YAY FAMU!!!!
By Popular Demand: Eight HBCU Bands
Selected to March in Atlanta for the Honda Battle of the Bands
From 45 to 8, the Lineup is Set;
Program Providing $125,000 to HBCU Marching Bands
ATLANTA, Ga. (Nov. 19, 2002) - With more than 1 million votes
tallied, a field of 45 Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs) has been narrowed to eight, which are set to march in the
Georgia Dome January 25, 2003, in the culmination of the inaugural
Honda Battle of the Bands Celebration Tour and Invitational
Showcase. As sponsor of the Honda Battle of the Bands, American
Honda Motor Co., Inc. will have awarded $125,000 in grants to
marching bands during the program period. This is the first national
program showcasing the pageantry and showmanship of these
dynamic marching bands.
Grambling State University, Johnson C. Smith University,
Florida
A&M University, Tennessee State University and Tuskegee
University have been selected through a process of popular voting
to join host schools Clark Atlanta University, Morris Brown College,
and Morehouse College in Atlanta. The Invitational Showcase will
highlight these schools which were judged to have demonstrated
the greatest showmanship, musicianship and fan interaction
throughout the tour. Band selection for the Invitational Showcase
was determined by an on-line fan opinion survey, as well as opinion
surveys completed by HBCU presidents, conference commissioners
and band directors.
"It's tremendous that Honda is contributing to these students and
these bands," said Cedric Young, band director at Clark Atlanta.
"For a number of years, we've celebrated the pride of our bands
among the HBCUs, but now we have a forum to take this pride,
excitement and musical talent to the nation."
The Honda Battle of the Bands program includes two components,
a Celebration Tour, which ran through Nov. 15, and an Invitational
Showcase finale event. The Celebration Tour provided an
opportunity for 45 participating schools to earn a $1,000 grant for
their halftime performances at selected football games during the
fall. Each of the eight finalists will receive a grant for $10,000.
"This exciting, national program was created to celebrate, support
and recognize the excellence of the black college bands, which have
long been an important part of HBCU culture," said Barbara Ponce,
Honda's Manager of Emerging Markets National Advertising. "It's
not about competition, but rather the camaraderie that exists
between the HBCU bands and their fans, and to showcase the
unique, cultural experience HBCUs offer."
Honda's long-term relationship with HBCUs was established 13
years ago through the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge which
displays the educational talents of HBCU students. Together with
the Honda HBCU Battle of the Bands these programs highlight the
unique and unsurpassed educational and cultural experience only
found at America's HBCUs.
Fans can find out more information on tickets, events and details
about the Honda HBCU Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase
by visiting
www.hondabattleofthebands.com.
Honda Battle of the Bands School Information
Clark Atlanta University
· President: Dr. Walter D. Broadnax
· Band Director: Cedric V. Young
· Band Nickname: Mighty Marching
Panthers
· Enrollment: 4,813
· Colors: Black and Red
· Mascot: Panthers
· Located: Atlanta, Ga.
Florida A&M University
· President: Dr. Fred Gainous
· Band Director: Dr. Julian White
· Band Nickname: Marching 100
· Enrollment: 12,161
· Colors: Orange and Green
· Mascot: Rattlers
· Located: Tallahassee, Fla.
Grambling State University
· President (acting): Dr. Neari Francois
Warner
· Band Director: Dr. Larry Pannell
· Nickname: Tiger Marching Band
· Enrollment: 4,500
· Colors: Black and Gold
· Mascot: Tigers
· Located: Grambling, La.
Johnson C. Smith University
· President: Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy
· Band Director: Professor Duncan G. Gray
· Band Nickname: The International
Institution of Sound
· Enrollment: 2,500
· Colors: Navy Blue and Gold
· Mascot: Golden Bulls
· Located: Charlotte, N.C.
Morehouse College
· President: Dr. Walter E. Massey
· Band Director: Timothy R. Turner
· Band Nickname: The Morehouse
College House of Funk
· Enrollment: 3,000
· Colors: Maroon and White
· Mascot: Maroon Tigers
· Located: Atlanta, Ga.
Morris Brown College
· President: Dr. Charles E. Taylor
· Band Director: Eddie Ellis
· Band Nickname: Marching Wolverines
· Enrollment: 2,400
· Colors: Purple and White
· Mascot: Wolverines
· Located: Atlanta, Ga.
Tennessee State University
· President: Dr. James A. Hefner
· Band Director: Edward L. Graves
· Band Nickname: Aristocrats of Bands
· Enrollment: 8,200
· Colors: Blue and White
· Mascot: Tigers
· Located: Nashville, Tenn.
Tuskegee University
· President: Benjamin F. Payton
· Band Director: Warren L. Duncan II
· Band Nickname: Marching Crimson Piper
Band
· Enrollment: 3,000
· Colors: Crimson and Gold
· Mascot: Golden Tigers
· Located: Tuskegee, Ala.
Honda Battle of the Bands
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