AAMU Marching Maroon and White Band: Alabama A&M Universitys Marching Maroon and White Band is set to kick off the 97th annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in the heart of New York City.
Directed by Carlton Wright, the band views this performance as a monumental moment for the historically Black college.
Wright expressed, “This is going to be huge. Nerves will be a factor for both the students and for me and the staff.”
However, he pointed out that the main concern isn’t nerves but the weather, noting that many bands aren’t accustomed to performing in these temperatures. The National Weather Service predicts a low of 40 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday night and a high of 50 on Thanksgiving Day.
Comprising 256 students, AAMUs band has diligently prepared for the parade since September. Wright shared that the students underwent rigorous training, likened to drill sergeants’ methods. To build endurance, they marched uphill on the steepest fields of the campus while playing, simulating the challenges they might face in New York.
The band is well-versed in their parade songs, which Wright kept undisclosed, adding an element of surprise to the performance.
Two years ago, Wright watched other marching bands in the Thanksgiving parade and thought, “Why not us?” He applied, and though it took about a month to six weeks to complete the application, he was surprised when organizers announced the university’s band had been selected to lead this years Macys parade.
With a 2 a.m. call time on Thursday for their 75-second televised performance, Wright teased, “Itll be a surprise. Itll be something very familiar with a hip-hop twist to it.”
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In addition to the band, the Dancing Divas, the bands dance troupe, will be featured in a special performance with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. The universitys flag corps, Fabulous Flags, will also take the stage.
Wright eagerly anticipates introducing the band to a new audience, hoping viewers come away feeling joy and happiness.
“In New York and other northern states, HBCU bands are not (as) present,” he noted. “This is something thats going to be refreshing to them.”
The parade, featuring a dozen marching bands and performances by John Batiste, Brandy, Chicago, En Vogue, and Cher