The beloved tradition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returned to New York City November 28th, 2024, for the 98th time! A record-breaking 31.3 million viewers across all platforms tuned in on Thanksgiving morning, making this year’s parade the most watched in history. Selected from a multitude of applicants, eleven marching bands were invited to perform. An invitation to perform at this world-famous parade is one of the highest accolades any marching band program can receive. And here at Pyware our team considers it our great honor to assist band directors and designers in preparation for this extraordinary opportunity.
The marching band lineup for the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade:
- The Avon Marching Black and Gold are having yet another stellar competitive marching season, maintaining their status as one of the best music programs in the country. Most recently, they earned their 5th Bands of America Grand National Championship title, in which they also took home caption awards for Outstanding Music Performance, Outstanding Visual Performance, and Outstanding General Effect.
Matt Harloff was recently named Director of Bands after serving as an Associate Director at Avon for 27 years and has now led the band in its first-ever Macy’s parade performance.
Designer Richard Hinshaw has also worked with the Avon band program for over 20 years and created the drill for the band’s debut performance through Pyware. Members of the staff responsible for the choreography include Daniel Wiles, Jennifer Hinshaw, Blake Dutton, and Susie Harloff.
It is no surprise that the synergy from the directors and design staff, paired with such talented performers have resulted in regular award-winning seasons for Avon.
2. The Carolina Band of the University of South Carolina, known as “The Mighty Sound of the Southeast,” made their second appearance at the parade. Spearheading this powerhouse band of 375 selected performers is Dr. Jay Jacobs.
Drill Designer, Joshua Boyer, was responsible for creating the design for The Carolina Band’s parade performance. He has used Pyware for nearly 20 years, writing drill for numerous high school and university marching bands throughout the United States.
“I used the provided Pyware template and expanded on it to create a nearly exact replication of the Macy’s performance space, and it is a great asset for bands as they prepare for the parade,” he explained.
3. The East Tennessee State University Marching Bucs are the first collegiate marching band from Tennessee to be selected to perform at the parade in over 50 years. The band’s success and growth in numbers is in large part due to Director of Athletic Bands, Dr. Joe Moore, who is responsible for reinstituting the marching band program at ETSU in 2014. Under his leadership, the band has continually grown each year, currently at 360 members.
4. The Lake Hamilton High School Marching Band, “The Power Band of Arkansas,” recently won their fourth 6A State Championship, holds 26 consecutive Arkansas State Band and Orchestra Association Sweepstakes Awards, and made their first appearance at this year’s parade.
Distinguished drill writer Alan Spaeth has designed Macy’s parade performances for over 15 bands throughout the years and created the performances this year for both Lake Hamilton and Flower Mound High School. He coordinated with Lake Hamilton’s Director of Bands, Jon Shultz, to input his design for the parade into Pyware.
The students first practiced learning their sets on the field, with the UDB App, then moved to an unmarked parking lot with a tarp to adapt to a setting with no field markings. After much preparation, the band executed an outstanding debut parade performance.
5. The Flower Mound High School Marching Band represented the state of Texas at the parade. The band is a three-time Grand National Finalist, has won multiple medals at the Texas UIL State Marching Contest, and has received both the Sudler Shield and Sudler Flag awards.
Alan Spaeth worked with Flower Mound’s Director of Bands, Brent Biskup, to create the parade performance for the band of almost 400 students. Using Pyware to set the initial block, Alan explained he then plotted a few sets so the performers could see the basic “shell” of the show through the UDB App, and then he manipulated it from there.
With such a significant number of performers, the band spent the last 18 months preparing, which was evident in an excellent performance at their first-ever parade appearance.
6. The Marching Cardinals of Jonesboro High School, from Jonesboro, Georgia, made their parade debut. When Lynel Goodwin became Director in 2016, there were around 20 students in the band. Since he joined, the band has grown to over 150 members and received invitations to perform in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Independence Day Parade, and now, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
7. The Sioux Falls Lincoln High School “Patriot” Marching Band has been a consistent Bands of America Super Regional Finalist. They once again brought the excitement to NYC as they appeared in their fourth parade performance!
Director Daniel Carlson is currently in his 26th year working with the LHS Band and has been a Pyware user since 1996.
“I have seen Pyware grow and expand features over the years, and it is truly limitless in its capabilities. I wouldn’t use anything else!” Daniel stated.
He explained how he prepared his students, first by charting the routine on the football field grid so they could first practice with field markings to quickly and easily rehearse the muscle memory.
Daniel continued, “One of my favorite things about the software is animating everything to really communicate what you envision the drill and movement to look like, and that is the best teaching tool.”
8. The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band is no stranger to the national stage and returned to perform for the second time at the parade. Led by Dr. Timothy Todd Anderson, the band has also performed for three Presidential Inauguration Ceremonies and five Bands of America Nationals.
9. The West Virginia University Marching Band, also known as the “Pride of West Virginia,” and “The Mountaineer Marching Band,” is a past Sudler Trophy award winner, granted to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate marching band. They have performed in bowl games, Presidential inaugurations, and made their second appearance at this year’s parade.
Dr. Cheldon Williams serves as the Associate Director of Bands, Director of Athletic Bands, and the band’s drill designer.
“Pyware has been an invaluable tool in helping ‘The Pride of West Virginia’ – The Mountaineer Band – prepare for the 98th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Its updated features, especially the parade street view, have allowed the design team and students to visualize their performance in a way that makes it feel more real and tangible. We were thrilled to represent West Virginia University and the state of West Virginia on the national stage,” he explained.
10. The renowned Macy’s Great American Marching Band celebrated its 18th year at the parade! Led by Dr. Richard Good, the band consists of 225 musicians, color guard members, and dancers – selected from across the country for their excellent performance.
11. The New York City Police Department Marching Band consists of active-duty police offers from precincts throughout NYC. Led by Director Johan Gil, the NYPD Band is a treasured favorite at the parade year after year.
Congratulations to all the talented marching bands that performed! It was such a pleasure to watch. The invitation to perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was well-deserved with each band that arrived in New York City. Our team would like to thank you all for choosing Pyware to be a part of the experience! It is our true honor. Have a great holiday season!
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