football games," the Tallassee High School band director said, "but we do play at the parades and competitions where we go and are judged on a set of standards that are widely known in the band world. We have to make certain sets, stay a distance apart from each other, play the music well and in tune. Those are the things we do focus on."

The Pride will attend to competitions at Lake Martin on Oct. 1 and Prattville on Oct. 8.

"Then we'll switch gears and start working on the "Senior Night" stuff and the trip to Chicago," Glasscock added.

Football is still a major part of the band's exhibitions. This season's halftime theme for 2016 will be "Up."

"We're going to be playing a medley of "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

Glassock will also include "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder and "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy.

"I can't take credit for this," Glasscock admitted. "We like to borrow ideas from colleges. We take what we can play from them. Mr. (Scott) Hammonds arranges the music for us.

"We venture outside of the SEC as far as bands go. The one we kind of borrowed ideas from the last couple of years is a little known college called Western Carolina."

This will be Glassock's 16th year in Tallassee. The Pride of Tallassee's first performance in brand new uniforms this season will be at Russell County in Seale on Friday, Aug. 19.

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