Wekiva High School’s Mighty Marching Mustangs band is one of eight of the nation’s top high school bands that will perform at this year’s Florida Blue Battle of the Bands on Nov. 21 at the Kia Center in Orlando.  

The marching bands are traveling from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas to compete in the event.  

The Florida Blue Battle of the Bands is part of the Florida Classic weekend, which takes place before the yearly football game between Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) and Florida A&M University (FAMU).  

This summer, a video of the band and information about the Mustangs’ current and future highlights, such as participating in the Sugar Bowl in December, were submitted for consideration in playing in Battle of the Bands.  

“The visibility and reputation will bring much more awareness to the school itself, as well as to the band program, in the new direction it is taking,” band director Jonte Petty said in a Wednesday email to The Apopka Chief. 

By the end of Battle of the Bands, the Mustangs anticipate being more well known, especially since they intend to perform their “Mighty Mustang Swagger.” 

“For the band, their signature, or what we call the ‘swag’ for this event, is that we are not well-known,” Petty said. “The element we are coming to this event with is that no one knows who we are. When we enter this event and arena, we are here, and everyone will know who this school is by the end of the event.”  

Besides Wekiva, the other participating bands include Fort Lauderdale High School (THEE Sound of the South), Fort Lauderdale; Heritage High School (Blue Sea of Sound), Palm Bay; Ocoee High School (Marching Knights), Ocoee; South Broward High School (Bulldog Band), Hollywood; South Cobb High School (The Soaring Sound of South Cobb), Austell; Sunset High School (Purple Marching Machine), Dallas, Texas; and Wilson High School (Marching Tiger Pride Band), Florence, S.C. 

The headline performances will feature FAMU’s “Marching 100” and B-CU’s “Marching Wildcats.” The Marching 100 from Florida A&M University has performed at prestigious events including the Olympics, the Super Bowl, a presidential inauguration, a Louis Vuitton fashion show and, most recently, Coachella, a music and arts festival in California.  

The Marching Wildcats, known as the Pride of B-CU, have appeared on “The Ellen Show,” at many Super Bowl and NFL games, in the Netflix special “Marching Orders” and, lately, Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show.  

“The students were surprised and shocked when they received the information about performing in this event versus being a spectator,” Petty said. “They are highly motivated to showcase the gifts and talents they possess to the world, as this is a nationwide event.” 

This year’s football game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, marking the 80th all-time meeting between the Rattlers and Wildcats and the 45th official Florida Classic.  

Other Florida Classic weekend events include the first ever Florida Classic Golf Tournament (8 a.m., Nov. 20) and the Florida Classic Consortium Kickoff Luncheon (11:30 a.m., Nov. 21).  

Petty himself is no stranger to the Battle of the Bands.  

“I’ve been attending this event since I was a kid,” he said. “I even had the opportunity to perform with FAMU’s band while in college when they hosted the first Battle of the Bands inside the Waterhouse.”