ARVADA, Colo. — Two Ralston Valley High School marching band students have been selected to participate in the Macy’s Great American Marching band (MGAMB) during the 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Junior saxophone player Lexi Smith and senior snare drummer Jack Schwartz were picked to represent Colorado in the band made up of 185 musicians along with 40 color guard and dance members selected from each state across the country. The All-star band members were selected to their All-State, All-Regional, and All-District Bands, respectively. Smith said she’s excited she was selected.
“We got that email that was like, ‘Congratulations, you’re accepted’ and it was the best feeling in the world,” Smith said. “I am extremely excited to meet so many new people and have a giant saxophone section that I can have all these new friends in.”
Smith said she got interested in auditioning for the band after seeing photos and videos from her classmate Jack Schwartz who participated in the MGAMB last year. Schwartz said the experience gave him the opportunity to learn.
“Last year, I got put on cymbals even though I auditioned on snare (drum),” Schwartz said. “So, I went home and practiced my audition…and now I get to march (snare drum), and my dreams come true.”
Both Smith and Schwartz auditioned in January and just recently found out the good news. The two were the only musicians picked for the marching band from the state of Colorado.
“I am super excited because not only am I representing my state, but I am representing my school and the fact that all my teachers and all my peers have helped me get to this point,” Smith said.
The marching band will be marching alongside giant helium balloons, celebrity floats and the nation’s top marching bands. They’ll be stepping off from Central Park and marching along a parade route with three million spectators expected to line the streets. The parade will end at Macy’s Herald Square with a grandstand audience and more than 50 million TV viewers watching live on NBC.
“The fans are really cool,” Schwartz said. “It’s one of the first times in my marching career where it feels like they are there for the band. It’s not like they are there to see the football team or the soccer team, they’re there to see us perform.”
The parade is the official kick off to the holiday season and both Smith and Schwartz said they’re excited to be part of the tradition.
“It’s a really fun experience,” Schwartz said. “Meeting new musicians, meeting new friends, and really just becoming a better musician myself and being able to share to the world, this is what I’m made of.”
“I’m just looking forward to having a feeling of, ‘This is me, I’m very proud of where I am’,” added Smith. “I’m very proud of my growth and to say that I can be in this band.”
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