Pop star Pharrell Williams enrolled musicians at his alma mater Princess Anne High School to help with the theme song for his new biopic movie, “Piece by Piece.” And the band participated in the movie premiere in New York City and performed on the “Today.”
Click here to see a recap of their appearance.
John Boyd, director of the Fabulous Marching Cavaliers, said the incredible opportunity started in March 2023, when a member of Williams’ team contacted him about collaborating on music for the movie.
“She put me in contact with his recording engineer, Mike Larson, who then sent me music and we agreed on a date where Mike would come to Princess Anne and we would record.”
After a recording session that spring, Larson reached out again to Boyd asking for names of the student musicians who participated.
Skip forward to Sept. 6 of this year, when Apple Music and Spotify released the single, “Piece by Piece,” crediting the musicians.
“We found out about it during the football game and at the post-football game pizza get-together at Chicho’s,” Boyd said.
“It was exciting! On Monday I started seeing the band’s name appear in places like Rolling Stone magazine and in online music reviews. It is all incredible, and I am so excited and happy for the students to be able to have this amazing experience!”
Oct. 11 is the release date for the animated Lego movie about Williams growing up with unique ideas and aspirations.
Williams has shown his dedication to Princess Anne many times since graduating in 1991, Boyd said, including speaking to students about staying committed to their education and dreams.
“A takeaway I hope the kids can glean from this is to actually listen to the lyrics of the song and realize that nothing is done overnight,” Boyd said. We build our futures ‘piece by piece’ through hard work, perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and belief in ourselves and our team.”
The film company Focus Features informed Boyd that the band was invited to an the movie’s Oct. 9 premiere at The Lincoln Center in New York City and on NBC’s “TODAY” the same day.
Superintendent Dr. Donald Robertson Jr. said he was thrilled to hear that Virginia Beach City Public Schools students contributed to the catchy, inspirational song.
“We’re proud to call Pharrell Williams one of our own here at VBCPS,” Robertson said. “He’s a great representative of the values we instill in our students, to build and use their unique talents to improve their community and make a positive impact on the world. I can’t wait to see the movie!”
Princess Anne students described what it was like to work with a Virginia Beach legend:
- “My experience while recording with Pharrell turned out to be quite enjoyable,” said senior Xavier Whitehead, a percussionist.
- “It was a fun and cool experience,” said junior Neil Minter, percussionist.
- “I take pride in the fact that I was able to be a part of such a large project, especially since it was coming from a Fabulous Marching Cavaliers alum,” said junior Elliot Boyd, who plays the french horn. “The music was easy to play, and the producer who was with us was very communicative with his vision, and it was a very jovial environment all around.”
Listen to “Piece by Piece” on YouTube. “Once you hear the drum roll, all the drum sounds are the kids (about two minutes into the song),” says band director John Boyd. “The horn sounds are added into the mix of the background synth sounds at that point.” Link to movie trailer.
Screenshots: The Princess Anne High School marching band and musicians credited on music apps.