The Sequoyah High Marching Band of Chiefs will participate in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City. The group packed up two charter buses and headed out Wednesday evening after one last rehearsal. The band will play the old Irish favorite ‘Danny Boy’ as it marches down Fifth Avenue. Drum major Katie Cardin leads the band in a final run-through of their parade routine.
Staff/Todd Hull
Staff/Todd Hull
Michael Ollman and the drum line keep time with their cadence as they march through parking lot.
Baritone player Eliana Hyatt plays along with the rest of the Chiefs.
Color guard member Claire Bailey keeps step during the last practice before the Chiefs leave for New York.
Band director Casey Eubanks said the last time the group participated in the event was in 2005, under former director David Harrison. Last year, the band went to the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade in Chicago.
“We’ve been trying to build up our experiences to gain more of a national profile in the last few years,” Eubanks said.
After months of practice, the 85 band members also plan to go sightseeing while in New York City and hit major tourism spots including the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Statue of Liberty, Radio City Music Hall, NBC studios and the Empire State Building.
Out of the hundreds of performers coming to march from throughout the country, only one other Georgia school will attend — Houston County High School, where Eubanks previously worked for four years as an assistant band director.
Those looking to watch the Chiefs can view a live broadcast of the event at the parade’s website at www.nycst
patricksparade.org and WNBC Channel Four at www.wnbc.com.
The parade begins Saturday at 11 a.m. and the band will arrive at the staging area at 12:20 a.m. The parade route runs from 44th Street to 79th Street on Fifth Avenue.
The parade is Saturday since March 17 is on a Sunday this year.
Held each year since 1762, the parade hosts around 250,000 marchers and 2 million spectators. Participants include marching bands, bagpipers in marching formations and high school and college bands from throughout the United States and from all over the world.
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