HBCU-Style All-Star Band Program Comes To Oklahoma City

Press release from the City of Oklahoma City:

June 18, 2021

Local high school and college students can help preserve the culture of show style marching bands this summer with the new Oklahoma City All-Star Band program offered through OKC Parks.

The All-Star Band is modeled after the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)-style marching bands, which showcase the talent, energy and passion of their musicians.

The Oklahoma City program is for students age 14 and up. It features rehearsals Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with showcase events at the end of the summer in Tulsa, Dallas and Tennessee.

Registration is $40, and instruments are provided on a limited basis. Rehearsals are 6-8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at Douglass High School, 900 N Martin Luther King Ave., and noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays at the Douglass Recreation Center, 900 Frederick Douglass Ave.

Call (405) 297-1416 to register.

The average All-Star Band program has 60-90 students, and cities with the program often host exhibitions and competitions to showcase themselves and other bands. The league-like culture helps programs support each other financially and emotionally.

The high-energy HBCU-style performances require dedication, passion and stamina. Each program has its own unique style and purpose, and the result is pure fun and joy as the students express themselves through music, dancing and style.

Visit okc.gov/parks for more activities and programs from OKC Parks.

This press release was produced by the City of Oklahoma City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.