Once the Grambling’s basic female band director, Nikole Roebuck embraces getting a job model

Gold and you can black enjoys flowed courtesy Nikole Roebuck’s veins to possess as the much time as the she you’ll remember. She was created are a Gramblinite.

For the 2019, she became the initial girl from inside the Grambling Condition University background in order to getting named movie director from groups. It had been a storybook ending for the Minden, Louisiana, indigenous that would direct the nation Famous Tiger Marching Band as a result of good pandemic that assist usher-in another era motivating lady to join the newest ranks out of band administrators.

Dunbar Hall and you may Eddie Robinson Arena was in fact the fresh backdrops getting a beneficial long listing of firsts to have Roebuck that are included with committed she spotted an industry inform you, this lady earliest collegiate marching ring abilities therefore the second she fell crazy about marching bands. Their journey takes their returning to looking at this new steps out-of the existing Dunbar Hall watching their brother, Joseph “Doc” Miller, which offered as assistant manager away from groups to possess Grambling of 1980 so you’re able to 1989 less than Conrad Hutchinson Jr., performing the latest band in the summer camp. Although too young having an instrument at that time, she paid into the someplace towards the community at the end of the director’s stepladder, but the girl notice try piqued.

“I made certain Cousin Joe [didn’t] decrease brand new hierarchy. Thus i are one to daughter checking at their brother, never dreamed in the a million years which i create end up being the manager off bands getting Grambling,” Roebuck said. “However, which had been my basic passion for musical, simply are within marching bands. I am a band manager because was sheer in my situation. It was my personal business in order for I could show my personal infants to-do what i is going to do.”

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Roebuck’s path to to-be chief of the Tiger age seats as the the lady children. She try described as obviously meek and you will light in her teenage decades, and you will Roebuck’s collegiate community started exactly the same way before she try named out for just being silent and you may to relax and play this new clarinet; it driven the girl to recover from the lady shell. She opened up and you can moved within the ring ranks, to-be a section chief, exercise sergeant and eventually students movie director in her own fifth 12 months regarding tunes agencies. While acquiring a great master’s degree and you can a beneficial doctorate, directing a secondary school band being assistant band manager from the fresh new Tiger Marching Ring, Roebuck create a management concept customize-designed for the woman and you can true in order to this lady Louisiana origins.

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“It’s kind of like a pot out-of gumbo. We have taken some very nice functions away from some directors, and you may shape him or her around make them work with me. I don’t ever before play the role of anybody else, however, I would personally say, ‘I adore this, however, i’d like to make it work well personally,’ ” Roebuck told you away from her training design. “The fresh new prolonged I’ve been teaching, I have learned for various generations you must adjust [your thing], if you don’t each year, the 2 yrs, given that college students that we show are very different.”

Grambling assistant ring manager Charles Lacy, whoever reference to Roebuck features live for over two decades, features seen the woman growth and you will ascension within the last 20 years and you may believes the elevation of women so you’re able to ring frontrunners ranks could have been very long future.

“Into the seeing this lady development additionally the trailblazing, I am proud of their, but I do believe we are merely later as soon as we research from the women in musical,” Lacy said. “In my opinion it should has taken place not so long ago and you may we just have to do best just like the a me.”