Tri-Cities gems represent Virginia, appear on national TV

Set your alarms… the Tri-Cities will be represented by Prince George teen Aidan Bryant, and the Virginia State University Trojan Explosion Pep Band on NBC the same week.

On Monday, February 20 at 8 p.m. tune into NBC's America's Got Talent: All-Stars Finals to watch Bryant's prerecorded aerial acrobatics routine. Did the 18-year-old who won second place in AGT's Season 16 earn enough votes to win it all? I can only imagine how tough it must be for the 11 contestants to keep silent.

During AGT: All-Stars Episode 2, two contestants advanced to the Finals: Bryant via Superfan voters and Detroit Youth Choir [AGT Season 14 runner-up] via Host Terry Crews's Golden Buzzer. Bryant slipped a wee bit while using his aerial triangle during his amazing performance, but the self-taught aerialist kept soaring 25-30 feet in the air without a net or harness.

The following nine AGT: All-Stars Finalist's acts will also air Monday night:

• Ventriloquist Ana-Maria Mǎrgean - Superfan vote

• Aerialists Power Duo Anjanette and Gervin - Superfan vote

• Singer Tom Ball - Group Golden Buzzer

• Magician Aidan McCann - Heidi Klum's Golden Buzzer

• Acrobatic Trio Bello Sisters Loren, Celine and Joline - Superfan Vote

• Comedian Mike E. Winfield - Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer

• Ukrainian dance troupe Light Balance Kids - Howie Mandel's Golden Buzzer

• Saxophonist Avery Dixon - Superfan vote

• Singer Kodi Lee - Superfan vote

The winner of the reality TV competition series will be revealed in the two-hour finale on Monday, February 27. Sixty acts total competed from around the world. NBC's AGT: All-Stars airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. Visit nbc.com for more information. Follow Bryant on Facebook @AidanBryant, on Twitter @AidanBryantAGT and Instagram @aidanb.ryant.

Prince George teen soars to next levelAidan Bryant slips, grips, recovers, advances to AGT: All-Stars finale

Prince George teen Aidan BryantWow... just wow! Aerialist Aidan Bryant's audition on AGT: All-Stars is a must-see!

Virginia State University Trojan Explosion Marching Band­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

The VSU Trojan Explosion Pep Band will perform live during NBC's Today Show on Tuesday, February 21. Thirty-five students will do their thing on TODAY's Rockefeller Center Plaza in New York, N.Y.

"The Today Show really wanted to feature HBCU [historically black college or university] marching bands and the impact that they have on their college campus," VSU's Interim Band Director Taylor Whitehead said.

This will be the Pep Band's first appearance on the Today Show.

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I spoke with Whitehead while he was in Montgomery, Ala. He and the VSU Trojan Explosion Marching Band were participating in the Honda Battle of the Bands [HBOB] at Alabama State University for the tenth time. As a selected university, VSU will receive a $50,000 grant from Honda to support VSU music education programs.

“As a second-generation Trojan, I have benefitted tremendously from the music programs at Virginia State University. Traveling and performing with the band gave me experiences I will never forget,” Whitehead said. “Now I am excited to be given a chance to offer similar experiences to present-day VSU students and give back to a program that gave me so much.”

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Honda Battle of the Bands is the nation's premier showcase for HBCU marching bands and dance teams. Honda invited all HBCU marching bands to participate in the 2022-2023 HBOB program. After fans nationwide cast more than 100,000 online votes, the final six bands were selected through a voting process. Each band received an all-expense-paid trip to the event.

"We're all ecstatic," Whitehead said. "Appearing on the Today Show is an excellent opportunity for VSU, the VSU Band program and our students who get to showcase their talent on a national level."

According to the Band's Facebook post, they will perform during the 10 a.m. hour of the show. Visit band.vsu.edu for more information. Follow VSU Trojan Explosion Marching Band on Facebook and on Twitter @VSU_Explosion and Instagram @vsuband.

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— Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly columnist is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on Twitter @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.

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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: VSU Trojan Explosion Band, Aerialist Aidan Bryant: Share talent on NBC