Auburn students to perform in virtual marching band show for tonight’s college football national championship game

Published: January 08, 2021

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Five members of the Auburn University Band will perform as part of a virtual marching band show for tonight’s college football national championship game.

The students will perform as part of the College Band Directors National Association, or CBDNA, Intercollegiate Marching Band and will join nearly 1,500 nominated performers from 200 bands in 45 states as well as Puerto Rico, all working together to produce the virtual show—which will air on the video board at halftime of tonight’s championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The show can also be viewed at halftime on the Intercollegiate Marching Band’s YouTube channel. 

Performers from Auburn are: Sam Becker, music education major, senior, mellophone; Landon Holladay, music performance major, junior, snare drum; Brianna Jarvis, music education major, junior, trumpet; Cassidy Powell, music education major, senior, alto saxophone; and Kelly Reynolds, finance major, senior, danceline.

“I am extremely proud of our students for their acceptance and involvement in this unique and unprecedented event. It is important that Auburn University will be represented and that we have been able to support the efforts of CBDNA to keep marching bands involved with the national championship football game.” said Corey Spurlin, director of the Auburn University Marching Band.

The unique project will combine college marching bands from different confer­ences, regions and styles in a single performance.

The Intercollegiate Marching Band will perform “End of Time” by Beyonce. 

“This is going to be a historical performance,” said Mark Spede, president of CBDNA and the director of bands at Clemson University. “In this unusual year when bands have been unable to perform their traditional pregame and halftime shows during college football games, CBDNA is pleased to offer this opportunity with the help of its partners.”

The IMB performance will showcase all of the unique aspects of a college halftime show including musicians, drum majors, color guard members, dancers and majorettes.

“During these challenging times, we are excited that CBDNA, along with some amazing partners, can offer an event so positive to collegiate band programs across the country,” says Barry Houser, chair of the CBDNA’s athletic bands committee and director of the Marching Illini at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Many students in college bands have been forced apart due to COVID-19, but the virtual Intercollegiate Marching Band will be an event that will bring together nearly 1,500 college marching band students, unified as one band.”