HBCU marching band movie earns showcase nomination

NATIONAL BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 is among the Black college bands featured in “National Battle of the Bands: A Salute to HBCU Marching Bands” produced by Charlotte-based Webber Marketing.

Derek Webber never took part in marching band as a student at Hampton University in Virginia.  

However, that did not stop him from producing a docuseries highlighting one of the most important elements in HBCU culture.

Webber, the owner of Charlotte-based Webber Marketing, is executive producer of the first installment, “National Battle of the Bands: A Salute to HBCU Marching Bands.” The film has been selected for the 2023 American Black Film Festival’s documentary features category.

The showcase will be held June 14-18 in Miami Beach, Fla., and the winning entry will earn a cash prize.

“It gives you an opportunity, one, to be showcased,” Webber said. “Two, it’s an opportunity for some funding and then, three, definitely industry opportunities that could possibly come out of it.”  

Webber said the documentary idea was developed in 2020 but put on hold because of the pandemic. The ABFF entry was produced in 2021.

“We knew that we were going to not be able will take on the event this particular year,” he said. “So, we had tons of content that we had stored up and really we had an opportunity to syndicate throughout the country with some of the partnerships that we had.”  

Two other documentaries followed – “National Battle of the Bands: A Salute to the Battle” (2022) and “National Battle of the Bands: The Road to Houston: Preparing to Battle,” released this year. The docuseries featured over 30 programs throughout the country, such as Johnson C. Smith, Elizabeth City State, and Bethune-Cookman universities.

“We … showcase and highlight the history and culture around HBCU marching bands and the communities that we serve,” Webber said, “and all the great things they do to support music, arts, and education.”  

Interviews with band members, directors, and other notable figures in HBCU marching bands are also some of the things included in the film. The documentary includes footage from the NBTB, held annually at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

The showcase had a five-year run as the Queen City Battle of the Bands before it was moved in 2018 and rebranded.

Webber said proceeds from the series go to band programs so they can continue to showcase their talent through music.

“This is part of our National Battle of the Bands overall program where we are actually approaching a little over $1 million given over the last eight years with this … platform,” he said. “This all ties into our foundation of how we support HBCU shows and how we support music and arts, and education through the band programs. So yes, this benefits the bands directly. That's tied into the overall national Battle of the Band's event that happens in Houston every year.”  

Why HBCU bands? Webber said he was heavily influenced by Black college culture growing up.

“I'm an HBCU grad,” he said. “My mom and dad are HBCU grads. We have four generations that attended Hampton University. My dad’s an [North Carolina A&T State] Aggie; my mom went to Fayetteville State, so being at an HBCU is part of the culture and part of the family over here.”  

Webber said HBCU bands are important because he believes those who dedicate their lives to the musical organization are future leaders.

“They're the ones who have shown a tremendous amount of commitment,” Webber said. “They work hard and their ethics are very high. We think it’s important to support students like that to have opportunities to pursue their careers beyond music. … It’s important because they are the foundation of both of our communities and music, art and education is a big component of our culture. So that's why we do it.”   

More information about the films can be found at nationalbattleofthebands.com  

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