Princess Anne marching band rehearses for ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity: Performing theme song for Pharrell movie

VIRGINIA BEACH — “You feel good?” John Boyd asked his marching band as they assembled for a rehearsal in the Princess Anne High School band room.

“Yes!” came the collective answer.

“You look good!” he said.

And so began their rehearsal late Friday morning for what Boyd called a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. The 52-member band is headed to New York City to perform at the red carpet premiere of Pharrell Williams’ new animated Lego biopic movie, “Piece by Piece,” at Lincoln Center on Oct. 9. That morning, the Fabulous Marching Cavaliers will also perform on national television during the 8 a.m. hour of the “Today” show.

The band will play the “Piece by Piece” theme song, which they originally recorded for the movie’s soundtrack more than a year ago. The single was released last month, and the band (along with each individual musician) is credited on the song. Princess Anne is Pharrell’s alma mater.

A few weeks ago the pop star’s team reached out to ask if the band was interested in performing at the premiere on the “Today” show. Since then, the band — which is in the middle of its own competitive marching season — has been rehearsing and band parents have “moved heaven and earth” to make the trip possible. All costs are covered by the studios.

“It’s just an incredible, incredible thing to be able to do,” said Boyd, who has been the band director at Princess Anne for 24 years. He said his students are thrilled at the opportunity to play on television and the possibility of performing in front of artists like Pharrell, Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg, who are all in the movie.

The band practiced for several hours Friday, both in their band room and on stage in the school’s auditorium.

“It’s really awesome to work with someone that’s so big in the world,” said junior Luna He, 16, who plays clarinet. “We get a chance that nobody else gets to do.”

Watch one of the marching band’s practice runs from this week below. Can’t see the video? Click here .

Senior Makaila Matteson, 17, is a percussionist in the band. She is excited about playing for a national audience.

“It means so much,” she said. “This will be the first time that some of my extended family gets to see me perform. And it’s really, really cool, because that means that a school that doesn’t get all this recognition all the time will be put on live TV.

“It’s so good for all of us.”

Boyd said Pharrell’s continued support for his hometown and alma mater gives students in Virginia Beach “a chance to be an artist.”

“Band, specifically, really helps kids achieve parts of their inner self, their psyche and their abilities that they might not realize they have,” said Boyd.

“Pharrell has never forgotten where he comes from, nor has he forgotten what he did when he was here.”

The movie will open in theaters Oct. 11.

Nour Habib, nour.habib@virginiamedia.com