Being part of the Harding band plays a significant role in the musical students lives.

“Band is where I belong,” Josette Frizwald said. “I had a music theory teacher tell me once ‘For some people, there is a hole in us that nothing else can fill except aspects of relationships, friends, family. Musicians have a hole in them that only music can fill.’ That is what band does for me, it feels that hole.”

There are many significant differences between the Harding band and other university bands.

“Harding University differs from other universities in that it’s a private school and a christian university,” Michael Higgenbottham said.  “So for many of us, the draw to come to Harding was the religious aspect of it, and I feel that having that connection with the other members of the band really promotes a sense of unity that you can’t find in other university bands.”

One Harding band member, Nathan Eliss, uses band to piece together his social life.

“Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t have near as many friends as I do now,” he said. “I get to express myself more now, not only socially, but musically; having that artistic background,  it feels a spot that only music can feel.”

Band director Dr. Mike Chance feels that bands adds to the students lives in a way that other classes do not.

“It is certainly an activity that’s different from any other activity you can be in but it can also adds something to society in a way that very few things do in our world today. It adds a positive experience for students and it adds entertainment, but it also adds a medium through which real artistic expression can take place,” said Chance.

Out of all the extra-curricluar activities to choose from at Harding, band stands out as a place to feel at home for the students.