“There is no such THING AS limits for marching band director brian simmons of texas southern ocean of Soul.”

When we have the conversation about HBCU bands most times it’s less of a conversation and more of a heated debate. Everyone’s got their preference and they’re sure to stand on it. But when it comes to one band and its director, the sound, impact, and reach is undeniable. Marching to the beat of their own drums (literally) Texas Southern University’s Marching Band, The Ocean of Soul, under the direction of Brian Simmons is for sure Da Souf Certified.

The band of Texas Southern University was founded in 1945 by Mr. Allen E. Norton & TSU’s Marching Band The Ocean of Soul, affectionately known as the ‘9th Wonder of the World’ was founded 24 years later in 1969 by Mr. Benjamin J. Butler II.

Most recently featured alongside Houston’s very own, Beyoncé, in the ‘Beyoncé Bowl’ for her highly anticipated Christmas Day halftime performance at the Texans vs. Ravens football game, which debuted on Netflix to 24 Million viewers. Watching the band march across the field dripped in their white rhinestoned getups not only thrilled us because we watching our very own, but it made us wonder who is responsible for the latest motion of the Ocean Of Soul band? This lead us down a rabbit hole to Director Brian Simmons.

*photo via* *thegreat_one2024* *on Instagram*

A New Orleans native, Brian Simmons is the youngest Band Director in TSU history, and was appointed as director of the highly respected band in 2021 after serving as the assistant director from 2014 until 2021 at his alma mater Southern University.

Since being appointed, Simmons has made it his duty to provide leadership that can not only be seen but be heard— allowing us to see the band be empowered to play against any genre and set their own standard of motion.

Since his appointment as director in 2021, we’ve witnessed some standout moments that say a lot about the leadership and work ethic of Simmons — allowing the students talents to shine as individually but together as one band with multiple sounds.

The Ocean of Soul has performed at numerous high-profile events, including Super Bowl XXXVIII, the 2013 NBA All-Star Game Pregame Concert, the 2018 NCAA Final Four, and now with the Beyoncé Bowl under their belt, it is evident that Simmons has no plan of docking to mediocre shores.

With the world’s eyes and ears on them in their latest performance, they accompanied Beyoncé where she performed Sweet Honey Buckin, Jolene, Texas Hold Em’ which blended elements of country and New Orleans bounce— once again proving that the band nor Simmons have no bounds, and that his iconic contributions to the TSU legacy thus far are not only honorable, but a journey that’s more than worthy of keeping continuous attention on.

In no particular order, here are a few of our favorite Ocean of Soul musical moments: