The marching band will take part in the annual Glenview Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony, honoring those who have served in the U.S. military, and continuing a meaningful tradition for both the school and community, Benjamin Parker, Associate Pit Section Leader and junior, said.
The parade will be held on May 26, beginning at the Glenview train station. The parade not only honors veterans, but also builds community by bringing the whole town together, Parker said. It is a great way for students and families to show support for South’s marching band along with the veterans, Parker said.
“I love performing in the parade because it is a great opportunity to showcase our band’s skills for the Glenview community and honor our country and military,” Parker said. “My favorite part [of the parade] is getting to march along the street and seeing my friends and family watching me.”
South’s marching band has a tradition of performing “God Bless America” by Kate Smith every year, junior Keira Read, Drum Major, said. The band practices for the event during rehearsals and class to ensure that the annual performance runs smoothly, Read said.
“It is important to recognize the people who fought in the military, and a parade is a nice way to celebrate them,” Read said.
The routine for the parade commences when the band arrives at South at 8:45 a.m., Parker explained. They will run through their repertoire in the parking lot, which consists of them getting in formation that they will perform in, and practicing the marching and music to get warmed up. Then they will load onto the buses at 9:30 am, followed by another round of warming up before getting back into formation for the real performance, Parker said.
“To prepare for the performance, our band teacher, Mr. Boron, will have us practice the piece during our band classes during the school day,” Parker said. Then on parade day, it’s just a quick rehearsal to make sure we are ready to go with everybody.”
This will be Parker’s third year participating in the parade. When Parker was younger, his older brothers inspired him to join the marching band. He now hopes that other children will watch the performance and wish to join the marching band when they begin high school.
“I hope that our performance will impact the community by bringing everybody together and supporting each other,” Parker said. “Music is supposed to bring people together, so at a very minimum, I hope we accomplish that.”
