Back in 2013, FAMU hired Young to rebuild a band program
that had been on suspension for a year following the hazing death of a drum
major and numerous management problems. At the time of the suspension, the band
had 400+ members.
Young has said that the ideal size for the Marching 100 is
256-320 members. According to First Coast News, he thinks the time is right for
the band to grow.
“We're in the middle of that process and its working. This is a totally different group of students from what they had five years ago,” Young said.
Young offered former band students with clean records a
chance to try out and make the roster in 2013. But such students ultimately
made up less than a third of the band’s membership during his first year. At
the beginning of that marching season, Young said that approximately 70 percent
of the 100’s members were new.
A total of 146 students made the cut during the 2013 season.
The band had 170 students in 2014.
“There’s a lot of pressure, people want to see a huge band,”
Young told First Coast News.