Marching In The New Year: Dulaney HS Invited To Perform In London Parade
TIMONIUM, Md. (WJZ)—Every school year, teens across the country volunteer to be a part of their high school's marching band. If they're good enough, they'll get invited to play at Disney, or at a major parade.
Mike Schuh reports the Dulaney High School band is taking their act across an ocean.
Snow on the ground doesn't deter a quality marching band like Dulaney. Volunteer hours are spent perfecting their act.
But if you've really got your act together, you get to fly your banner in London.
The Dulaney High School marching band performed in London on New Year's Day 2011. And guess what?
"Based on our performance, we received an invitation for next year," said Barry Chesky, band director.
They sent a letter. But in glorious British fashion, two reps from the London parade showed up Monday morning in person to ask the band to come perform in 2014.
In appreciation, the band played for the invited guests—much to the delight of the Baltimore County schools superintendent.
"To get invited and nominated for this once is monumental, but to get it two times is phenomenal," said Superintendent Dallas Dance. "We've been known as one of the best school systems in the country for music education. It's solidified right here today with this."
Sure, we appreciate the hard work. But this is one of the largest New Year's Day parades in the world. What do they see in our kids?
"Because they're wonderful," said Catherine Longworth, former lord mayor of Westminster, London.
From Atlanta to Panama, only a handful of schools in our hemisphere gets invited.
"I think they're just amazing," Longworth said. "The commitment the kids show, their enthusiasm, the way they learn their choreography and they play it's just amazing, and Dulaney is pretty jolly good."
It will cost over $350,000 to send the band. All of the money will be raised by the students and their parents.
