Talk about being in a New York State of Mind!
Northern Arizona University’s Lumberjacks Marching Band is making some State 48 history this week by becoming the first college marching band from Arizona to perform in the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City!
We caught up with the band’s director and one of the drum majors while they were in the Big Apple. They’ve been practicing quite a bit, including performing in Central Park.
“It seriously has been incredible,” says Sebastian Cisneros-Ortega, an NAU junior who is part of the school’s drum majors and is also a graduate of Paradise Valley High School.
Performing in Central Park is really just the opening act as the Lumberjacks gear up for their biggest audience yet – millions of people in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“It’s been absolutely wild,” says Sebastian. “I am still processing the fact that we made it. It’s truly been magical and a dream come true and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world.”
And it sounds like Sebastian and his more than 250 other bandmates are getting rave reviews already.
“The crowd just grew bigger and bigger and bigger, and we were all sitting there, like, oh my gosh! They’re here to see us and what Arizona has to offer!”
It all started for NAU 18 months ago when they found out they’d be performing. The school posted a video on its YouTube page to highlight the moment students found out.
“It’s about giving our students [opportunities] that other bands across the country have and it’s putting them on the national stage and recognizing their amazing hard work,” explains band director Stephen Meyer.
Meyer made it to the iconic parade once before in 2009 as a band director for a high school in the Midwest.
Meyer says this moment is about helping his students hit high notes along the parade route – and also in life.
“Hard work pays off,” Meyer says. “And anything really is possible!”
“If we work hard enough, anything can be possible,” says Sebastian. “With our hard work, with our effort, our dedication, we can make these great things work!”
NAU will perform three songs during the parade – and before that, will take part in a special ribbon-cutting ceremony with none other than Wicked star Cynthia Erivo!
