SC State’s Marching 101 featured in TV series ahead of Battle of Bands showcase in Atlanta
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Posted By: S. Moore on January 04, 2023 COLUMBIA — The Marching 101 of South Carolina State University will show off their talents on TV and in an NFL stadium with an upcoming miniseries that previews an Atlanta exhibition of premier bands from historically Black colleges. SC State University’s marching Bulldogs are featured in “6 Minutes to Glory: The HBCU Band Experience,” a six-episode series that launches Jan. 14 on AspireTV, the Atlanta-based network founded by Magic Johnson a decade ago to celebrate Black culture. The entire series will air ahead of the 18th HBCU All-Star Battle of the Bands on Feb. 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons. Each of the six college bands invited to perform is highlighted in a separate episode. SC State’s is scheduled to run at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 28, a week before an event that has averaged 57,000 attendees. “We’re really excited it’s coming back,” said SC State’s band director, Patrick Moore. “It means a lot. It is a great honor.” Beyond the invitation serving as a recognition of the band’s hard work, he said, it’s also “going to help us in recruiting potential future students.” Started in 2002, the Atlanta event is back following a two-year hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said its founder, Tom Grabowski, who lives in Charlotte. “SC State has such a stellar, stellar band program and always has,” the CEO of Six Degrees Analytics said about why The Marching 101 was invited. “They have a rich tradition there. They’ve been with us before. We know they’re a Southeast favorite, so it was almost a no-brainer.” While the event is called a battle, no single band is crowned a winner. Instead, it’s a showcase of the unique styles and traditions of HBCU bands, he told The Post and Courier. Grabowski didn’t attend a historically Black school. Nor has he ever played in a marching band. But his decades as a college sports marketer and broadcaster gave him a deep appreciation of HBCU bands, he said, and he created the event to celebrate that legacy. “If you’ve been around the schools, you realize the lightning rod into the community and on campus are the bands,” said Grabowski, who played lacrosse in college. “HBCU-style marching bands are second to none. There’s a lot of showmanship. It’s something pretty special, and they know it. “No exaggeration, these bands are known better than the football teams,” he continued. “At most games, halftime is when people go get their hotdogs. Not in the HBCU world. Halftime is game time.” The other college marching bands invited to this year’s event come from Alabama State University, Bethune-Cookman University, North Carolina A&T State University, Norfolk State University and Tennessee State University. They are among 101 HBCUs located across 19 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In the past, the Atlanta event showcased eight colleges. But this year, organizers decided to invite two Atlanta-area high school bands to participate: Pebblebrook High and Westlake High. SC State’s band director said what makes The Marching 101 special is a common drive for greatness. “A lot of bands pride themselves on how big they are. We pride ourselves on how strong we are, mentally, physically, and playing ability of the students,” said Moore, director since 2018. “We push our students each and every day to always have the mindset of being the best. It makes our band very aggressive and strong and powerful.” Being in the band means being willing to rehearse 12 to 14 hours a day from July until classes start, then at least 3½ hours five days a week throughout the fall semester for half-time performances that average six to eight minutes. “So much work goes into such a short amount of time,” Moore said. That average length, combined with the number of college bands highlighted, explains the miniseries’ title. As for why SC State’s band is called The Marching 101, Moore said there are various stories behind it. It might be linked to a former band director’s desire to be better than Florida A&M’s Marching 100. Or it might be that total membership at one point came to 101, after the majorette was added. Whatever the reason, the name stuck to a band that was 146 members strong this fall. Outside of Bulldogs football games, the band’s past performances include the Sept. 25 halftime show at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, when the Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs; a virtual celebration for the January 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden; and a halftime show for the Atlanta Falcons. This trip to Atlanta will be fully paid by the Battle of the Bands’ organizers. Each of the participating college bands is also receiving $20,000. Moore said that will go toward paying for future trips to showcase students’ talents and bring positive attention to South Carolina’s only public historically Black university. SOURCE The Post and Courier Columbia If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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