Campus SU to donate drums to the country of Belize

Southern University's Marching Band and the Center for International Education will donate 20 new snare and tenor drums to the country of Belize as part of the department's Belize Music Project. The University will ship the drums, each costing between $300 and $400 each, to the Caribbean country of Belize sometime in the next few weeks. Director of Bands Lawrence Jackson, began the music project in 2006 after he visited Belize to conduct an international marching band clinic and judge an international music competition. "I saw that they were in dire need of instruments," said Jackson. "I told them that I would do my best to get some instruments for them." When Jackson returned home, he began soliciting donations for instruments to help assist the country in establishing full-scale bands at schools in Belize. Three years later, the REMO Drum Company sent Southern the drums. "We know we couldn't use them because we had an abundance of drums. So we will send them to Belize were they will be put to good use," said Jackson. Jackson's trip to Belize was planned by Southern's Center for International Education with officials in Belize.