The Ooltewah High School band marches in the Rose Bowl following more than a year of preparation.
The Ooltewah High School band marches in the Rose Bowl following more than a year of preparation.
The Ooltewah High School band marches in the Rose Bowl following more than a year of preparation.Ooltewah High School Marching Band members spent many months last year running and stretching, training physically as well as musically for the performance of a lifetime ringing in the new year at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
“I was excited to show off all of our hard work and show everyone what Ooltewah can do,” said band captain Alec Brenner, a senior.
Band Director Joel Denton said the group’s successful performances at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2007, 2013 and 2016 and at other competitions and events helped secure a spot among the 22 groups chosen from across the country.
But it wasn’t just the extensive application process that posed a challenge. The group had 15 months to raise the funds for the trip, which cost roughly $2,100 per student, he added.
The experience was one of the many times the band members’ parents and community helped support them. Since the band is not funded by Hamilton County, the group relies heavily on the members’ parents, community members and business sponsors to get what is necessary to succeed.
Denton said the band had to prepare for the physical challenges of marching in a 6-mile-long parade with instruments, costumes and other gear, so members did extensive stretches and ran every day. The band was accompanied by alumni during the parade so past members could share in the excitement and the spotlight that comes with being on national television, watched by millions.
“It was unforgettable,” said Sarah McHone, a senior and student assistant to the band. “Doing it with the band made it even better.”
Though McHone said she felt uncertain before the parade, she quickly forgot about her nerves when she saw the smiling faces around her.
“It was the most fun I’ve ever had. I felt like a celebrity!” she said.
A few days prior to the parade, the band participated in the Rose Bowl Bandfest. In this performance, the group did a complete routine to showcase their skills.
“We are uniquely unique,” said Denton, adding that hearing the responses from the audience made him proud of his band and all of their hard work.
Brenner said, “The band program changed our lives, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”