‘Band Geeks’
The Pulaski High School band dedicates months of practice to ensure their performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is flawless.
Tom Busch, the band director, enthusiastically signals his marching band to begin playing “All That Jazz,” hoping that they will master the song within the next 40 days. Their performance is scheduled to take place in Herald Square, New York City, at the 77th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Leading a band in this prestigious parade has been Busch’s dream since he was in the 8th grade. Tonight, however, he is grateful for the breathing space of having over a month left to prepare.
After Busch gives the signal to play, the chilly Wisconsin air is filled with the sound of music. The drums beat loudly, the horns blare, and the flags wave. However, Busch interrupts the song.
“We’ll get it, we’ll get it!” he shouts loudly enough for the 175 students gathered in the back parking lot of Pulaski High School to hear. In frustration, he adds, “Some of us aren’t even raising their horns properly.” Dressed in his red-and-black parka, with a field of corn and alfalfa in the distance, Busch paces around while giving his feedback.
“Let’s try again,” Busch commands, not for the first or the last time during the practice. He often reminds the students that they shouldn’t just settle for being good; they should strive to be great. Therefore, he continuously pushes them to improve.
While Busch doesn’t openly discuss what the parade means to him personally, he doesn’t want the students to participate solely for his sake. Nevertheless, the contagiousness of his dream is evident in some students. They are discovering their talents and realizing that hard work can indeed lead to success.
Despite the progress made, there is still a lot to be done. Busch recently returned from a meeting in New York City, where Macy’s and NBC producers provided feedback on a performance video submitted by the Pulaski High band. The two main critiques were that the rendition of “All That Jazz” was 15 seconds too long and that the marching fell short compared to the band’s audition tape from the previous spring.
Busch shares NBC’s feedback with the students, emphasizing that their steps, knees, and feet need improvement. Today’s practice lasts for 90 minutes, shorter than many previous ones since August when preparations began. The students persist until a few minutes past seven. As darkness descends, the big red star painted on the blacktop, replicating the surface they will march on in front of Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square, becomes nearly invisible.
Out of over 300 entries, the Pulaski Red Raider band is one of only ten marching bands chosen to participate in this year’s Macy’s parade. On Thanksgiving Day, approximately 2.5 million people line the streets of Manhattan to watch the parade, and tens of millions more watch it on television. With the school’s football team having a lackluster season with a record of 3-6, it is the halftime show performed by the band that is the highlight.
This marks the band’s second major performance. Over the past four years, they have participated in notable parades such as the Walt Disney World parade, the Fourth of July parade in Washington, and they were even awarded the title of Grand Champion at the Lilac Festival Parade on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Additionally, in November 2002, they had the opportunity to perform during halftime at a Green Bay Packers game. There is a great sense of pride within the band. The percussionists proudly wear black T-shirts that say “Very Important Percussionist,” while the color guard don sweatshirts that proclaim “One guard, one flag.” Roughly one-fifth of the students at Pulaski partake in the band, and the members come from diverse backgrounds within the school community, including student council members, computer enthusiasts, football players, and even a punk rocker with an edgy mohawk hairstyle. For some, being a part of the band is a casual commitment, but for others, it is their passion. They humorously refer to themselves as “band geeks,” a term embraced by dedicated members like Rachel Czarapata. Rachel, a friendly and sociable 17-year-old, claims that she loves being a part of the band more than any other class and prefers spending time with her fellow bandmates over anyone else. To showcase her dedication, Rachel arrives at school before 6:30 a.m. twice a week to practice saxophone in the jazz band. In the marching band, she holds the role of assistant drum majorette, similar to a vice president. On parade day, Rachel and Jennifer Rietz, the lead majorette, stand in front of the band, providing direction, setting the tempo, and guiding the rhythm with precise and synchronized arm movements. Rachel jokingly states that as an assistant drum majorette, she gets to be at the forefront, waving her arms and imagining she can fly away. The majorettes also play important roles behind the scenes, assisting in practices to identify and rectify any issues and maintaining discipline when necessary. There is a long list of responsibilities that the majorettes handle to ensure flawless performances. Rachel possesses natural leadership qualities in addition to her musical and marching skills, and she exudes self-confidence that is difficult to shake. Her winter hobby of car racing likely contributes to her unflappable demeanor. In January, she can be found racing on the frozen Shawano Lake, participating in ice racing and earning the title of “Rookie of the Year” last season. Rachel is also a black belt in Tae Kwan Do. As the band arrives in Manhattan, a city located a thousand miles away from Pulaski, it feels as distant as a million miles. The familiar sight of one- and two-story buildings, neat homes with trimmed lawns, and fields dotted with barns and silos is replaced by a bustling metropolis adorned with towering skyscrapers, yellow taxis, vibrant electronic billboards, and the rumble of subway cars. The band endured a long journey from Wisconsin, traveling for over 20 hours in a convoy of red and white tour buses. The only stops made were for meals, fuel, and a tour and rehearsal at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Altogether, there are approximately 210 students, 50 chaperones, and 10 school staff members aboard the buses. Finally, Thanksgiving Day arrives, transforming these Midwestern tourists into a captivating sight for the locals and other visitors.
The activity provides a stunning view of tall buildings, the Hudson River, and nearby military planes on the deck. However, the intense workout doesn’t leave much time to appreciate the surroundings. Time is limited because unexpectedly, every student needs to go through a metal detector and have their instrument cases inspected by security guards. Another issue arises when a 10th grader realizes she left her flute at the band’s hotel near Newark, N.J. airport.
Finally, Thanksgiving arrives, and the Midwestern tourists become the tourist attraction. The band prepares early in the morning. Around 1:30 a.m., the hotel lobby is filled with tired teenagers. Aaron Silvers, a tall senior who plays saxophone and has dark, scruffy hair, didn’t sleep at all. Czarapata managed to get almost four hours of sleep, which is good because she’s dealing with a sore throat. Busch went to bed around 11 p.m. and woke up less than two hours later.
The students get off the buses for a dress rehearsal in Herald Square around 2:40 a.m. One oversight is discovered during a routine check by chaperones: a freshman clarinet player on Bus A is fast asleep in his seat. But there’s still time, so he hurries to catch up.
The band goes through their performance twice. Afterward, Busch is concerned. The first time, the band was out of position in the square, going past the Macy’s star, which is supposed to be the center of their performance. He expresses his disappointment with the placement of the red “ready” line, which is intended to help the band measure their distance to the star. He mentions that the line is not where it was described in the handbook sent by Macy’s.
After having breakfast in Times Square before dawn, three 9th grade girls are getting excited. “It’s funny because this is the first parade I’ve ever been in, and it’s the biggest parade ever,” says Crissy Brunner, who plays the flute. They acknowledge that being in the band has required a lot of time, but they have no regrets. “It was a lot of work,” Brunner says, “but it was worth it. It was so worth it.”
By 7 a.m., the students have arrived at the western edge of Central Park, near the starting point of the parade. They spend nearly two hours waiting on the sidewalk. When a TV reporter walks by with a cameraman, some students gather around, hoping to be shown on television.
The Red Raiders will be the first marching band in the parade, which is an honor. However, Busch had hoped to avoid this as he’s heard that the first band often gets rushed.
“It’s just now starting to sink in that we’re actually here,” says Sarah Wengerter.
Busch, the leader of the band geeks, seems to be enjoying himself. His work is nearly done. He ambles alongside the band wearing a casual Red Raiders coat, occasionally stepping in to make adjustments. But now he is simply an observer. The students are in control.
The band director sports a purple-and-white lei, a gift from a Hawaiian high school band also performing. He embraces the spotlight, clapping along, singing a refrain from “On Wisconsin,” and exclaims, “party time!” to the appreciative crowd. He poses for a photo with a sturdy police officer.
The band members approach Herald Square and pause, waiting for the signal to proceed. This is the moment they have worked tirelessly for, their minute-and-a-half in front of the NBC cameras. The signal arrives, and they’re off. Bathed in the glow of high-powered TV lights, the band launches into “All That Jazz,” flawlessly executing a complex display of marching and playing from memory. The dance team performs their meticulously choreographed steps, while the color guard members wave their flags in perfect harmony. It all happens quickly and concludes with the band shouting, “Yeah!”
As the band moves away from the television spotlight, the musicians start again with a jazzy rendition of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” arranged by Busch, to complete the final stretch of the parade.
When it’s all over, Czarapata and Rietz embrace in the street. “Oh, we did fantastic!” says Rietz. “It was amazing. It was absolutely amazing,” agrees Czarapata.
Some performers are their own harshest critics. “I made a few mistakes at the beginning because I was nervous and tripped over myself, causing me to drop my flag,” says Christine Trudeau, a blonde junior. However, she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “Usually, I have to force myself to smile during color guard, but I couldn’t stop smiling.”
“It was fun,” says Colin Freeman, a bespectacled junior trombonist, although he felt that the Herald Square performance went by in a flash. “It felt like three seconds, after three months of preparation.”
Some were disappointed that the band as a whole was not perfectly centered on the Macy’s star. They played exceptionally well, the marching was precise, but apparently, it was slightly off the mark.
Busch had informed them long before their arrival in New York that their best performance would be back in Pulaski. “The main thing is they’ve had the experience,” he reflects later. “We don’t want to get it perfect the first time. We wouldn’t have a reason to come back.”
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