Senior Jacob Clayton is a year or two away from launching his engineering career, but it may be a long time before he has a job bigger than the one he holds now as a section leader in the Howard University Showtime Marching Band.

Clayton runs the snares, and the whole drum line reporting to him. In an interview earlier this week, he broke down how the line works.

 “So there’s me,” Clayton said. “I’m the battery leader of the snares, but I’m also the section leader of the drum line. So there’s three snares that I’m in control of. There’s also three quints — there’s a battery leader for the quints. There’s eight basses — there’s a battery leader for the basses. There’s six cymbals — there’s a battery leader for the cymbals. There’s also three tenors — there’s a battery leader for the tenors.”

With all individual sections reporting to him, he’s something like the final boss when it comes to every beat.

“The drum line is the heartbeat of the band.  We keep the tempo. When we speed up, the band speeds up; when we slow down, the band slows down. They can’t operate without us. We can’t operate without them,” Clayton said. “There’s no band without the drum line, but there’s also no  drum line without the band.”

Clayton is among the 13 section leaders in the Howard University Showtime Marching Band preparing for a high-stakes performance at the Invesco QQQ Orange Blossom Classic on Labor Day weekend. Together, these students are charged with delivering the sound, energy, and tradition that make Showtime an unforgettable part of game day as the Bison football team faces Florida A&M University at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Aug. 30. 

“We’re excited about going to Miami,” said Associate Director of Bands Clifford S. Southern, now in his second semester with Howard. “We’re excited about playing FAMU.”

Offering a glimpse of what to expect, Southern said Showtime will maintain its traditional sound while adding “a little bit of flavor — a little more icing to the cake.” The vision blends the band’s rich heritage with more modern pop music. He called it a clean yet edgier sound designed to connect with students.

Putting in the Work 

Behind Showtime’s precision and showmanship is a work ethic that Clayton and the other leaders say rivals any sports team on campus. That commitment starts at summer band camp, where long days from early morning to late at night build the foundation for the season. Freshmen learn Showtime’s style, traditions, and expectations, while returning members sharpen their skills, endurance, and ability to perform with energy and precision.

“Marching band is competitive,” Southern said. “We want to make sure that their lips are able to sustain the amount of music they’re going to have to play so that when we battle in the so-called fifth quarter, we’re ready.”

Mecca Moore, a business management senior, leads Showtime’s tenor saxophone section. As section leader, Moore is responsible for making sure her players know their music, keep their musicality up to par, and maintain sharp timing, while also teaching rhythms and pushing the section to deliver Showtime’s signature sound. In the band, she explained, there are two sections of saxophones — alto and tenor. 

“The alto usually plays more of the melodies, versus the tenor — we tend to serve as a bridge between the low brass and the higher winds,” Moore said. “We play a lot of countermelodies and stuff like that. There’s a difference in our sound. The tenor will give you more of a lower sound while the alto is higher.”

Moore, now in her final year in the band and at Howard, said she was determined to make sure her section makes it a memorable one.

“This year’s going to be different than my other years because we’re going to be shooting for the stars,” Moore said. “I’ve got to go out with a bang. I’m putting my all into everything everywhere because it’s probably the last time I’m going to march with the section.”

Ooh La La Dance Line captain for 2025–26, Jayla Ayoung, a marketing junior, concurs that the entertainment the audiences see in the stadium is just the result of grinding preparation. She wants more people to understand the commitment required to be part of the Showtime band.

“A lot of people just see the glitz and glam of it. They just see the performance, but they don’t know how much really goes into it — how much time, how much effort, the blood, sweat and tears that go into being in such a program like this,” she said.

Drum line’s Clayton said people don’t give band members enough credit for how athletic they have to be.

“Band is a sport,” he said.  “I don’t care what anybody says. We put in just as much work, if not more, than any other sport. At band camp, we’re here from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. That’s more than half the day. We’re working more than we’re sleeping, more than we’re eating, more than we’re breathing. We do more than you could even think of.”

Flashy Flags team captain Jada Smith is marking two milestones at once: her senior year as an English major and the flag team’s 45th anniversary, making the season all the more significant.

“I feel honored to be here — excited isn’t even the word,” Smith said. “I’m ready to bring in my girls for the flag team, because it’s also a major anniversary for the flag team. Bringing in that legacy and having Showtime be part of it is definitely what drives us.”

Looking ahead to the season, Smith’s message to students is simple: “Get ready for Showtime, because we’re bringing the heat this year. It’s something different, something new, but also a culmination of tradition as well. So just be ready for Showtime.”

The HU Showtime Marching Band has 13 section leaders and three auxiliary captains: Naomi Haynes (Flute), Alana Gulley (Clarinet), Zion Vaughn (Alto Saxophone), Mecca Moore (Tenor Sax), Corey Goddard Jr. (Trumpet), Stanley Sellers (Horn), Sierra Prescod (Trombone/Euphonium), Joseph Montalvo (Tuba), Jacob Clayton (Percussion Captain/Snare), Kayla Bailey (Cymbals), Lyndsy Joseph (Tenor Drum), Jarrec Racon McCarter (Quints), Steven Howard (Bass), Jayla Ayoung (Ooh LaLa), Jada Smith (Flashy Flags), and Najah Adams (Dazzlin’ Diamonds).

Photos: Simone Boyd, Howard University 

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