SCSU Band Day 2022
It is not often that a kid from New York City gets to say that they not only visited an HBCU, but had the opportunity to practice and perform with the school's band during halftime at a football game. Well for our children, this is now a thing.
On Saturday, November 19th, our coalition participated in Band Day 2022 hosted by Marching 101 at South Carolina State University (SCSU). The 1000+ member mass band was formed by twenty-two participating high schools, middle schools and music education programs who joined the school's band for the halftime performance.
Our yongest attending musician is just 6 years old, and he was joined by select members of Junior Empire Marching Elite (JEME), members of The Empire Marching Elite (TEME), the Academy Marching Panthers (AMP), and Superior Sound Marching Band (SSMB). Band Directors Hylton, Bantu and Stejha lead our young people in preparation for this performance, and they did not disappoint.
Our high school juniors and seniors met with the admissions office, marched into the stadium with Marching 101, and merged with them in the stands. It is one thing to learn about HBCU-style marching band culture, but it is another thing to actually experience it.
We look forward to providing more of these experiences for our youth, and we thank all who have supported and continue to support our work. Enjoy some photos and videos from an awesome day at SCSU!