Honda Battle of the Bands Prepares to Celebrate Milestone 5th Anniversary Year

Honda Battle of the Bands Prepares to Celebrate Milestone 5th Anniversary Year

42 HBCU Marching Bands Tune-Up for Chance to Appear in Nation's Premier Annual Showcase

TORRANCE, Calif., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The band director carefully wipes a bead of sweat from his brow as he signals his drum major to start the song. With three shrill blows from the drum major's whistle, the drumlines respond to their cue with a loud rumble, setting the tempo for the horns, a strutting cadence for the entire band and the rhythmic backdrop for the colorful, show-stopping dance team. This is the unique experience of America's Historically Black College and University Marching Bands as celebrated in the 2006-07 Honda Battle of the Bands Celebration Tour and Invitational Showcase. The program is designed to cast a national spotlight on the historic spirit, pageantry, pride and showmanship of the Black College Marching Bands.

From scintillating precision routines, to familiar chart-topping Top 40 tunes, great surprises are in store for fans from eight to 80 years of age. Band directors and musicians alike are known for pulling out all the stops as the Honda Battle of the Bands, commonly called "the Super Bowl for Black College Marching Bands," gets set to mark its milestone 5th anniversary year. For 2006-07, HBOB will feature 42 participating HBCU Marching Bands.

"The HBCU Marching Bands are leaders in the educational, cultural and music communities -- as they continue to encourage scholarship and musicianship, to entertain and engage fans of all ages, and to inspire youth to pursue a college education," said Barbara Ponce, manager of Emerging Markets National Advertising for American Honda. "For the tremendous value the HBCU Marching Bands bring to so many communities, Honda is honored to mark five years as the founder and sponsor of the Honda Battle of the Bands program."

As sponsor, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. will once again award a total of $142,000 in grants to the participating marching bands, including $1,000 to each for their halftime performances at selected football games throughout the fall season. The Honda Battle of the Bands is comprised of two primary components: the Celebration Tour and the Invitational Showcase. As part of the 2006-07 Celebration Tour, which runs through mid-November, fans have the opportunity to get interactive by logging on to the Honda Battle of the Bands Web site to participate in the online opinion survey, nominating their favorite HBCU marching band.

At the conclusion of the Celebration Tour, the 10 bands that demonstrate the best showmanship, musicianship and fan interaction will be invited to perform in the Invitational Showcase on January 27, 2007, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The 10 schools selected will each receive an additional $10,000 to benefit their respective music programs and scholarship funds. The invitees will include the two top bands from each of the four HBCU athletic conferences (CIAA, SWAC, MEAC, SIAC) and two independent universities.

The selection process for the Invitational Showcase is based upon a three- tiered evaluation:

-- One-third of the points will be from online fan nominations received
at http://www.hondabattleofthebands.com/ .
-- One-third will be from the commissioners of the four conferences, and
school presidents.
-- One-third will be tallied from the HBCU band directors.

Commissioners, presidents and band directors are not permitted to vote for their own school(s). The deadline for all opinion surveys is midnight, November 3, 2006. On November 13, 2006, American Honda will announce the 10 bands that will perform at the Invitational Showcase.

Honda's long-term commitment to the HBCUs was first made more than 17 years ago when it established the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, a program designed to showcase the academic gifts and prowess of HBCU students. For more information on the Honda Battle Of the Bands, a list of the 42 participating HBCUs or to enter your nominee for the Invitational Showcase, visit http://www.hondabattleofthebands.com/ .

Source: American Honda

CONTACT: Ronald E. Childs for American Honda, +1-312-986-1260, or
Janice Kyser, of American Honda, +1-310-783-3217

Web site: http://www.hondabattleofthebands.com/

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