By Joy Holden
The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate
(TNS)
Aug. 24 — The LSU Golden Band from Tiger Land welcomed its new members Thursday, and one of them was born in 1959—tuba player, Kent Broussard.
Originally from LaPlace, the 66-year-old former accountant and vice president of Sazerac Co. played in the band at Riverside High School for four years and then for Southeastern Louisiana University for four years, graduating in 1980. But as an LSU Tiger fan, he always wondered what it would be like to march on the field in Death Valley.
About five years ago, Broussard told his family that he would like to try out for tuba at LSU after he retired. They laughed. He was serious. They started cheering him on.
“We were talking about planning for retirement when he said, ‘You know, I’ve been thinking I might want to do something. I think I might go back to school and try out for the for the LSU band.’ And I said “The real band?'” said Kent’s wife, Cheryl Broussard.
Despite her initial surprise, Cheryl Broussard supported him however she could. After retirement, the Broussards moved to Baton Rouge, and he began training for his dream. The Broussard family, including their two daughters, Lauren who lives in Houston and Jennifer who lives in Hammond, were invested in Kent’s goal.
Cheryl Broussard has known about her husband’s love for the LSU Tiger Band since they started dating back in 1981.
“He would drag me all around the stadium at the end of the game to stand and watch the band play,” she said. “He always loved them—so this is a big, big thing for him. He’s super excited.”
Training process
The first step toward marching formation began with acquiring a marching band tuba (technically a sousaphone), which was much harder than the Broussards expected. Kent finally found the right one in California, had it shipped to Baton Rouge and started lessons with Matt Thompson at the LSU School of Music.
Next, Broussard had to make sure he was still eligible after marching in a college band 45 years ago. He was because he hadn’t yet marched for LSU. Then it was a full green light for him to pursue his dream.
“He has worked so flippin’ hard for this,” Lauren Broussard said. “He’s been practicing with a tutor for over a year. He had to relearn everything that he learned 45 years ago, and he’s taken it in stride. We’re just so proud of him.”
Lauren Broussard went on to say that her father has been playing his songs outside the house while marching down the street, on the patio and inside daily.
She jokes that her mom deserves this news because she has had to put up with all that tuba music for a full year.
In addition to practicing marching and playing the tuba, Kent Broussard has been physically training for the grueling practices and games. Lauren Broussard says he runs 3 miles a day four or five times a week, sometimes training with a weighted vest to simulate the weight of the tuba.
After training, applying to LSU, registering as a nonmatriculating student and practicing daily, Kent Broussard made the 132nd LSU Golden Band from Tiger Land. He is now one of 325 band members who will march throughout the football season.
Lauren Broussard has been running her father’s social media presence. She says preseason camp has been quite a challenge, including long days from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Marching toward a dream
Kent Broussard says that, above all, he is so humbled to be a part of such a legacy of excellence. The audition week was a challenge, not only because of the physical and musical demands, but also because every person auditioning was being evaluated the entire time.
“As you’re going through everything, as you’re playing, as you’re marching, as you’re interacting with the staff, the section leaders, and the people in your section, you are being evaluated as a potential member. So it’s not just how you play, it’s how you interact. And if you’re a good fit, it’s about the people. That’s my perspective,” he said.
He expressed awe at how supported he has felt throughout the whole process. He says everyone from the administration to the director to the section leaders to the band members have been 100% behind him.
The audition process included learning songs, practicing stand routines, and learning and practicing the cheers and fight songs. After learning the songs, then the musicians had to learn and perfect playing them “the LSU style.”
“It was an intense learning experience, and it was extremely fast paced,” Broussard said. “We have a very short period of time to make sure that we can all get it how LSU wants it. It’s a truly amazing experience to go through it.”
In addition to all of the learning, practicing and marching, each potential bandmember had several different pieces of individual work they had to present, along with marching tests and playing tests.
When the final roster was released on Thursday night, the tuba section erupted in elation that Kent had made the band. The percussion section heard the news and ran over to celebrate with the 66-year-old. Jumping, hollering and screaming ensued among the excited bandmates. Although 40-plus years separated Kent Broussard from those other musicians, their joy had no age.
“The entire environment is about building that culture of excellence, and I was part of it,” he said. “It’s great to see that this is how they’re continuing to maintain that excellence. From the band to the color guard to the Golden Girls, everyone has put hundreds or many, many, many hours into this season just as everyone before us and everyone in the future will do. I’m just one little tiny piece of something that everybody sees and enjoys.”
Since being interviewed on the Tingle & Co YouTube show last month, Broussard has been getting recognized around campus. He finds it curious that so many people are interested in his story, but he says that he hopes he can inspire people his age to attain a dream.
This weekend, Broussard practiced walking down the hill for the first time. On Monday, Aug. 25, he will start classes.
And on Sept. 6, Tiger Tuba Kent will participate in the pregame tradition and the halftime show. His family cannot wait to watch him perform.
Broussard’s motto throughout this journey has been, “People retire; dreams don’t.”
Photo credit: @ESPNCFP/X
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© 2025 The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Visit www.nola.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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Tags: Accounting, college, LSU, marching band, retirement, tuba
