Every Thanksgiving, over 20 million people tune in to the live telecasting of the Macy’s Day Parade in New York City. This major spectacle has been a Thanksgiving tradition for almost 100 years. The parade attracts thousands of people from all over the United States to march, sing, dance and play instruments. This year, Masuk’s very own Alison Merriman will be performing in the parade.
“I am marching with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band, which consists of about two hundred and thirty kids from across the country,” said Merriman. The Macy’s Great American Marching Band, far bigger and better than most high school bands, is a big deal for all participating young musicians.
“This is an opportunity that is available for any student in the United States,” said Michael Ances, director of the Masuk Band. “They allocate spots for students from every state. In the past, we have had students from Masuk attend this parade and, this year, Alison is one of those students. I am extremely excited for her because this is an opportunity that you would typically not get in the high school.”
The position Merriman has in the band is especially exciting for that exact reason— Masuk does not have a marching band.
The previous marching band at Masuk disbanded due to lack of interest. “I think it would be fun to have a marching band, but I don’t think many kids in the band at Masuk would want that,” said Merriman. “Most kids are only playing because their parents make them or for the art credit. If we had a marching band it might drive kids away.” Unlike students who may have felt marching was too much work, Merriman worked hard throughout the spring and summer to put together an audition for the parade. For a student with no experience other than Monroe’s Memorial Day Parade, to be able to achieve this honor is beyond inspiring.
Despite the inherent disadvantage of having never marched before, Merriman said, “It [the audition] wasn’t too difficult. I can play music. I can walk while playing. The only part I wasn’t used to was timing my notes with my feet.”
The audition process was “to make an audition tape that consisted of a solo and a video of me marching,” explained Merriman. “I submitted my audition in June. They review each audition on the last day of every month and I found out that I was accepted.”
Playing in the Great American Marching Band will be very different from playing with Masuk. “The band is chosen so that the band is equal, and no instruments are overpowering the sound of another,” said Merriman. At Masuk, it is difficult to get the perfect blend of instruments as everyone chooses what they want in fifth grade and typically just stays with that instrument through high school. But when given the opportunity to choose between hundreds of students from different states who play different instruments, the band can achieve a flawless balance of sound.
“In total, there are around eighteen alto saxophones in the parade, which is what I play,” said Merriman.
Though being a member of this band is exciting, it can also be stressful. “It is definitely hard mentally and physically,” explains Merriman. Due to the band being a collection of people from all over the country, the rehearsal process is extreme. “There are eight-hour practices for three days straight. It is a lot of standing, practicing and memorizing. It will also be difficult trying to manage school work, with missing a bunch of days. And the fact that I have to do all of that while being around people I have never met or played with is just a little bit intimidating,” she expressed.
Nevertheless, Merriman looks forward to the challenge. “I think this experience will give me perspective and help me get out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I’m not one to just meet new people and make friends if I don’t have to, so socially it will push my limits.”
Even though Masuk may not have the best resources for students wanting to play in giant collegiate marching bands, opportunities like this, for those who seek them, are incredibly rewarding.
“Now she has the opportunity to be in a band with hundreds of the best players from across the country and she will understand and learn about what that is like,” said Ances. “She can bring that experience to college and if she wants to participate in some big-time marching band, she will have this experience to build upon.”
To watch Alison Merriman in the Macy’s Day Parade, you can stream the parade on Peacock or watch it air live on NBC.
Masuk Free Press 
Leave a comment