March 05, 2013 Special to Connect

    Four drummers from the Georgia Southern University Southern Pride Marching Band will accompany country music singer, songwriter and Georgia Southern alumnae Elizabeth Cook when she performs on the “Late Show with David Letterman” on
March 14. The show will air that evening at 11:35 p.m. on CBS.
    The marching band members who will perform with Cook include Sergio Arreguin, a junior music education major from Baxley, Ga.; Trey Exley, a senior exercise science major from Rincon, Ga.; Jose Morales, a senior communication arts major from Richmond Hill, Ga.; and Jimmy Rotureau, a junior nursing major from Guyton, Ga. Each was chosen by the band director, Colin McKenzie, based on several factors including seniority, leadership and academic performance.
    Elizabeth Cook, the youngest of 11 half-brothers and sisters, grew up in rural Florida, where her musician parents met while playing in local country bars. She is a relentless performer, touring worldwide, with well more than 200 performances at the Grand Ole Opry. Cook currently hosts the radio show “Apron Strings” weekday mornings on Sirius XM’s Outlaw Country channel. Her latest EP, “Gospel Plow,” includes some of her favorite Southern gospel songs — well, six gospel songs and a cover of Velvet Underground’s “Jesus.” She is a 1996 graduate of GSU with dual degrees in accounting and computer information systems.  
    The GSU band members will depart for New York on March 12 and will rehearse with Cook the next day. Cook recently traveled back to Statesboro for an initial rehearsal with the drummers at Paulson Stadium. While in New York, the band members will attend a Broadway show and visit some historical sites to add an educational component to the trip.  
    “This will be the first trip to New York City for most of these students,” said McKenzie. “We are extremely thankful for Elizabeth including us in this opportunity, as it is an exciting and unique opportunity for our students to represent Georgia Southern University on a national stage.”

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