One of our very own students will be walking in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Katie Robinson, a senior here at JHS, will be one of 184 musicians performing for over 2.5 million spectators.
Last summer, Katie attended Smith Walbridge Clinic, a national drum line camp at Eastern Illinois University, where she was evaluated and then encouraged to apply to have an opportunity to be chosen. Following this advice, she sent in an audition video and was selected from high school percussion players around the country. “I’ll never forget the day my mom texted me that I’d made it in. I lost it in 7th hour choir class!” said Robinson.
In the parade, Robinson will be a part of the drum line where she has been assigned to be a crash cymbal player. With the help of Mr. Johnson, JHS’s band director, she’s been working on advancing her cymbal skills. She has also been learning new cadences, which are works played exclusively by the percussion section of a modern marching band, and two songs. One of the two songs she’s learning is “Moves like Jagger” by Maroon 5.
Between learning and getting prepared for the parade, Robinson has also had time to get to know some of the other members of Macy’s Great American Band in their own Facebook group. “The returning musicians have been very helpful to let me know what to expect the week I’ll be in New York,” she said.
The most exciting thing for her is the complete parade experience. After watching videos on YouTube and Macy’s to get an idea of what it will be like, she said she can’t wait to be around floating balloons during the parade, the people in Times Square, and the national TV appearance on NBC at Macy’s Herald Square.
After this memorable experience, she will continue to work on her associate of arts in music at Lincoln Land Community College. Her junior year of college, she plans to transfer to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale to continue majoring in music and minor in science or history. When asked about her future with music, Katie said, “Music has always been a major part of my life, and I really can’t imagine it not being a big part of who I will become career-wise.”
Watch Katie perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 22 at 9 a.m. on NBC!