PHOTO BY RUTH PANNILL | THE SIGNAL
Georgia State’s marching band will perform at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
For Georgia State students attending football and basketball games, the marching band is an integral part of the experience, helping rally both the athletes and students to provide an entertaining experience for all. The Georgia State Marching Band is taking the show on the road, having been invited to play in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Marching Band is not a stranger to being invited to play major, televised events, having played at the 2012 Presidential Inauguration for President Barack Obama. The next logical step, according to Director of Athletic Bands Dr. Chester B. Phillips, was to aim for a major, nationally televised parade.
“In the third year we went to the Presidential Inaugural parade in D.C., so we hit that very early and then we thought, ‘Man, where do we go from here?’” Phillips said.
The answer was the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, an event that has become a tradition to watch on Thanksgiving Day. The parade is watched by more than three million New Yorkers live and fifty million viewers on television.
Phillips said the process of applying to be in the parade and preparing for their performance has been a long time in the works. Almost 18 months to be exact.
“So, the application was put in right at the beginning of February and we found out maybe about eight weeks later we were accepted. And then we have had from April of 2013 to now to get ready,” Phillips said. “They usually do a year and a half ahead to announce who was selected so we have known a year and a half. We have had 18 months to prepare, and I can’t believe it’s next week.”
Spirit of the family
The Georgia State Band has worked hard in its five years of existence to create a culture of excellence within the program as well as a family atmosphere. Associate Director of Athletic Bands David W. Vandewalker says the band’s focus on excellence as well as entertainment has contributed greatly to its success and the invitation to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“Things have escalated in an achievement and success context at a pretty rapid pace compared to many others when you consider that the other bands that are performing have been around for decades. The goal fits with the model of the ensemble to entertain with excellence. It has been the key driving force behind creating the culture of the band since it began,” Vandewalker said.
The members of the Georgia State Marching Band agree that creating a family atmosphere and a sense of community for the larger Georgia State student body is an important part of the band’s identity. Senior music education major and drum major Ansley Ivey believes that the band has done a lot to foster this attitude.
“I have noticed since we are a newer program, we did not have a sense of tradition and camaraderie. Last year was a growing year for the band. We did a lot to try and find our identity,” Ivey said. “There’s actually a band family happening. We can all attribute it partly to the trips we have been afforded through the program, excellence becoming a tradition with our family around that.”
It is a spirit that has infected the band at all levels, according to freshman band member Harrison Spradlin.
“I joined the marching band because being part of a bigger group of people means a lot to me, and having done that in high school, I believed that if I continued in the marching band I would have a better experience my first year of college,” Spradlin said.
Putting Georgia State on the map
The band’s directors and members are excited to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and excited about what their performance will mean for Georgia State as a whole.
“On most levels, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is something that everyone grows up watching. It’s a great opportunity to represent the university, it’s a great honor to represent the university and therefore we feel a lot of responsibility to do that in a very engaging, entertaining and highly excellent way,” Vandewalker said.
For those tuning in to this year’s broadcast of the parade, they can expect to see the Georgia State Marching Band performing with some of the biggest names in music today, such as Idina Menzel, Nick Jonas and Meghan Trainor.
Dr. Phillips isn’t worried about not impressing though.
“You know, we’re actually not allowed to talk about it. We were told in our meeting that we’re not allowed to talk about our televised production with media,” Phillips said. “All I can say as a teaser and a cliffhanger is I can guarantee you it will be something you’ve never seen before and yet at the same time it will be extremely familiar. It will be pretty exciting.”
Did you know?
The Georgia State Marching Band has had several other notable successes. Here are some interesting facts about the band, according to their crowdfunding page on Impact Georgia State:
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