Band of the Year finalists compete for bragging rights — and trophies

Judges will crown the top marching bands from Division I and II historically Black colleges and universities on Friday during ESPN’s inaugural Band of the Year national championship.

North Carolina A&T State University will take on Jackson State University in Division I, and Florida Memorial University will face Virginia State University in Division II. Each school will be judged for its halftime show and two other songs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

“These bands have earned their way in here based on their performance and the professional evaluations of their performances over a period of time,” said John Grant, executive director of Band of the Year. “We are extremely excited about it. It’s an opportunity to really identify and put the absolute best bands out on the field head-to-head based on objective rankings.”

A committee of former band directors and experts judged HBCU bands on auxiliaries (flag corps, majorette dancers and color guards), drum majors, musicality, percussion and picture/drill and design in September, October and November to determine the four finalists for the championship competition.

“They have presented halftime shows that were truly outstanding in terms of marching ability, musical ability, show desirability [and] marching style,” said Julian White, director of bands emeritus at Florida A&M University and Band of the Year co-chair. “They have really worked to perfect those as much as they possibly can, and that is what you’re going to see on Friday.”

Grant hopes the competition becomes ingrained in HBCU culture after this inaugural Band of the Year championship.

“I see [this] as just one stop along the way of something that can be institutionalized for our HBCUs, that now at the beginning of the season [bands], too, have a championship that they can pursue,” Grant said. 

Here’s a breakdown of each of the finalists.

Jackson State University

Band: Sonic Boom of the South

History: Founded in 1947.

Director: Roderick Little

Auxiliary: Prancing J-Settes

Memorable performances: The Sonic Boom of the South has performed during halftime of multiple NFL games, Motown Records’ 30th anniversary television special and the 34th NAACP Image Awards, with a guest performance by Cedric the Entertainer.

What to watch for: Pay close attention to Jackson State’s musicality and the Prancing J-Settes dance line. Listen for performances of hip-hop classics and R&B hits such as “Call Tyrone,” by Erykah Badu, which the Sonic Boom performed during the BoomBox Classic in September.

North Carolina A&T

Band: Blue & Gold Marching Machine 

History: Founded in 1918.

Director: Kenneth Ruff 

Auxiliary: Golden Delight

Memorable performances: The Blue & Gold Marching Machine is the official band of the Carolina Panthers and has performed at the Honda Battle of the Bands and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The band is scheduled to perform at the 2024 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day.  

What to watch for: The Cold Steel drumline. Expect a diverse sound from North Carolina A&T. The band’s halftime shows this season have included music ranging from Miley Cyrus, Ludacris and the Isley Brothers to Beyoncé, Dua Lipa and Michael Jackson.

Florida Memorial

Band: The ROAR

History: Founded in 2020.

Director: Richard Beckford

Memorable performances: In July, Florida Memorial became the first American college band to perform at the annual Bandafolies Street Music Festival in Gartempe, France.

What to watch for: A great-sounding band – the Band of the Year committee ranked Florida Memorial first in musicality. The ROAR is the youngest of the finalists, but its sound belies its experience.

Virginia State University

Band: Trojan Explosion

History: Founded in 1888 

Director: Taylor Whitehead

Auxiliaries: The Essence of Troy dancers, Satin Divas flag corps and Troy Elegance Twirlers.

Memorable performances: The Trojan Explosion has performed at the White House, on the Today Show on NBC, at the Honda Battle of the Bands and with R&B singer Trey Songz.

What to watch for: The three auxiliary squads, Virginia State’s flag corps, dancers and baton twirlers, stand out. Pay attention to the eclectic mix of songs the band performs: Music by Pat Metheny, Michael Jackson, The Gap Band and Patti LaBelle was featured in a halftime performance earlier this season.