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Honda-ready

Despite Rose Parade invite, the band still wants Honda

Published: Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Updated: Thursday, October 21, 2010 09:10

band_in_stand

Chief Richards/Echo staff photographer

The Sound Machine in the Georgia Dome during last week’s game against the Georgia State Panthers.

For the past nine years Honda Motor Company has brought together some of the best bands in the land to compete for prize money and bragging rights.

Despite all the praise the N.C. Central University Marching Sound Machine has received for its selection to the 2011 Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the band still needs Eagle votes to attend the 2011 Honda Battle of the Bands in Atlanta.

The HBOB was created to celebrate, support and recognize the excellence of Black College marching bands.

Honda annually awards more than $200,000 in grants to participating marching bands during the program period.

The schools are selected in a three-part process which consists of online voting polls open to the public.

In the second stage, band directors or presidents also vote.

The selection is broken into five conferences that vary in number.

Only eight bands are eligible to attend.

One school is then selected from each of the four conferences, plus an independent program for a total of five bands to premier in the HBOB showcase.  

"I hope that we will get another chance to attend," said Tremaine Vass, psychology senior and assistant head drum major.

"We've been the past six years and it will be a great way to recruit and to view the different styles of bands," said Vass.

Last year the Sound Machine participated in the invitational along with Clark-Atlanta, Virginia State, Prairie View A&M, Southern University, Albany State, Tuskegee University and Florida A&M University.

The Sound Machine took the audience on a ride through time with music selections from Bell Biv Devoe, Jay-Z and an audience favorite, Michael Jackson.

"If we are selected to go to HBOB, we would be honored," said former band member and current drum major adviser Ronnie Chalmers.

NCCU students, faculty and staff can vote at www.hondabattleofthebands.com.

Voting ends October 29.

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