John Newson

 

John E. Newson, Sr., served as Director of University Bands at Howard University from 1993 until he retired in 2019. Prior to his elevation to this position, he served as Associate Director of University Bands from 1986 to 1992, which includes conductorship of the Concert, Marching and Pep Bands.

 

During his legendary tenure at Howard, Newson was able to elevate the status of the band, which included coming up with the name, "Showtime Marching Band." It was the unique style and performance that gave the band its profile and made it a show to see for fans. It included home and away Howard University football games and special event performances, the marching band had a travel schedule that included performances at numerous NFL venues. Some of those performances have been for the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens to name a few.

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 In addition to performances at football games, Newsom established the Howard University Showtime prep band for Howard basketball games at home in Burr and in gymnasiums all across the country.

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