FIU Marching Band joins Bahamian Independence Day celebrations

After falling prey to budget cuts, the FIU Marching Band made its triumphant return to campus in fall 2010.

The FIU Marching Band took its talents to the Bahamas recently to perform on a float parade on July 11, culminating a week of events in celebration of the country’s 38 years of independence.

Bahamian government officials coordinating the week-long festivities requested the FIU Marching Band to perform at one of their scheduled events. The group has been in communication with Catherine Rand, director of Bands at the FIU School of Music, for the past two years to develop this collaboration. It is through her efforts that the Panthers were given this unique, all expenses-paid opportunity to travel and perform abroad.

“I see this as a wonderful opportunity to connect with our neighbors in the Bahamas and look forward to future collaborations with them,” said Barry Bernhardt, the band’s director. “We would like to have this become an annual event where we could participate in their parade, but also do some outreach and philanthropic ventures in the very near future.”

Fifty band members, Color Guard, Golden Dazzlers and nine staff members departed from Miami on July 10 on Discovery Cruise Lines. They arrived in the Bahamas for a late-afternoon rehearsal before the Independence Float Parade performance at 10 a.m. the next day.