While Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay Packers were nursing a 21-10 halftime lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers, members of the Marching Storm were preparing to appear in a star-studded performance.
60 members of the band were chosen to feature in the futuristic performance at Sunday’s game. Members included drum majors, percussion, and trumpet players.
Senior music education major and drum major Deshawn Parks said, “Preparing for the Super Bowl was no different than preparing for the State Fair Classic, homecoming, or the Rose Bowl which were almost equal in magnitude in my opinion.” He added, “We spent countless hours working and perfecting a craft, and when I saw the Black Eyed Peas, it felt like we had made it to the big times.”
The opportunity came after Jimmy R.O. Smith, a 2003 graduate and former drum major for the Marching Storm, assisted in the choreography for the halftime show.
With an estimated 111 million viewers on hand, platinum recording pop band Black Eyed Peas took the stage to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. Performing hits like “I Got a Feeling,” and “Where is the Love,” the Black Eyed Peas dazzled the crowd in Arlington, with the assistance of Prairie View students.
Students even got a surprise midway through the performance, as Usher came dangling down from the rafters of the stadium to take the stage with Will I Am to perform “O.M.G.”
Senior electrical engineering major David Cheri, who is also a drum major, said, “The atmosphere is amazing, breathtaking. It’s an honor to be able to walk into a stadium filled with thousands of fans and celebrities, actually have the opportunity to perform with some of the most elite artists in today’s industry, and be able to feel like a superstar in front of millions around the world.”
Junior computer science major Jasmine Rosebrough said, “It was one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows I have seen in a long time. The Black Eyed Peas did a fantastic job and seeing our very own Marching Storm on stage was a bonus.”
Members of the band noted that the Black Eyed Peas were extremely and professional polite during their encounters.
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