A local high school marching band is hitting some high notes nationwide, thanks to a recent promotion.
Apple Music’s advertising campaign for Atlanta crooner Usher’s upcoming halftime Super Bowl performance includes Jonesboro High School’s marching band, the Majestic Marching Cardinals.
In an ad that debuted earlier this month on Good Morning America, the band can been seen in various cuts of the roughly minute-long commercial playing “Yeah,” one of Usher’s biggest hits. Decked out in black, red and white, the band’s drum and brass sections play a prominent role in the ad as the only marching band selected for inclusion.
“These opportunities don’t come by chance,” Lynel Goodwin, director of the band, said in a news release. “Our students are dedicated to excellence and put in the work to make sure the Jonesboro Band continues to be the elite organization and ambassador for our community. Being a part of this project is one of the most unique experiences.”
Usher will headline the Feb. 11 halftime show for Super Bowl LVIII, which is sponsored by Apple Music. The ad will continue to air on various platforms up to the game’s start, Clayton County Schools said.
The ad is not the Majestic Marching Cardinals’ first invitation to play on the national stage. Last year, the band was invited to perform in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Part of what makes the band standout among its peers is its signature tune “Valdosta,” a variation of hip hop artist Archie Eversole’s “We Ready,” Goodwin said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May about the band’s Macy’s parade invitation.
“Every time we step in a building, we play that song and it lets people know that the Majestic Marching Cardinals are up in the house and we’re about to set this thing off,” he said.
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