TSU marching band to perform at CMA Fest, White House

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Tennessee State University’s Aristocrat of Bands (AOB) is set to make history once again as they prepare to perform at a one-of-a-kind event.

The university announced the AOB will be the first collegiate marching band to open for the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest this summer, the university said in a release.

Following the festival, the band will perform at the White House in celebration of Juneteenth. This will be the second time the band has played in the nation’s capital.

“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,” AOB Director Reginald McDonald said.

The band made history in November 2022 after becoming the first collegiate band in history to receive a Grammy nomination.

CMA Fest kicks off Thursday, June 8, in Nashville.

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