HBCU Marching Bands
Wednesday, September 30 2009
by Frank Stasio and Katy Barron
marchingmachine.com
At halftime of an intense football rivalry between two historically black colleges, the gridiron becomes a canvas for cultural identity and expression. That's when the marching bands take the field and battle for audience participation and bragging rights. It's a live competition that involves elaborate choreography, musicality and showmanship. Host Frank Stasio explores the origins and legacy of this uniquely African American tradition with: Rahmos Long, a Junior trombone player in the NC A&T Blue & Gold Marching Machine; Thurman Hollins, director of bands at St. Augustine’s College; Whitney Redd, senior section leader of the St. Augustine's College band; and William Lewis, executive director of PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, Inc.
