The Tennessee State University (TSU) marching band, Aristocrat of Bands, is scheduled to perform at the White House in Washington D.C. and the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest in Nashville.
The CMA Fest Hall of Fame Ceremony will commence on Thursday as the TSU Aristocrat of Bands leads a parade down the John Seigenthaler pedestrian bridge at 9 a.m. Following the parade, the band will perform on the Riverfront Stage with a performance at 9:40 a.m.
Tennessee State University’s Aristocrat of Bands is making history again! We’re thrilled to perform at the 50th #CMAfest on the FREE Chevy Riverfront Stage in support of the @cmafoundation & music education. Come see us Thursday, June 8! Read more here: https://t.co/BiN8iGyixI pic.twitter.com/VcSLkVjNak
— Tennessee State University (@TSUedu) June 5, 2023
“We are so excited to have the Grammy-winning TSU Aristocrats of Bands kicking off CMA Fest at the Chevy Riverfront Stage this year,” Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer, said in a statement.
The following week on June 13, the band will travel to D.C. to perform at the nation’s capitol during a celebration of the nation’s first official observance of Juneteenth with President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House.
TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands’ trip to D.C. is the second of its kind, as the band previously performed at the White House for former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in 2016.
Aristocrat of Bands Director Reginald McDonald said he is “more than proud to be a part of this summer’s festivities.”
“We are honored to make history yet again by performing for the CMAs and even more ecstatic to be invited by the First Lady of the United States to celebrate Juneteenth for the first time as a nation and during Black Music Month,” McDonald said in a statement.
The band recently made history as the first-ever marching band to debut a live performance at the Grand Ole Opry. The band is also honored to be the first collegiate band to win a Grammy Award.
The Aristocrat of Bands made history as the first ever marching band to debut a live performance at the Grand Ole Opry! The night was filled with incredible music and unforgettable moments that will go down in TSU and Opry history. pic.twitter.com/Avzala9S9S
— Tennessee State University (@TSUedu) June 1, 2023
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Tennessee State University Marching Band” by Tennessee State University.
