LOS ANGELES, (American Honda Motor Co., Inc.) - Crowd-pleasing dance teams, high-stepping drum majors, precision drumlines and roaring brass sections. These are among the many facets of black college marching band culture, and fans of all ages are sure to be rocking the south as the 2006 Honda
Battle of the Bands rolls into Atlanta's Georgia Dome, January 28th.
A bevy of surprises are in store as the acclaimed annual showcase promises to bring down the house for its fourth consecutive year. Ten show-stopping Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands, including 2 first-time bands, nominated from a field of 41 participating HBCUs during the fall Celebration Tour, have now been selected and are preparing to perform at the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase.
As they take the field, these top bands will bring fresh routines, riveting choreography and contemporary song selections ranging from the best in R&B, funk, Hip-Hop, classical and jazz - something for every generation. The lineup of colleges now set to march on the Dome in the largest and only national scholarship program showcasing the pageantry, heritage and showmanship of black college bands is:
- Jackson State University (1st time participant) and Prairie View A&M University, representing the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC);
- North Carolina Central University and Virginia State University, representing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA);
- Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman College, representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC);
- Clark Atlanta University and Tuskegee University, representing the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC); and
- Central State University (1st time participant) and Langston University, both independents.
HBCU commissioners, presidents, band directors and fans judged the 41 participating bands on showmanship, musicianship and fan interaction during the Celebration Tour, which took place during the college football season. School officials were not permitted to vote for their own school.
As sponsor of the Honda Battle of the Bands, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will award $141,000 in grants to the HBCU bands. Each of the participating Invitational Showcase schools will earn a $10,000 grant for their music programs. The 10 institutions also earned a $1,000 grant for their performances during the Celebration Tour.
General admission to the Honda Battle of the Bands is $10 for reserved seating, and tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster or the Georgia Dome box-office. Interested high school students and their parents are also welcomed to visit the Honda Battle Of the Bands recruitment fair, taking place from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. the day of the event at the Georgia World Congress Center, to learn more about the nation's black colleges, their music programs, scholarships and admissions requirements.
"It is a tremendous honor for the Mighty Marching Panthers of Clark Atlanta University (CAU) to be invited to the Honda showcase for the fourth consecutive year," said CAU President Walter "The Transformer" Broadnax. "This is testimony to the commitment of our student-musicians and their leadership, and a reflection of the spirit of CAU among our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university."
"For the past three years, the Honda Battle of the Bands has been the hottest ticket in town," said Barbara Ponce, manager of Emerging Markets National Advertising for Honda. "Each year it's a unique show, and the 2006 event will be no exception with a new mix of musical talent from Mississippi and Ohio, including two bands that are appearing for the first time. Honda is proud to present a unique event that reinforces the important contributions that HBCUs have made to all facets of our society."
Honda's long-term commitment to HBCUs was established 16 years ago when the company introduced the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, a program designed to showcase the academic gifts of HBCU students.
