NSU Earns Invitation to the Honda Battle of the Bands
2007 Invitational Showcase
Norfolk, Va.—Norfolk
State
University’s Spartan Legion Marching
Band is one of 10 historically black colleges and
universities marching bands selected to perform at the 5th
Annual Honda Battle of
the Bands Invitational Showcase on Saturday, January 27,
2007, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Under the direction of O’Neill Sanford, NSU band
director, the Spartan Legion Marching Band will perform
in the invitational for the first time.
Sponsored by the American Honda Motor Co. Inc.,
the Honda Battle of the Bands is designed to cast a
national spotlight on the historic spirit, pageantry,
pride and showmanship of black college marching bands.
The American Honda Motor Co. Inc. will award $141,000 in
grants to HBCU bands.
Each of the participating invitational showcase
schools will earn a $10,000 grant for their music
programs and/or scholarship funds.
HBCU commissioners, presidents, band directors
and fans judged 41 participating bands on showmanship,
musicianship and fan interaction during the 2006-2007
Celebration Tour, which took place during this year’s
college football season.
Fans voted for their favorite band by logging on
to the Honda Battle of the Bands web site and
participating in an online opinion survey.
At the conclusion of the Celebration Tour, the
top 10 bands, two from each of the four HBCU athletic
conferences (CIAA, MEAC, SIAC, SWAC) and two independent
universities, were invited to the invitational.
Honda’s long-term commitment to HBCUs was first
made more than 17 years ago when it established the
Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, a program designed to
showcase the academic gifts and prowess of HBCU
students.
For more information about the Honda Battle of the
Bands, visit
www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com.
