(Being a Tallahassee Native, I am so proud of FAMU and this vast accomplishment of it's music department)
Marching 100 invited to play at Grammys
By: Constance Rush
Issue date: 2/1/06 Section: News
FAMU's Marching 100 will play in the
48th Annual Grammy Awards alongside Grammy winner Kanye West
and Jamie Foxx in Los Angeles on Feb. 8.(Curtis Blue Jr. |
The Famuan )
The Marching 100 will perform on stage at the
48th Annual Grammy Awards alongside Grammy-winning
rapper/producer Kanye West and Oscar-winner and Grammy
nominee Jamie Foxx Feb. 8.
West's producers phoned Friday to invite the
Marching 100 to Los Angeles to perform, as the band was en
route to Atlanta to participate in the Honda Battle of the
Bands.
"The phone call inspired them to give a
brilliant performance at the Battle of the Bands. It was
just overwhelming," said Julian White, director of the band.
Upon request for verification, the show's
producers sent an email detailing the events that were to
unfold and scheduled a meeting with the university.
The acceptance phone call, however, was not the
first received in regards to the band performing at the
Grammys.
"Last Wednesday we got a call inquiring about an
audition tape," White said. inquiring about an audition tape
," White said.
After getting a call from West's producers, a
press kit, which included recordings of the Marching 100,
was mailed overnight.
The producers received the press kit Thursday
and made the inviting phone call Friday.
"We got tapes from a number of groups across the
country, " said Randy Buzzelli of Phoenix Music Group, the
company responsible for West's production.
The decision was mad based on the Marching 100's
precision and showmanship.
"We were sold on this band because of their
athleticism in marching, and they're over the top," Buzzelli
added.
The production company looked at about eight
tapes, but already had a long list of potential bands for
such an event.
"When we figured this was what we wanted to do,
we knew what we were looking for," Buzzelli said.
The producers, in fact, were looking for 20
students-trombone, trumpet and percussion players.
There was a second audition, which determined
which 20 students would perform.
"A choreographer came in and taught 32 counts.
The auditions were video taped and the best were
chosen," said Tallie Brinson, 21, a senior music education
student from Atlanta.
About 45 students auditioned. Of the 45 students
, 20 were selected go to Los Angeles.
There are four trumpeters: Shelvin Robinson,
Andrew Thurston, Michael Simmons and Shaun West; four
trombonists: Tallie Brinson, Jasen Tobin, William Oliver and
Michael Scott; four tuba players: Charles Murray, Randy
Pierre, Ralph Jen-Paul and James West: and eight
percussionists: Rashaad Brown, Dontay Douglass, Jeremy
George, Ashley Mackey, Shawn Turner, Weldon Grey, Bryan
Hooper and John Ralph.
Wednesday, the band room echoed as the students
practiced West's "Gold Digger" featuring Foxx and "Touch the
Sky" songs off of his "Late Registration" album.
After rehearsing the 20-member band traveled to
a local studio where they recorded pieces of the selections
for their performance on the Grammy's.
The students are scheduled to depart Friday at
7:20 a.m. Once in Los Angeles, the band will check into a
first class hotel-all expenses paid.
The band will rehearse rigorously until Feb. 7
and will take the stage Feb. 8 to perform "Gold Digger"
which is nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rap Solo
Performance and "Touch the Sky."
"We don't know what else can be done to surpass
everything else.
When FAMU puts good things out, FAMU gets good
things in return," White said.
Contact Constance Rush at
famuannews@hotmail.com
Marching 100 Get invited to Grammys
Is that hating?
)
Hybrid Mode
