(Wilson, N.C.) – June 4, 2024 – Twenty-seven years after the original was composed by long-time band director Paul Atlas, the Sallie B. Howard Music Department has updated the official SBH school song. The new version of the song will be unveiled at the SBH Academy Awards tonight at 6:00 pm, while simultaneously premiering as a music video on the school’s YouTube channel.
The idea to revise the school song came from SBH music teacher Jeremy Herring. Last summer, one of Mr. Herring’s friends – a banker and SBH graduate – asked Mr. Herring for a recording of the school song. No official recording of the song was available, which inspired Mr. Herring to embark on a project to create a new, dynamic version of the song that would capture the spirit of SBH for current and future generations.
“We’re incredibly excited to share with the world a new spin on this beloved classic,” Mr. Herring said. “The SBH song and video are a celebration of our school’s history and values, and we hope it will continue to be a cherished part of our school spirit for years to come.”
The lyrics to the SBH song originated from a student contest hosted by the school in 1997, the year of Sallie B. Howard’s founding. Joyah Bulluck, then a fifth grader, was one of the winning writers. Her words, “Growing and learning at Sallie B” became the opening to the song. Mr. Atlas and SBH student Shane Forrester contributed the remaining lyrics. Mr. Herring added new lyrics to the original to create the modern, Afrobeat-inspired version that’s debuting tonight.
Click here to watch the music video.
Music Production Credits:
Original Composition: Paul Atlas (1997)
Rearranged by: Jeremy Herring (2024)
Music Production/Recording Engineer: Jayvin Finch
Vocals: 4th/5th Grade Chorus
Vocal Production/Additional Vocals: Jeremy Herring
Drumline: Jair Taylor
Music Video Credits:
Video Concept: Mavis Poole
Videographers: Cacho Torres & David Ponce
HS Videographers: Mavis Poole & Jayvin Finch
Video Editing: David Ponce
SBH School Song – “We Love You Sallie B”
Original Lyrics (1997) – Paul Atlas, Joyah Bulluck, Shane Forrester
Revised (2024) – Jeremy Herring
Verse 1
Growing and learning at Sallie B.
Sallie B. Howard’s the school for me
Reading and writing and math, you see
Arts come together at Sallie B.
Chorus
Sallie B. Howard School
Learning’s fun, learning’s cool
Sallie B. Howard School
We love you, Sallie B.
Speak
Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, Excellence
Verse 2
A place to embrace opportunities
Creating a pathway for you and me
Dream it…Imagine…Do anything!
There’s magic that happens at Sallie B.
Repeat Chorus
