Sussex Tech marches on to NYC St. Patrick's Day parade
Sussex Technical High School Raven Nation Marching Band director Ian Kenney dreams big and encourages his students to do the same.
He knows high school band is a once in a lifetime experience. He wants his students to make the most of it.
Kenney, in just his second year at the school, does his part for that to happen. Last school year, his band played at Disney World. Next school year, the band will play at the Sugar Bowl parade in New Orleans.
But this year might be the biggest event of them all, as far as scope and potential audience. The band is heading to New York City to take part in the 255th annual St. Patrick's Day parade along 5th Avenue in Manhattan Thursday, March 17. It will perform in front of a worldwide audience of millions.
Kenney estimates 2 million will be in attendance in New York City, another 25 million will watch it across Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States on television and countless more via an online stream. For many of the band's 120 students, it will be the largest crowd they ever perform for.
"This is the oldest and largest parade in the western hemisphere — 255 years. The Declaration of Independence wasn't even signed yet," he said to his students, who reacted in awe. "This is a big deal and it has been for a very long time."
The band — one of 15 from around the world to attend and the only one from Delaware — received music for the parade around Christmas time. During the parade, it will perform two selections along the route: Delaware’s state song, "Our Delaware," and the popular Irish-inspired "Riverdance" theme.
"It’s just kind of cool with the fact that we’re going to be dealing with big time bands from all around and a small time school from a little tiny county in Delaware gets to go and represent the entire state," said trombone player Jake Walls, a junior. "We’re the best darn band in the land and now we get to go represent."
The band prepares diligently for the parade. Kenney makes the band repeat exercises until he's absolutely satisfied with how his students look.
If he's disappointed, he makes the band do push-ups. He joins them, in solidarity.
"He’s like a ball of energy sometimes, but he can also be very serious at times because he wants things to be very precise and good," said sophomore alto saxophone player Gaby Reyes. "He wants us to be just as serious as him."
In addition to outdoor rehearsals, Kenney records audio and video of the band for himself and students to evaluate to make sure the music sounds right and its members are in step. He told students for the following day's rehearsal, he planned to use a drone to get an overhead view of how the band looks.
Delawareans will be able to view the parade online at NBCNewYork.com. The parade starts at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 17.
Students are excited for the trip and to take part in the parade.
"It’s one of the biggest parades in the country," said Liam Thompson, a junior trombone player. "That’s one of the coolest things I’ll ever do, marching wise.”
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