Brenten and Chandler Dupuy, two members of the Crusader Marching Band, participated in a multi-school marching band–Macy’s All American Marching Band–in this year’s New York City Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Read about the experience from Brenten Dupuy ‘17:

“When I first got off the airplane, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the week. We were on a bus, heading towards the hotel and I didn’t know any of the members. Slowly however, I began making new friends. The next past few days I began learning almost everyone’s name. Rehearsals were fun, but strict. Everyone had their music memorized, and we worked as one Band to accomplish our goals to prepare for our performance. In practice, we ran during drills. Everyone was completely silent and we fixed mistakes. Whenever an error was found, the whole Band went back to the beginning of the performance and drilled the sections we had trouble with. We had certain commands given to us, examples included “Measure number: Minus 1.” We went quickly to our spots, and then had our left foot backwards as if we were already marching. (Representing the Minus 1). When we were called to attention by our Drum Majors, we would yell out loud “Macy’s!” We had chaperones from Auburn University and different colleges there to help work with us to perfect our music. Once rehearsal was finished, we toured New York for several hours. It was cold on the streets of New York due to the wind-chill levels. There we so many people, buildings, and lights.

On the day of the parade, we all woke up at 12 a.m., got on buses and were right on the parade route, warming up. We practiced for several hours until we finally took a break, and prepared for the parade. The parade was crowded, with over 2 million people in the crowds and 50 million watching around the world. The parade was moving at a fast pace and the two songs we played had different tempos: “Drum Cadence,” and “Dance with Me Tonight.” As we approached the stands to perform, I just thought of how everyone in the Band managed to pull this together in such a short amount of time. After finishing our performance, people were cheering, the Band was cheering, confetti was everywhere covering us. I was extremely tired, and had to recover for the dance later that night, and to wake up at 2 a.m. for the shuttle to the airport.

Overall, my experience with the Band was excellent. I enjoyed working with everyone I met, which was basically everyone! We were all disappointed when we had to say Goodbye, but most of us still keep in touch. We have a group message, and a Facebook group for the Alumni’s. The experience taught me that although we learn different techniques to marching, we all can come together and be a solid Band. I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime, even though my friends are far away. Most of all, I was happy to hear that most people knew Mr. Marty Hurley. Most people said how he was an amazing person to be with. This experience to me, is an awesome experience. This only happens for a short period of time, and not everyone has this opportunity. I highly recommend anyone that plays an instrument to give this a shot, as it’s truly worth it. This experience wouldn’t have been possible without my parents support, and I thank them for that. I also want to thank Mr. Dominick Caronna and Mr. Chris Bailey for continuing to make the Crusader Band strive for excellence in music, and to push us to accomplish goals outside of our Band.”