James Roberson, a junior defensive end and nose tackle for Landmark Christian School’s varsity football team, looks up to his brother, Deashawn, 24, a musician. The two have collaborated on songs in a number of different genres over the years including R&B, Gospel and Rap. In 2009, the duo recorded a song about the Landmark Christian School War Eagles football team.
“The music that was played at the home games seemed a little dull,” Roberson said. “My brother and I went into the studio and wanted to give them something with a new taste.”
Once the song was finished, Roberson brought a CD to school with the hopes of playing it for the principal, Matthew Skinner, and getting his thoughts on playing it before a game. Some other faculty members heard it first, liked the music and the words, and helped get it before Skinner, who was also very enthusiastic about the song.
“Mr. Skinner told me the song would go into rotation at the game that night,” Roberson said with a smile, remembering it fondly. “It was homecoming.”
Roberson and his brother knew they would have to do something even bigger and better for 2010 and the result was “BANG.” BANG is the slogan that the team came up for the season and Roberson stated that the slogan stood for Brotherhood Attitude No regrets and God’s glory.
“We did the first song in two weeks, but we took our time with ‘BANG,’” Roberson said, adding that he and his brother did a lot of revising and rewriting before they considered the song finished.
The process of writing the team song starts with what Roberson and his teammates see and hear at camp, using phrases they hear the coaches say and also talking about the players on the team and the traits they carry on the field and in the classroom. Roberson added that he and his teammates are obviously big on religion and that God comes first.
“There are no superstars on the team,” Roberson said. “We are all one accord.”
In lesser hands, a song like this could sound hokey, but for anyone who has attended a game at William Thorn Stadium can attest, it fits in with professional recordings like P.O.D.’s anthem “Boom.” “BANG” is more up-tempo than last year’s song and Roberson thinks it is more aggressive and in your face. In other words, it is the perfect song for a team trying to get your team excited and wage a little mental warfare with your opponent. Roberson has given away copies of the song to those who have asked for it and other teams have approached him and his brother for team songs of their own.
Roberson’s focus now is on the next game, but was excited to learn that “BANG” will play on the football team’s page on the recently re-designed web site.
“The first time I heard it on the sound system at the stadium and I saw what people were dancing to, it made me feel good,” Roberson admitted, adding that he found the recording process as exciting and emotional as the start of a football game.
Roberson hopes to continue playing football in college and said he would be glad to continue a career in music if he is blessed to do so, but he also has hopes of going into the medical field and becoming a pediatrician. Making music has been fun for Roberson, who is glad he can continue working with and learning from his brother. The two are scheduled to perform at a church in Stockbridge later this month.
Landmark Christian plays at undefeated Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy this Friday, so there will be no team song playing over the loudspeakers, but Roberson knows that he and his team are prepared and have worked hard. BANG isn’t just a song, it’s the motto the War Eagles try to follow all season long.
