Three HHS students to play in Macy’s Thanksgiving parade

Three Hoover High School students will spend their Thanksgiving Day in New York City, performing for millions as part of the Macy’s Great American Marching Band.

Seniors Annabeth Robinson and Kathryn Beatty and junior Hudson Dunbar were chosen out of students nationwide to be part of the 185-member marching band and 40-member color guard and dance troupe, which will perform in the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. According to the Great American Marching Band website, the band will perform as they march from Central Park to Herald Square, joining giant balloons, decorated floats and other performers.

At the end of the parade, the band will perform in Herald Square for the audience in the grandstand as well as live on television.

Robinson has been part of the HHS color guard for four years and held the same role at Bumpus Middle. She will be on the flag line during the Thanksgiving parade and she began practicing with the rest of the color guard on Monday, Nov. 20.

“Other than marching in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I am really looking forward to meeting students from all over the U.S. who have the same appreciation for band and color guard as I do,” Robinson said. “There is a lot of really cool stuff planned for us throughout the entire week, we are going to see a musical on Broadway, walk around Times Square and even get to warm up at 3 a.m. in the middle of New York City the day of the parade.”

Beatty has played the clarinet for seven years and said she “could not contain my excitement” when she found out she was accepted into the band.

Dunbar is a percussionist and will be playing the snare drum, his preferred instrument since freshman year. He recalled his mom calling when the letter arrived and reading it to him so he wouldn’t have to wait to open it.

“I just couldn't fathom how cool this opportunity was and I was glad my hard work on the audition paid off,” Dunbar said.

Beatty and Dunbar received their music a couple weeks in advance of the parade and have been practicing so they’ll be ready to rehearse with the rest of the band this week. Dunbar said he has been studying his music at lunch, in his study period and in between homework assignments.

All three students said an essential part of their preparations for the trip was buying plenty of warm clothing for the early morning march.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins 9 a.m. ET and can be seen on NBC beginning at 9 a.m. in every time zone or streamed live on nbc.com/live.