Howard University Band Bound For Inauguration
Howard University band rehearsal slideshow (William Plowman for NPR)
On Tuesday, Howard University's Showtime Marching Band will high-step into history with the newly sworn-in 44th president, Barack Obama.
Howard's band is one of only six from historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, selected to play in the 56th inaugural parade.
More than 1,300 groups applied to be in this year's parade; 90-plus groups are expected to perform.
(William Plowman for NPR)
Howard's band director, John Newson, has been in charge of the Showtime Marching Band for 22 years. The group has performed in music videos, NFL halftime shows and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
But this was the first time Newson ever applied to be in an inaugural parade.
"I'm not a parade person," he tells Weekend Edition Saturday host Liane Hansen. "And don't get me wrong, we've done major parades [with] Macy's and so forth before. But this was one that I felt that I personally wanted to do."
Newson, who decided in August he wanted the band to participate, shuns any notion that he applied early because he thought Obama was going to win.
"I'm just a good pray-er that's all," he said.
Newson's prayers were apparently answered. But the supporting videos, photos and essay he submitted also must have convinced the inaugural committee to allow the Washington, D.C., school to have one of the coveted spots in the parade.
The good news came at an inconvenient time: Newson got the call in the middle of December, during final exams and as students were preparing to head home for the holidays.
Rehearsals didn't begin until Jan. 7.
"That's when everyone got back in town. So, this is pretty much our fourth rehearsal," he said Wednesday.
Newson decided that with the parade less than a week away, he would bring in some help.
"We needed a little bit more, and I wanted to juice it up. What we've done is combine the band, and we have some of the students from the jazz ensemble, some of the students from the concert band and some alumni," he said.
About 200 members of the band will participate in the march down Pennsylvania Avenue.
For a moment, it looked as if the Stevie Wonder hit "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" was going to be part of Howard's parade repertoire. The Motown song was in heavy rotation during the Obama election campaign.
But with several HBCUs staking claim to the song, Newson decided to call another tune from his playbook. "The Boss," a Diana Ross song.
Newson doubts there will be an opportunity for a battle of rival bands from the HBCUs.
"Everybody's asking that question, but the way they have the parade structured, none of us are close to each other — which maybe is good in a way."
Of the rival bands, Howard will be the last in the procession. Newson isn't counting on the band getting the chance to blow everyone else out of the water.
"But we're going to do our thing and if we get a chance to stop and do something, we will," he said.
The other HBCU bands participating are Florida A&M University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Delaware State University, Louisiana's Grambling State University and Virginia's Hampton University.
Sophomore Bianca Bailey, a chemical engineering major, plays trumpet for the Showtime Marching Band. With practices taking place three hours nightly, she says some sacrifices were made to get her playing chops ready for the big day.
"This is something I can tell my grandkids, my great-grandkids, like, I was actually able to perform in the inauguration for our first black president."
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LIANE HANSEN, host:
Every night this past week on the campus of Howard University here in Washington, D.C., the halls of the fine arts building have been alive with the sound of music.
(Soundbite of drumming)
HANSEN: Four young men are beating wooden drumsticks on a plywood board. Their eyes are focused. Their arms move in sync again and again and again. They're the snare players in the drum line of Howard University's Showtime Marching Band.
(Soundbite of drumming)
HANSEN: This practice session is crucial because on Tuesday, they will perform for newly inaugurated President Barack Obama.
(Soundbite of drumming)
HANSEN: Howard's marching band is among the some 90 groups in Tuesday's inaugural parade. And drum line co-captain Renaldo Biddy said that makes him quite proud.
Mr. RENALDO BIDDY (Drum Line Co-Captain, Howard University's Showtime Marching Band): This is something I could tell my grandkids, my great grandkids, like I was actually able to perform in the inauguration parade for our first black president. And I'm very proud of it.
HANSEN: John Newson has been the director of the Showtime Marching Band for 22 years. Under his direction, the group has performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in music videos, and in NFL halftime shows. But this is the first time Newson applied to be in an inaugural parade.
Mr. JOHN NEWSOM (Band Director, Howard University's Showtime Marching Band): I'm not a parade person. And don't get me wrong, we've done major parades in Macy's and so forth. But this was one that I felt that I personally wanted to do. And I told the band back in August that I wanted to do the inaugural parade this year. And, you know, so I told them to kind of put it - pencil it in and go from there.
HANSEN: You penciled it in in August, and that was before Election Day.
Mr. NEWSOM: Yeah.
HANSEN: And so you were...
Mr. NEWSOM: No.
HANSEN: No.
Mr. NEWSOM: I'm just a good prayer that's all.
(Soundbite of laughter)
HANSEN: Before his prayers were answered, Newson had to send videos, photos, and an essay to the inaugural committee. More than 1,300 groups applied to be in the parade, but the committee was inspired to give one of those coveted parade spots to Howard. What was your reaction?
Mr. NEWSOM: I just got out of the shower, so I dried off. And after I dried off, I shouted, and I was glad. And you know, I said, I thanked the Lord for that because I was hoping and praying that we would get selected.
HANSEN: But the news came in at an inconvenient time. Newson got the call last month during final exams, and students were getting ready to head home for the holidays. So rehearsal time is very short.
Mr. NEWSOM: We didn't get started until Wednesday of last week. That's when everybody got back in town. So this is pretty much our fourth rehearsal.
(Soundbite of Howard University's Showtime Marching Band practice)
HANSEN: And it becomes obvious that the trumpet section needs some work.
Mr. NEWSON: Those (unintelligible) after C, make sure you all hold those all the way out for the sixth beat.
(Soundbite of humming)
Mr. NEWSON: Question?
HANSEN: John Newson also brought in other musicians to augment the band's sound.
Mr. NEWSON: What we've done is combine the band and we have some students from the jazz ensemble, some of the students from the concert band, and some alumni.
HANSEN: Guy Taylor Edmondson(ph) is one of those alumni. He plays the alto saxophone. How are you going to keep your concentration when you're going by, you know, the viewing box, yeah?
Mr. GUY TAYLOR EDMONDSON (Alumni, Howard University): That's easy.
HANSEN: Are you sure?
Mr. EDMONDSON: I mean - well, my history, personally, I was in the movie "Drumline" in my high school year. So, you know, I had that in the backburner. I also was in a Lil Kim(ph) video shoot when I came to Howard for the jump off. So it's not - it's no big thing for me to be in, you know, a big star atmosphere. I know how to keep it professional. I also know how to play when it's time to play.
HANSEN: Yeah.
Mr. EDMONDSON: So...
HANSEN: But admit it, how excited are you?
Mr. EDMONDSON: Extremely. I'm probably going to jump out of my skin when we pass by and I see him. I'm going to be like, how you doing? And keep on going, you know, so...
HANSEN: How are you preparing yourself for the parade? It's going to be cold. It's going to be long. How are you going to keep your lips from sticking to your mouthpiece?
Mr. EDMONDSON: Lots of ChapStick and lots of thermals and layers.
Unidentified Woman: Five, six, seven, eight.
Unidentified Women: One, two, four, six, eight.
HANSEN: In the lobby of Howard's fine arts building, away from the loud blare of instruments and banging of drums, a group of athletic young women are holding their own practice. They're the band dancers, known as the Ooh La Las.
Unidentified Women: Ooh La La!
HANSEN: They told me what they plan to do in the parade.
Unidentified Woman: We're going to show up. We're going to show out and we're going to shut it down. You hear me?
(Soundbite of laughter)
Unidentified Woman: Show up. Show out. Shut it down.
(Soundbite of laughter)
HANSEN: The Ooh La Las, the saxophonists, drummers, and all the members of the Showtime Band are focused on doing their absolute best. Actually that's the polite way of saying, they're ready to bring it. They're not only performing for the president, but there could be some bragging rights up for grabs too. Howard is among the six historically black colleges appearing in the parade. The other bands are from Florida A&M, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Delaware State, Grambling State in Louisiana, and the other H.U., Hampton University in Virginia. Are we going to see a battle of the bands down Pennsylvania Avenue?
Mr. NEWSON: I do not think so. Everybody's asking that question, but the way they have the parade structured, none of us are close to each other, which is - maybe is good in a way.
HANSEN: John Newson says Howard will be one of the last bands in the parade. So I thought that might give his band a chance to blow everyone else out of the water. Not quite.
Mr. NEWSON: Well, we got Ohio State coming behind us. So...
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. NEWSON: But we're going to do our thing. And if we get a chance to stop and do something, we will.
(Soundbite of Howard University's Showtime Marching Band practice)
HANSEN: This is a very big deal for the band and Howard - big enough for the president of the university, Sidney Ribeau, to come to rehearsal and say a few words of encouragement.
Dr. SIDNEY RIBEAU (President, Howard University): We're so glad that you're going to be participating in an inauguration event. That should be fun.
(Soundbite of applause)
Dr. RIBEAU: Yeah, yeah. The real president, President Barack Obama, will be kind of coming in, and you need to bring him in with style. And it couldn't be a parade, inauguration parade, without Howard University.
(Soundbite of cheering)
Dr. RIBEAU: That's - we couldn't, we couldn't do that.
HANSEN: So the final question for John Newson is - what are you going to play?
Mr. NEWSON: Well, I would say it was a secret, but we - on the application, we had to put a tune down, and we had put down "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered" because that was one of Barack Obama's favorite artists, Stevie Wonder. And after I found out that it was about four or five of the bands playing the same song, we've changed ours. And so, you know, it's no secret now, but we're playing the tune entitled "The Boss" by Diana Ross.
(Soundbite of song "The Boss" performed by the Showtime Marching Band)
Mr. NEWSON: And it's not so much about the song itself, it's about the title. And Barack Obama, being the president, he is the boss. And so this is our tune, and I'm hoping nobody that's listening to this would take our tune before we play it.
(Soundbite of laughter)
HANSEN: John Newson and members of the Howard University Showtime Marching Band, who will put on their royal blue uniforms to strut their stuff during Tuesday's inaugural parade. Our feature was produced by Veronica Miller, a Howard alumna who once auditioned to be an Ooh La La girl. You can see and hear an audio slideshow of the Howard University Showtime Marching Band in rehearsal at npr.org.
And on Tuesday, you can see all the inauguration day action at npr.org where you'll find live video and photo galleries of the day's events as well as up to the minute analysis and live chats. And don't forget to check out our blog, npr.org/soapbox, for video blogs from high school students Alyssa Roberts and Olivia Rudeen about their journey to the inauguration. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
