FAMU's Marching 100 trombones play Erykah Badu's "On and On" so smoothly that Badu herself gave it a rave

Every band kid dreams of the artist hearing their version of a song. The trombone section of Florida A&M University's Marching 100 just lived that dream. Their take on Erykah Badu's 1997 classic "On and On" made its way to Badu herself. The queen of neo-soul answered with two words fans keep repeating: "Amazing – the whole thing."

The moment happened during the fifth quarter, the after-game battle where HBCU bands keep playing long after the clock hits zero. FAMU was in Jackson, Mississippi, facing Jackson State's Sonic Boom of the South. It was the first time in 28 years the Marching 100 had made that trip to play the Sonic Boom on its home turf, so the stands were packed with people ready to judge every note.

Instead of a battle, the trombones started a sing-along. The horns carried Badu's lazy, rolling melody while the tubas laid down a bass line you could feel in your chest. Clips from the section's own TikTok spread quickly, a popular magazine reposted the video and it passed 100,000 views across social media. That is where Badu found it.

The arrangement came from student arranger Terrell Townsend. It was not a last-minute idea. He told his campus radio station he began sketching it in 2023, when he was just starting to arrange music, then kept reworking it for three years. He changed the key, polished the harmonies and fought to keep the song's laid-back soul intact on brass.

"I knew it was going to be a fan favorite," Townsend said, adding that he expected it to be the song of the night. Hearing that Badu loved it, he said, is what it is all about.

Third-year member Giovanni Rodriguez admitted he played the original song every single day the week before the trip. His favorite part was looking up and seeing the home crowd bobbing their heads and singing along with the visiting band. Section leader Ian Rentz said the goal is to make the horns sound like a voice, so anybody of any background can enjoy it.

A rivalry turned into a groove

Fifth quarters are usually about bragging rights. Jackson State fans are famous for defending theirs. This one ended with a stadium swaying to the same tune. Somewhere, Erykah Badu was probably nodding along too.