Virginia State University News January 24, 2011 Trojan Explosion heads to ninth Battle of Bands The Virginia State University (VSU) Trojan Explosion Marching Band will perform at the Ninth Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase, presented by The Home Depot, in the Atlanta Georgia Dome on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. The Trojan Explosion is the only band to participate in all nine Battle of the Bands showcases. VSU President Keith T. Miller will meet many Atlanta-area alumni during his first trip to the Battle of the Bands. Over 60,000 fans will attend the showcase, which begins at 3:00 p.m. This year, eight college marching bands were selected from a group of 45 Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands from across the United States. Online fan votes accounted for one-third of the selection criteria, with band directors' and school presidents' votes accounting for the remaining two-thirds. Band directors and school presidents were not allowed to vote for their own institutions. The eight HBCU marching bands selected to perform include: Virginia State University "Trojan Explosion" South Carolina State University "Marching 101" Albany State University "Marching Rams Show Band" Jackson State University "Sonic Boom of the South" Bethune Cookman University "Marching Wildcats" Clark Atlanta University "Mighty Marching Panthers" Winston-Salem State University "Red Sea of Sound" Tennessee State University "Aristocrat of Bands" Under the direction of Dr. Mark W. Phillips, the VSU Trojan Explosion is composed of approximately 180 members, including the Essence of Troy Dancers, Satin Divas Flag Corps and the Troy Elegance Majorette Squad, in addition to instrumentalists. The Trojan Explosion will be one of two marching bands representing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The other band is the Winston-Salem State University "Red Sea of Sound." For many years, the Trojan Explosion has traveled across the United States and abroad, becoming a recruitment powerhouse for VSU and bringing home countless accolades. In February 2010, VSU made history by being the first drum line to perform at the White House. Selected percussionists performed for President Barack Obama during his signing of the HBCU Funding Bill. "This ninth appearance at the Battle of the Bands would not have been possible without the support of alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of Virginia State University," said Dr. Phillips. The Honda Battle of the Bands is the only national scholarship program that highlights music education as an important facet of HBCU heritage and culture. The eight winning band programs chosen to participate in this year's Invitational Showcase will each be awarded $20,000 by American Honda for their music programs, in addition to the $1,000 grant they received for participation during pre-qualifying. Through this program, American Honda annually awards a total of $205,000 in scholarships to HBCU music programs. Since the program's inception, an excess of $1 million in grant money has been bestowed to HBCUs. "The Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase is about more than what happens on the field at the Georgia Dome on show day," said Marc Burt, Senior Manager, Office of Inclusion and Diversity for American Honda. "This event is about celebrating the abilities and brilliance of young people coming out of the nation's black colleges. The discipline and drive these student-musicians exhibit both on and off the field are phenomenal, and Honda is pleased to be able to contribute to the music education programs that help foster the artistic and academic growth of these students." Group and individual tickets to this highly anticipated family event are on sale now and can be purchased for $10.00-to-$12.00 by visiting www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com<http://www.hondabattleofthebands.com/>, through Ticketmaster or via the Georgia Dome box-office. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.