Texas students among Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band performing in Paris
HOUSTON - Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 Band is in Paris, France to perform at the Louis Vuitton Men's Fashion Week, and some Texas students are among them.
The band received an invitation from Louis Vuitton in May to perform at the Louvre Museum.
This is an all-expense-paid trip and only 35 members of the band were selected to perform overseas.
However, this is not the Marching 100’s first time in Paris. In 1989, the band was invited to perform in the Bastille Day parade to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.
Tyren Neasman, a member of the band from Dallas, explains why this is an important experience for FAMU.
He states, "People that live in Paris might not even know what FAMU is, or an HBCU in general, so this is huge exposure internationally."
"I know it’s definitely a big step for HBCU's. This is an incredible, incredible opportunity, and we’re just fortunate enough to have it," said Neasman.
Co-section Leader, Dean Verret, states, "This trip is putting HBCU's at the forefront of media, and it’s giving HBCU's a place for people to see us outside of the country."
Verret also expresses gratitude to "all the people that have been a huge influence in my life, my band directors all my mentors, and my fellow students that I played with in high school."
The Marching 100 performs Thursday, June 23 and returns home to Tallahassee, Florida later that day.