Marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the birthplace of the holiday, Dublin, Ireland, would be a bucket-list performance opportunity for any marching band! It was especially memorable for the American bands that were selected to travel overseas and participate in this global celebration of Irish culture and tradition. The United States takes great stock in marching band, both as a competitive art form and as an invaluable part of sports. This made the invitation to perform throughout the streets of Dublin as part of the St. Patrick’s Festival all the more special. A very competitive application review is required before the following bands were selected to participate in the parade. They were also judged on their performance at the event.

In their first appearance at the parade, the Golden Regiment Marching Band of Blue Springs High School in Missouri captured the “Best Overall Band” award.

 

 

Director of Bands, Dr. Tim Allshouse, explained,

“Having an opportunity to perform on the international stage was an incredible experience that we are all grateful for. The Irish people were so friendly and made us feel so welcome. Although the parade was 2 hours it seemed like 2 minutes. There is something special about traveling internationally that does teach us and reminds us that music is truly the international language. What you can’t say in words, you can often say through music. It opened up all of our eyes to new beautiful landscapes, traditions and cultures. It sounds cliché to say ‘it was a trip of a lifetime’ but it truly was. It is something we will all take with us forever.”

 

 

Illinois State University’s marching band was selected for the third time to travel to Dublin and perform in the parade. Director F. Mack Wood is a long-time Pyware user and used the software to send the Big Red Marching Machine’s parade block to the St. Patrick’s Day Festival so the festival’s committee knew how the band would line up for the event.

“Pyware is a huge part of what we do with the Big Red Marching Machine. We use the software to design all our shows and use Ultimate Drill Book with our students to help teach the drill. The quick edit updates and quick selection updates in Version 11 were very helpful in my drill design this past season.”

 

 

The Falcon marching band of Bowling Green State University was recently recognized as one of the nation’s standout college bands by U.S. News and World Report and was selected to perform for their first time at the parade. Under the direction of Jon Waters, the band has consistently grown in size, now reaching a record 425 performers – the most in school history and one of the largest bands in the nation. They have performed in other renowned national parades, but this was the first performance on a global stage.

 

 

The University of Central Florida’s Marching Knights are known for their high-energy, electric performances. Led by Dr. Tremon Kizer and David Schreier, the band entertained audiences at several historical landmarks the days leading to their debut performance at the parade.

“The UCF Marching Knights were honored to be selected to perform in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin. The event is something that will be remembered for years to come,” said Dr. Kizer.

 

 

Other Pyware users that performed at the parade include Legacy High School in Colorado and Waukee Northwest High School in Iowa.

 

Roughly half a million spectators lined the streets of Dublin to watch the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to showcase their craft on an international stage. Our team at Pyware takes great pride in the opportunity to assist these talented programs throughout the year. We love following their journey and success, wherever the season takes them.

Congratulations on the honor of being selected to perform at such an iconic event!