Conversation so far:
What did he start out as?
who had organized a band to pursue a career as a singer.
What was the name of the band?
singing group the Ginger Snaps.
Did he do any collaborations?
When Harper left the group mid-tour to move to New York.
What college did he go to?
Blount's being awarded a scholarship at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University.
What did he study there?
music education major, studying composition, orchestration, and music theory.
Was there something he excelled at more than another?
Though the first edition of the Sonny Blount Orchestra was not financially successful, they earned positive notice from fans and other musicians.
Did they get any recognition?
CANNOTANSWER.
What else did he do in his early career?
They were expected to be disciplined and presentable, and in the segregated South.
What about the South?
They often played for elite white society audiences (though they were typically forbidden from associating with the audience).
Were they not disciplined?
Playing for the big bands gave black musicians a sense of pride and togetherness.

Question: Why did it give them the sense of pride?
Self-contained rewrite: Why did playing for the big bands give Sun Ra the sense of pride?