The show features North Texas native Jalen McCurtis-Henry, one of the five drum majors, who graduated from Cedar Hill High School in 2017. McCurtis-Henry's relaxed demeanor and mentoring skills make him a good leader for young members of the band.
“This experience has taught me how to carry myself overall, " he says of his experience on the show. "Being a young man, I want to be able to inspire others to grow up and chase what they want to do wholeheartedly.”
McCurtis-Henry says the episodes that have aired so far show a close depiction of life in a marching band.
“So far it’s very accurate as it shows the blood sweat and tears we put into this program and what it takes to have so many moving parts all move in one accord," he says. "It shows the world more of the inside scoop on how we as college students manage everything else with our band life.”
McCurtis-Henry will graduate in December 2022 and is planning to go to chiropractic school after grad school.
The series was filmed in the fall of 2021 and includes scenes of the band's homecoming performance and games against Texas A&M and Jackson State. In the trailer for the series, it says the Marching Storm is ranked 8th among other HBCU bands by ESPN’s Undefeated rankings, setting up a fight to prove they should be at the top of the list.
Each episode highlights the challenges — including the effects of the pandemic — of marching season and college life for band members and school staff. The show also looks at the current discussion around pronouns, the dynamics among bandmates, students and parents and the difficulty of maintaining long-distance relationships.
The docuseries was produced by Jamail Shelton of Love and Hip Hop, Emmy Award winner Cheryl Horner McDonough of The T Word as well as Stage 13 executive producers Shari Scorca and Marcel Fuentes. The show premiered Jan. 24 on The CW with new episodes airing every Sunday.
“It’s been completely incredible to be immersed in this unique world,” Scorca said in a press release. “I’m impressed by the commitment of the band members, the tough but nurturing band staff, watching 300 people come together for truly magical moments of music and movement coordination, and seeing these kids grow as musicians and people in real time. Producing this show has been an inspiration for our team, it truly comes through on screen.”
MARCH will air on The CW through February and March as a tribute to Black History Month and HBCU Awareness Month.
