The 17th Honda Battle of the Bands was held recently in Atlanta. Marching bands from eight historically Black colleges and universities participated in the showcase before a crowd of nearly 60,000 fans.
This year’s Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase participants included:
- Benedict College, The Marching Tiger Band of Distinction
- Florida A&M University, Marching 100
- Grambling State University, Tiger Marching Band
- Hampton University, The Marching Force
- Jackson State University, Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band
- North Carolina A&T State University, Blue & Gold Marching Machine
- Prairie View A&M University, Marching Storm
- Tennessee State University, Aristocrat of Bands
The show opened with a soulful performance by all eight bands, as more than 2,400 musicians and dancers joined together on the field. This year’s event marked the first time that a woman band director – Dr. Nikole Roebuck of Grambling State University – participated in the Honda Battle of the Bands. Dr. Roebuck is a graduate of Grambling State University where she majored in music education. She holds a master of music degree from the University of Louisiana-Monroe and a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Memphis.
Honda awarded $200,000 in grants to this year’s participating bands to help support their music education programs, and covered the bands’ travel and accommodation expenses for the event.
