Soddy-Daisy band in Rose Parade today

By Susan Pierce

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Soddy-Daisy High School Band will march into the homes of an anticipated 40 million viewers tuned into the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade today.

The so-called Granddaddy of Bowl Parades steps off at 11 a.m. with coverage on five cable channels locally. The band should be on television between noon and 12:30 p.m.

"We are the 68th of 94 units. We are expected to be on TV one hour after the time you see the first float on your screen," said Michele Bowman in a phone interview from Pasadena, Calif., where the band has been since Monday.

Mrs. Bowman is past Band Booster president and now band liaison with the parade. She led the $325,000 community campaign to fund their trip. Mrs. Bowman was interviewed this week in Pasadena by an HGTV reporter for a feature airing today during that network's coverage.

Mitzi Freeman, band Web master, said in an e-mail that students spent Thursday in Disneyland. They performed Wednesday in the Rose Parade's band exhibition, Band Fest, and took a tour of the parade route along Colorado Boulevard.

After today's march through Pasadena, the band will wrap up its trip with a dinner-dance aboard the Queen Mary tonight, Ms. Freeman said.

Mrs. Bowman said the Soddy-Daisy musicians have been training for today's 5.5-mile march since summer. The band has marched repeated laps around the high school's track to build stamina. Rose Parade rules say that should a parade member fall out of line because of illness or exhaustion, he or she may not return to the line.

"In the event something happens, they tell them a 'white suiter on a Honda scooter' will pick them up and take them to the end of the parade route, where a school chaperone must meet them. Our goal is for 145 students to start out and 145 to end," she said.

TUNE IN

The Tournament of Roses Parade begins at 11 a.m. today.

The following channels are broadcasting the parade:

* WRCB-TV (NBC, Comcast Channel 4, HD Channel 432)

* WTVC (ABC, Comcast Channel 10, HD Channel 431)

* HGTV (Comcast Channel 22, HD Channel 415)

* Hallmark Channel (Comcast Channel 43)

* Travel Channel (Comcast Channel 47, HD Channel 458) This broadcast will be commercial free.

OTHER BANDS AT BOWLS

Heritage High School: Fiesta Bowl Parade, Monday, live broadcast at www.azfamily.com, 1 p.m.

Gordon Lee High School: Outback Bowl halftime show, ESPN, 11 a.m. today

IN ENGLAND

Walker Valley High School's Mustang Band is marching in the London New Year's Day Parade. Some coverage airs on CNN today.

Soddy Daisy High School Band photos

Article: Soddy-Daisy Band gets in sightseeing today

Article: Soddy-Daisy Band experiences picture day

IF YOU GO

Band Boosters who did not accompany the Soddy-Daisy students to Pasadena are hosting a viewing party this morning at Dallas Bay Baptist Church in the youth fellowship hall. Officials said the event is free and open to the community. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.