let me tell y’all a story about the ole miss band https://twitter.com/olemissband/status/1247603455415463936

as I’ve made clear in many tweets and random ass podcasts, i was a proud member of the band for years and wouldn’t trade it for anything and I mean ANYTHING

my daddy cried the first time he saw me play with them before a football game (in the fall of 2004 when I was 12 or something, don’t question the math, just go with it)

the last piece I played with the wind ensemble was in grad school and it was basically one big long flute solo. practicing it was nearly impossible because I knew it would be the last time my dad heard me play. I don’t know how I knew that, but I did.

fast forward a few years. when he died, he didn’t leave behind any instructions regarding where to bury him or what he wanted, so I had to wing it.

there were two things that had to happen:

1) waylon had to play at the service
2) the ole miss band had to play at the graveside

the graveside service was in oxford the day before the LSU game. i told the band director we’d pay whatever we had to just to get a few musicians there.

the week was a blur, but I remember pulling up to the cemetery and seeing an army bugler (military funeral) and the best musicians in the ole miss band, all of whom had to jump on a bus as soon as this thing was over and head to baton rouge

maybe it was shock or the beginning of grief or the severe lack of sleep but I was so moved I had the gall to ask the bugler if it was ok for the band to play AFTER he played taps and he was totally cool with it

it was a heartbreaking day, but I can’t tell you how warm and loved I felt hearing those guys play “swing low, ole miss” to send him off, all because I was part of a family with an unspoken promise to take care of each other in our best and worst moments

I don’t have a moral here except GO BAND and let’s love each other in our best and worst moments