‘The energy is unmatched’: HBCU marching bands battle it out in South Florida

Those looking for a reprieve from the National College Football Championship festivities might want to make the drive to the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands, which is hosting its inaugural South Florida event in Boca Raton this weekend.

The event, held Saturday at Florida Atlantic University’s Flagler Credit Union Stadium, will feature six HBCU marching bands including Florida A&M’s Marching 100, Bethune-Cookman University’s Marching Wildcats and Southern University’s Human Jukebox.

Event founder and executive producer Derek Webber said the event is a way to raise scholarship money for HBCUs and introduce the culture to communities who may not always experience it. “We’re really intentional about bringing a cultural event like this to support music arts and education and build scholarship funding for HBCUs,” he said.

Webber inked a five-year deal with Palm Beach to host the festivities, after spending two-years cultivating a relationship with local officials. He said he was drawn to Palm Beach from the reception he received from the county’s sports commission, even at a time when Florida has been in the national spotlight in recent years for its restrictions on how Black history can be taught in schools and the criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“We thought about that. We thought about this marketplace,” he said, “but they were genuine, and they were really committed and intentional about creating something like this. You might lose deals, but you don’t lose relationships. And for me and the relationship was key for in making this decision. Them being genuine, them being intentional, and really wanting this to be impactful for the community is really what convinced us to come here.”

Florida Memorial University’s marching band The ROAR will also be featured, coming off the heels of the death of its band director Richard Beckford. FMU president William McCormick said the experience will be an opportunity to pay tribute to Beckford by showing their talent.

“We just lost our founding band director, so this will be a memorial competition for us in honor of him,” he said. “We just want to make him proud of the spirit of music.”

Webber initially founded the event in Charlotte, N. C., and called it the Queen City Battle of the Bands before moving to Houston and renaming it the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands.

Marching band culture has been a part of Webber’s life since he was a child going to HBCU games with his dad. “I don’t play an instrument. I’ve never been in a band,” he said. “But growing up, halftime was what stole the show for me. The excitement, the music, the pageantry — that stayed with me.”

That passion translated into an immeasurable love for band culture and the impact it has had on the Black community. A graduate of Hampton University, Webber said he got immerse himself in that world in 2002 when the marketing firm he worked for at the time was hired to work on the movie “Drumline” in Atlanta.

“’Drumline’ led to me to taking a leap of faith, and I started up my own firm, knowing I needed to have intellectual property,” he said. Webber founded Webber Marketing & Consulting which has promoted HBCU marching band culture.

The Battle of the Bands has raised more than $2.4 million in scholarship funds for participating HBCUs. That amount includes the $50,000 all six participating schools in this year’s event will receive.

Webber said the event has helped smaller schools, such as Langston University in Langston, Okla., more than double its band in recent years — this year FMU’s band of 124 performers could increase after it performs Saturday. Webber said it’s why his firm does what they do: to raise scholarship money in support of music, arts and education.

“We saw a void, and this was an opportunity to raise awareness and give back to out HBCUs in a meaningful way,” he said.

Apart from the band performances, the three-day-long festivities will include a volunteer project to distribute food in Palm Beach on Thursday. On Friday, an entrepreneurship conference will take place and will include panel discussions for business owners to grow and support their businesses, and as well as a college fair for students.

Ahead of Saturday’s performance, there will also be a fan experience with a Greek stroll competition, food vendors, a DJ and an arts fair. Webber knows that South Florida is focused on the college football championship game in Miami Gardens on Monday, but thinks the Battle of the Bands is a good way to bring people together.

“It’s something for everyone,” Webber said. “From kids to grandparents, the energy is unmatched.”

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: Pepsi National Battle of the Bands

WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17

WHERE: Flagler Credit Union Stadium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL

COST: $20

INFO: https://www.nationalbattleofthebands.com/

This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 4:30 AM.