Hampton's Marching Force band preparing for national 'battle'

Dr. Thomas L. Jones, Jr., Director of University Bands, Music

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Thomas Jones is very good at keeping a secret. And for a week or two, he had a good one to keep.

Jones, director of bands at Hampton University, learned in late October that the school’s Marching Force unit had been selected as one of eight finalists to compete in the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase on Jan. 27 at the Mercedes Benz Dome in Atlanta.

“I got the phone call from the organizers, but we had to keep it quiet until they were ready to make the announcement,” Jones said. “I didn’t even tell the band until the day before the press release was going to come out.”

And when he told them, how did the 100 or so members of the band and dance teams react?

“They were so excited,” Jones said. “It meant a lot to them. It was a validation for everything we’ve been doing this year.”

The event, in its 16th year, is a showcase for marching bands from historically black colleges and universities. The selection process incorporates input from band directors, school presidents, corporate sponsors and online voting. Each of the eight finalists receive a $20,000 grant from Honda to support music education, and the sponsor covers all travel expenses for the showcase.



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