Tournament of Roses President and Chairman Amy Wainscott presents invitation flags to eight local marching bands. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Eight Central and Northwoods Wisconsin High Schools will combine to form the 430-member Northwoods Marching Band in the prestigious Tournament of Roses Parade next January.
“We’re looking for moments of happiness in this world,” said Wausau East Band Director Rob Perkins as he and the other seven band directors accepted their invitation flags. He adds that’s especially true for students who had their typical high school experiences interrupted by COVID-19, which also threw a monkey wrench in the planning process for the creation of the band.
“We’re getting back to what we do, and what we do so well. Now we get to gel it and show off that music is alive and well. We have ridden out the last couple of years and done our best. Now you will get to see something that’s better than our best,” he added.
The seed was planted when Amy Wainscott, a Northland Pines High School graduate and the President and Chairman of the 2023 Tournament of Roses, approached her Alma Mater about being in the event. While they were thrilled, they also noted that their marching band was quite small. From there, discussions were held with other schools in their conference and eventually grew to include Wausau-area schools as well.
Perkins says he got involved in the talks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the spring 2020 semester for many schools. Talks continued through the pandemic, and the group came together for their first test runs at several 4th of July parades in 2021.
Schools involved will be Wausau East, D.C. Everest, Mosinee, Three Lakes, Antigo, Merrill, Lakeland Union, and Northland Pines. Collectively, they’ll be known as the “Northwoods Marching Band,” and will feature a roster of about 430 students. All of whom received formal invitations on Thursday from Wainscott.
“It was expanded to pretty much anybody who was interested in our area,” said Perkins.
Wainscott said it was important to her to have her hometown represented because traditionally the only Wisconsin schools selected to participate have come from Green Bay, Milwaukee, or Madison. This marks the first time that a Central or Northern Wisconsin school has been invited and the first time in the 130-year history of the Tournament of Roses that multiple schools will combine for a parade entry.
Before presenting the invitation flags, Wainscott called out each of the eight schools gathered in the Wausau East Auditorium to formally ask if they were interested in participating in the parade. Each gave a loud and proud ‘yes,’ with a few tongue-in-cheek shouts of ‘NO’ as well.
The group will be performing an original arrangement written by former University of Wisconsin Director of Bands Mike Leckrone, who was supposed to be on hand for Thursday’s ceremony but couldn’t make it.
The group has conducted several five-hour practices in the last few weeks and will participate in six 4th of July parades this Monday. Perkins says from here they will meet monthly for three-hour practices, expanding to multiple times a month in November and December before leaving for Pasadena.
Perkins says if the group does win one of the awards presented after the parade, he feels it should go to Northland Pines for display but adds that he may “find a way” to sneak it into his office for a day or two as well.
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