Episode 57 | "JSU Has NOT Lost a Beat! | Thee Merge 2026"
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Show notes
Band camp fever is officially HERE! On this episode of The Drum Lounge Podcast, Jeremie and Bryon break down the start of the 2026 HBCU marching band season, beginning with Jackson State’s highly anticipated Merge. We react to the freshman and upperclassmen coming together, the size and sound of the Sonic Boom, Jackson State’s drumline, their new-look Stingray drums, and whether the line is bringing the same energy we’ve seen in previous years.
We also check in on North Carolina A&T’s band camp, the Blue & Gold Marching Machine’s preparation for the season, and the importance of the physical side of surviving band camp. Of course, we couldn’t talk band camp without checking in on our alma mater, Bethune-Cookman University, and remembering exactly what it feels like when Dr. Wells yells “PERCUSSION!” 😂
Then we head to South Carolina State, where their drumline is already putting out some ridiculous new material. We break down SCSU's percussion instructor Marc’s writing style, why SCSU’s cadences sound unlike just about anything else in HBCU percussion, and whether complex writing still needs to be easy on the ears.
Later, we get nerdy with the music writers! Jeremie breaks down why he still uses Finale + Virtual Drumline, while Bryon makes his case for MuseScore. That conversation leads to a challenge: Finale vs. MuseScore in a 15-minute cadence-writing battle! Both of us will have the same amount of time to write something from scratch, and YOU will decide who came with the better cadence.
🔥 TOPICS COVERED
-Jackson State’s 2026 Merge
-JSU freshman vs. upperclassmen drumline
-Jackson State’s Stingray drums
-North Carolina A&T band camp
-Bethune-Cookman freshman band camp
-Why academics still come before marching band
-How long it takes to reach “college-level” snare ability
-Adjusting to different HBCU drumline styles
-South Carolina State’s new drumline material
-Marc’s “mad scientist” approach to writing
-Finale + Virtual Drumline vs. MuseScore
-Our upcoming 15-minute cadence-writing battle
-Our FIRST Twitch livestream!
🥁 LOUNGE & CHOP
For Lounge & Chop #57, Jeremie teaches a two-measure lick featuring buzzes, blurtas, 32nd-note passages, accented “grandmas,” a nine-stroke roll, paradiddle-diddles, a crossover, backsticks, flams, and double stops.
Grab your sticks, slow it down, and add this one to the repertoire!
🥁 5th Quarter Picks
Jeremie's Pick:
Jackson State University – “Gin and Juice” | 2026 Merge
Bryon's Pick:
South Carolina State University – “Raise Up” | 2025
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