Budget changes and alterations in scholarship awards for the band are rumors

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Dr. Alexander,

Like many former students, I was very disappointed to hear about the recent course of action taken concerning Roy King's position as Director of the LSU Tiger Marching Band. Also like many of his former students, I am somewhat in the dark in regards to the reasoning behind this decision and am relying on comments made by his attorney and hear-say. With that being said, I am very displeased with what I have been hearing from the School of Music, however I am not surprised given their past relations with the Tiger Band. This feud dealing with the allocation of funds from the Athletic Dept. to the Tiger Band is nothing new. In 2010, it led to the departure of the band's former director, arguably one of the most premier marching band instructors in the country. Dr. Moorhouse resigning after her 25 years of work with the school was an absolute travesty, but I understand that occurred before you arrived.

I was a proud member of The Golden Band from Tigerland for four amazing years, both under Dr. Moorhouse and Mr. King. Mr. King was the first LSU professor I met before I attended LSU when I auditioned for the band in the spring of 2005. His hard work and dedication to making Tiger Band one of the premier marching bands in all of collegiate athletics is only surpassed by the love for his students, both current and former. This man deserves better. I can attest to his character and knowledge on what it takes to make Tiger Band great. The School of Music calling his product a "laughing stock" has left me completely dumbfounded and is a perfect example of either their ignorance on what distinguishes a prominent marching band, or a completely unprofessional approach to smear Mr. King's work in order to get what they want.

In the past five months I have seen our school make a mockery of the handling of retaining/firing our football coach, the newly appointed Dean of Students display her complete ignorance of what makes LSU tailgating so great, and now one of this universities most loyal and capable professors is being put on administrative leave due to a decades long financial dispute. Needless to say, it has been very disappointing to watch all of this unfold and I hope things can be resolved correctly. I am sending a similar letter to the Governor.

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Thank you for taking the time to express your concern about LSU’s Tiger Band. I always appreciate hearing from those who are passionate about the well-being of our great university.
Tiger Band is a treasure to our University, and we have an obligation to protect it and honor its traditions. The situation you referenced is a personnel matter, and a review is underway.

However, I would like to dispel the persistent rumors about budget changes and alterations in scholarship awards. That just is not true.
We would have preferred to handle this case privately, but as significant accusations toward the university were made in the press, I felt it important to respond to the concerned friends who wrote to me.

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