But behind the cameras, edits and viral moments is a man who had a much simpler dream: making band DVDs.
Meet Garrett Edgerson.
Growing up in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, it was hard for Edgerson not to developed a passion for music. He played football while in high school but, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, changing the course of life for many across the state.
Following Katrina, Edgerson eventually moved to Arizona. However, his connection to Louisiana and Southern University remained. He later returned to Louisiana to attend Southern University, where he earned a degree in computer science.
While at Southern, Edgerson began pursuing another dream. He wanted to record marching band performances and create band DVDs.
In 2014, he officially began recording for the Human Jukebox. What he did not know at the time was that this passion project would eventually grow into one of the biggest influences on HBCU marching band media and culture.
Southern University was not the first HBCU to have a media team. However, Edgerson’s contributions to the culture do not go unnoticed.
He has helped change the way marching bands are captured.
Edgerson says his goal has always been to make everything look cinematic, and Southern University’s media team does exactly that.
From the camera movements to the editing, the Human Jukebox is presented in a way that makes viewers feel like they are experiencing the performance from inside the stadium.
Southern has also developed a reputation for being one of the fastest programs when it comes to getting marching band content in front of its audience. But speed is not the only thing that separates the program’s media operation.
The content is cinematic, intentional and built to make the band look as powerful on screen as it sounds on the field.
Fast content is one thing.
Cinematic content is another.
Southern University has managed to do both.
We recently sat down with Garrett Edgerson for an exclusive interview to discuss his journey, the history of Southern University’s media operation and what it takes to run a successful college marching band media team.
Today, Edgerson is not only behind the camera. He also serves as a director over the students who make up Southern’s media team.
One of the things he says he is looking forward to most is becoming a better teacher. Working with college students gives him the opportunity to not only create content for one of the most recognizable bands in the country, but also help develop the next generation of creatives.
What started with a dream of making band DVDs has evolved into something much bigger.
Garrett Edgerson has helped change the way marching bands are seen.
His influence can be felt far beyond Baton Rouge, and his work continues to play a role in how HBCU marching bands are documented and experienced by audiences around the world.
Watch our full exclusive interview with Garrett Edgerson on YouTube.
