Every year, the North Allegheny Tiger Marching Band takes a spring trip in order to partake in a special performance. Some previous parades they have attended are the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City, or marching in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. This time around, they are performing at the Pegasus Parade for the Kentucky Derby.
The Pegasus Parade is being held on April 27th and will last approximately two hours. As stated on the Kentucky Derby Festival’s website, “Originating in 1956 on a budget of only $640, the Pegasus Parade is the Kentucky Derby Festival’s oldest event. Today, the Pegasus Parade is one of the largest in the country, contributing an estimated impact of more than $22 million to the local economy.”
This year’s theme for the parade is “Happy Derby: Pink Out Party,” which is meant to celebrate spring and a favorite color of the festival.
Drum Major Emily Marangoni said, “I am so excited to get a chance to perform in the Pegasus Parade, I think it’s an amazing opportunity and I am so happy to be finishing out my band career in a meaningful way!”
Over the past few weeks, students began to prepare for the trip by rigorously reviewing cadences, songs, and special choreography in sectionals, where sections practice amongst themselves, and with the full band.
This year, the band’s main march is “Patriots on Parade,” by Robert W. Smith. This tune is a medley that comes together to make a mellifluous song of various patriotic tunes.
Many students are excited to perform in a large parade for the third year in a row. As formerly mentioned, the last few trips have been held in Disney, New York City, and now at the Kentucky Derby. The performance opportunities of NA are vast compared to other school districts.
Students were interviewed to learn what they were looking forward to the most about the trip.
Baritone player Zacharie Tourangeau stated, “Honestly, I’m excited for the bus ride, it’s just fun to be around friends and being able to relax. I’m planning to watch Invincible the whole way there.”
Luke Fortwangler, a section leader in the front line, exclaimed “I’m excited to be able to ride the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster!”
For the last few weeks, the agenda for the band’s trip contained a “mystery workshop” at a random university on the way to the Kentucky Derby. Director Emily Rickard finally announced further details about the workshop during a weekly rehearsal on April 7th.
“Our mystery clinic is going to be held at Ohio State University,” she said.
The band erupted with excitement.
OSU’s TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band in the Land) is known for their high-skill halftime performances.
“I’m really looking forward to being able to go to OSU and have the opportunity to meet and work with their marching band directors,” Fortwangler later stated.
This opportunity is especially prestigious, as TBDBITL is one of the most popular marching bands in America and contains some of the most elite collegiate musicians and marchers. Being able to perform and work with the band and their directors shows a glimpse into the pinnacle of the marching world.
Both the Chorus and Orchestra have trips planned as well for the spring. The Orchestra is heading to Myrtle Beach and the Chorus is going to Disney.
