A Thanksgiving tradition
Howie Myers and Doug Prather headed to New York City in 1978, tuba and trumpet in tow, ready to represent Homewood as part of the Patriot Band’s very first trip to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Forty years later, their sons — Landon and Harrison Myers and Jared Prather — are getting ready to make the same trip.
The Patriot Band will travel to New York City this month for its ninth appearance in the Thanksgiving parade, which band director Ron Pence proudly points out is more than any other band in the country. This year is particularly special as the 40th anniversary of their first parade appearance.
“It’s definitely a family tradition for the city of Homewood,” Pence said.
In addition to the Myers and Prather families, Pence said several other kids in the Patriot Band have a parent or family member who marched in the Macy’s parade in the previous years Homewood has been invited: 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2006 and 2011.
Assistant Band Director Lauren Nowak and Star Spangled Girls instructor Jennifer Ayers each made a trip to the Macy’s parade during their days as band members and will now attend as instructors. Percussion instructor Darren Holbrooks will be making his seventh trip to the parade with the Patriot Band, Pence said.
Pence and Assistant Band Director Chris Cooper will have their own family connection, as their children, Sam Pence and Mason and Molly Kathryn Cooper, will be marching. This will be Ron Pence’s fourth trip with the Patriot Band to the Macy’s parade, in addition to its other parade performances around the country.
“It’s a bucket list for a lot of people to go up and see an American tradition,” he said. “… The parade is just magical.”
Between the 400-person band — including color guard and Star Spangled Girls — and the staff and families traveling to chaperone or show their support, Pence said there will be “800 to 1,000 people from Homewood up there” on Thanksgiving Day.
The band was notified that they would march in this year’s parade in April 2017. Since then, Pence said, they have been preparing their repertoire for the parade in addition to the regular practices of halftime and homecoming performances.
The drum majors who will lead this year’s band are Kate Sims, Anna Prchal, Hannah Hensarling, Meg Robinson and Rachel Mau.
Along the parade route, Pence said, they’ll play “Yankee Doodle” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” At the close of the show, at Macy’s Herald Square in Manhattan, the band will play “No Business Like Show Business” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.”
Thanksgiving Day will start early for the Patriots, as they will assemble for practice at 2 a.m. while the streets are still empty. After an early breakfast at the Hard Rock Cafe, the parade begins at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, and the band will march along with other floats, balloons and performers from Central Park to Herald Square.
Pence estimated there will be about 3 million people lined up along the parade route, plus many more watching on TV.
“It’s live TV, so you don’t get a second shot. … We have to be well prepared. They’re not editing out a wrong note or a wrong step,” he said.
Pence said the students will also get to do some sightseeing and take a dinner cruise on the Hudson River with their families while in the city.
Some of Pence’s favorite memories from his past trips to the Macy’s parade have included visiting Times Square and the Statue of Liberty, encountering famous people along the parade and watching Ronald McDonald join the Star Spangled Girls’ kick line.
When Howie Myers and Doug Prather attended the parade in 1978, it was the first time an Alabama band had been invited. It was a major event in Birmingham, Howie Myers said, with local companies running ads in support of the Patriots, and the band — then around 200 students — got to fly to New York City.
“It was a pretty exciting time in Homewood,” Howie Myers said.
He said he remembers the cold and dark morning of the parade, though “your adrenaline’s going so fast that you’re not tired.” While there, the band got to see Radio City Music Hall, the Statue of Liberty and a Broadway play.
Howie Myers and Doug Prather both kept albums of photos and newspaper articles about their trips in 1978 and 1981, as well as patches from their band jackets. While looking through those albums recently, their sons exclaimed over the Patriot drum major uniforms and the 1970s fashion on display in their old photos.
Howie Myers said the whole family will be making the trip again this year to watch Landon and Harrison, both freshmen who play cymbals and trumpet, respectively, make theirMacy’s debut.
“It’s pretty neat, you know. You never think of your kids getting to do something that you did for the first time,” Howie Myers said.
“With our age, the parents now, this’ll probably be the last group from ’78 that will have children that go to that,” he added.
Landon Myers said the 2 a.m. start will be “terrible,” but it will get easier once they’re up and going. His father said, at least in his own experience, the tiredness doesn’t hit until the next day due to all the excitement and nerves of the parade itself.
Jared Prather, who is band president, said he’s happy to keep the Macy’s tradition alive in his family, and his role on parade day will include making sure section leaders and band members have what they need.
Pence said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to “show what Homewood has: some of the best and finest students in the country.” In his 20 years with the Patriot Band, Pence said it keeps getting better.
“This has been one of the best bands yet,” Pence said of the 2018 students. “… Nine trips to the Macy’s parade is definitely an honor and it says a lot about our community.”
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be broadcast live on NBC, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time, 8 a.m. Central Time. Find out more about how to watch the parade at macys.com/social/parade.