Outsourcing Hits FSU Band

DURHAM, N.C. - The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Marching Sound Machine has been invited to play at an ESPN nationally televised game as a stadium band for Florida State University (FSU). On Thursday, October 5, 2006, at 7:30 p.m., FSU will play North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., at Carter Finley Stadium. NCCU's marching band will be seated in the stands with some 5,000 Florida State spectators playing FSU fight songs as well as NCCU’s band music and other game cadences.

FSU is making special FSU shirts for NCCU band members to wear to the event and will pay for the 250 members' bus travel to Raleigh. The Sound Machine will be served a tailgate dinner outside the stadium and play for FSU alumni before the game.

FSU's band, the Marching Chiefs, was unable to attend because two days of classes would be missed while traveling on Thursday and Friday.

Mr. Douglas Manheimer, chair of the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame, personally invited the Sound Machine to play at the game. "We had heard a lot of good things about NCCU's band and were impressed with their performance at the Honda Battle of the Bands," said Manheimer. "Since the Chancellor of NCCU, James H. Ammons, and the Band Director Jorim Reid are FSU graduates, we hoped as members of the FSU family they would accept our invitation."