By: Kyla McGhee (’26), Staff Writer
Florida A&M’s band, The Marching 100, traveled to Chapel Hill on Aug. 27 to collaborate with the Marching Tar Heels.
Both bands performed at halftime of the football game. The Marching Tar Heels performed first, then The Marching 100 followed. Finally, they ended with a combined performance.
All week, UNC hosted celebrations and events honoring Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Throughout the game, the school honored Black faculty and Black students for their accomplishments.
UNC beat FAMU 56-24, but most fans wanted to see The Marching 100 live. FAMU’s marching band is known for their outstanding performances all around the world. The Marching 100 recently performed at the Louis Vuitton Fashion Show in Paris, France.
Their performances include high energy, clean formations, and music for everyone to enjoy. Which is how they gained the reputation of one of the best collegiate marching bands in America.
“HBCU marching bands, at least FAMU, was definitely more hype. They get into it, they are just so dedicated to their shows and I think that’s really awesome,” said Lindsey Torres, a freshman mellophone player for the Marching Tar Heels.
Having them perform in Kenan Stadium highlighted the culture of HBCU marching bands everywhere. Everyone knows it’s a given rule to not go to the concession stand during or close to halftime. Why? Because that’s when the performance starts and most football fans are more excited to see the band rather than the game itself.
Prior to the game, the bands practiced together which allowed for everyone to bond through their love for music. Members not only bonded, but they also learned from each other.
“It made me realize that discipline goes a long way in terms of a huge organization like that but also it was just a different way of doing things,” said Torres.
This game against FAMU is similar to when UNC played North Carolina A&T in 2015. It was the same setup too – week of HBCU celebration and having the bands collaborate for a performance. Having HBCU bands perform sometimes emphasizes the differences between HBCU bands and PWI bands or the culture of a PWI school overall.
“The way we’re sheltered at this university we’re just unaware of other people’s cultures and that’s refreshing to get a taste of that,” said Torres.
Not everyone is aware of the culture of HBCU bands and how dedicated they are to their craft. They practice with comparable intensity to varsity athletes at their schools. It’s a different type of commitment compared to some PWI bands and that’s what most people don’t understand.
For instance, the size of the bands are larger. Even though they are called the Marching 100, there is an estimate of about 420 members. They only gained the name when the band first started in 1950 with about 110 members.
UNC football can look forward to playing in more games against HBCUs. HBCU Gameday also announced that UNC added North Carolina Central University to its schedule for next year. This could mean the Marching Tar Heels will collaborate with more HBCU bands.
Overall, it was a great night for both UNC and FAMU. For UNC, their football team won, and FAMU showcased their talent and left their mark at the PWI.
“I’ve never had that much fun at a marching band event ever,” said Torres. “I’ve never been able to let loose on the field like that the way they do so if I can do more of that in the future, I’d definitely love to.”
Image Source: HBCU Gameday
