Rosemount High School's marching band shines in the Tournament of Roses Parade

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. – A Minnesota marching band took the national spotlight Monday in one of the world's most famous parades.

Tens of millions of people watched the Rosemount High School marching band play in California's Tournament of Roses Parade.

Two-hundred-and-thirty-five students made the trip to Pasadena, including Noah Carlson, a sophomore.

"It's exciting, and they've worked so hard for it," said Dee Carlson, Noah's mother.

Carlson watched her son at a party back home in Rosemount.

"We're new to this, so it feels pretty special that he's been given this opportunity in his first year," she said. "I know it means a lot to him."

The performance was a culmination of months of preparation and hundreds of hours of rehearsal.  

"You just see it lined with people and realize that there's 700,000 people in front of you," said Leon Sieve, the band's co-director. "That's your moment just to take a deep breath and look and see, because very few people get that opportunity."

The band marched and played the nearly-six-mile parade route in about two hours.

"You kind of know within that first mile that you're always on TV, and there's so many cameras along street level," Sieve said.

The day that began with a 3:45 a.m. wakeup call is now a cherished memory, and perhaps a bittersweet one, too.

"One part of me is kind of excited to move on to the next thing, but one part of me is really sad just because of the experience that the kids had today, and now that's over," Sieve said.

This was the second time Rosemount High has marched in the Rose Parade. They've also played the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.