TSU’s ‘Aristocrat of Bands’ submits gospel album for Grammy nomination
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Tennessee State University’s “Aristocrat of Bands” has submitted their new gospel album, “The Urban Hymnal” for a Grammy nomination.
Larry Jenkins is a professor and assistant director of bands at the university. He’s also a former band member.
Jenkins said the idea of an album formed over a dinner with Grammy-nominated, contemporary artist Sir The Baptist.
“We were writing it out on a napkin, and he just wrote out the whole plan,” Jenkins said. “This album is like pulling the excitement out of the entire community because it’s so pivotal and monumental. It’s something again, that hasn’t been done before.”
Sir The Baptist is a co-producer on the album and said the album is so important for the students.
“I was just listening to the album yesterday and I was thinking, this is freaking amazing!” he said. “I can’t believe that we are this far. And we’ve done it. We are really help change some kids’ lives.”
The band held months of late-night practices almost each day and several visits to the studio to record. Curtis Olawumi has been playing the trumpet for a decade and said people don’t realize how much goes into the process.
“People don’t understand,” Olawumi said. “They don’t really see the work we put in to create such a beautiful project. It’s a beautiful thing when you’re sharing the gift that He gave you. And impacting people, motivating people, influencing people, and inspiring people.”
Band director Dr. Reginald McDonald has been working with the band since 2001. In his 22 years of leading the band he said creating an album is another accolade for them.
“The process has been just tremendous just to see us go from nothing to something. We’ve even kind of adopted the motto lately: A band of firsts. When we did our application and auditioned for the Tournament of Roses Parade, that was one of the things we listed,” McDonald said. “We get a chance to do a lot of groundbreaking things within college bands.”
If the band were to get nominated or win a Grammy, they would be the first HBCU band to do so.
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