WASHINGTON — Young people breaking new ground is getting us uplifted! The marching band for Virginia State University, known as the Trojan Explosion, became the first marching band to perform at the White House's Black History Month event on Monday.
The honor of entertaining guest arriving at the event is usually reserved for the U.S. Marine Corps Band.
University leaders said they were pleased and proud to have the chance to showcase the talents of these future leaders.
“We are honored and beyond delighted to have members of our VSU Trojan Explosion Marching Band perform at the White House for this event,” said VSU President Dr. Makola M. Abdullah in a press release. “We believe that our band is the best in the country, and we are excited to showcase the talents of our scholar students on this prestigious platform.”
The band performed a medley of unmatched and unique sounds derived from various musical genres and songs made famous through Black culture.
The band consists of 120 members and is under the direction of Mr. Taylor Whitehead, a former Trojan Explosion member. “The White House performance will accommodate only a select few of our band members, but we are exceedingly proud of our entire unit,” said Mr. Whitehead.
This is the second time that the VSU Band has been invited to perform at the White House. In 2010, the VSU Drumline made history when they were invited by President Barack Obama to perform for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
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