AWARD WINNING LOCAL AND NATIONAL MARCHING BANDS 'BATTLE IT OUT' FOR $10,000 AND NATIONAL TITLE AT BATTLE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BANDS COMING TO THE HOME DEPOT CENTER THIS MONTH

Local Carson, Crenshaw and Inglewood High Schools  Make Final Eight Field Along With Atlanta & Washington, D.C. Squads

WHO: Marching Band Finalists from the following schools: Banning High School (Wilmington, CA), Carson High School (Carson, CA), Crenshaw High School (Los Angeles, CA), Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills, CA), Inglewood High School (Inglewood, CA), Valencia High School (Valencia, CA), Redan High School (Atlanta, GA) and Frank W. Ballou Senior High School (Washington, D.C.) will compete and be judged by Sheila E., Lelah Hathaway, Verdine White (of Earth, Wind and Fire), four record company executives and two University marching band directors.

WHAT: \"Battle of the High School Marching Bands\" will feature eight national and local high school marching band finalists who will battle it out \"Southern Show Style\" for $10,000 to purchase new instruments or uniforms for their school in front of celebrity and music industry executive judges.  Proceeds from the event will also benefit The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation and the VH1 Save the Music Foundation.

Additional prizes include marching shoes from Drillmasters and gift certificates from Yamaha and REMO. 
 
Disneyland will select four bands including the winner to march in the Holiday Main Street Parade at Disneyland on Sunday, November 21 and the NBA Los Angeles Clippers will select four bands to perform half time shows during the 2004-2005 basketball season.

The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation was established to provide financial and in-kind support for educational, recreational and social service programs which improve the lives of young people in the Greater Southern California region.

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 VH1 Save the Music was created in 1997, and they have given more than $25 million worth of instruments to more than 500,000 children.  VH1 Save The Music's many honors include the Governors' Award (a special Emmy Award), the George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast and cable excellence, and many Beacon awards.

WHEN: Saturday, November 20, 2004
5:00 PM - Celebrities arrive
6:00 PM - Event begins

WHERE: The Home Depot Center - 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson, CA  90746

Sponsors for the Battle of the High School Marching Bands:
VH1 Save The Music Foundation
100.3 The Beat
Toyota
Disneyland
McDonald's
Laidlaw Educational Services
Norman Lewis Limousines
SBO Magazine
Drillmasters
Wake Up Productions/Universal Music Group
themusicedge.com
Yamaha
Conn Selmer, Inc
The City of Carson