(TNS) — Over 140 Slippery Rock University students will kick off 2024 by performing in London’s New Year’s Day Parade.
The state school’s marching band, the Marching Pride, is one of three American university bands that will march in one of the world’s largest New Year’s parades. More than 600,000 attendees and millions of television viewers are expected to watch the event on Monday, Jan. 1.
Jonathan Helmick, director of Slippery Rock’s marching band, called this one of the biggest opportunities that the Marching Pride has had.
“This is our opportunity for our family to represent Slippery Rock University, the state of Pennsylvania and the United States on an international stage,” Helmick said. “That’s a lot of responsibility … I think the students really grow through that.”
Slippery Rock gained a spot in the parade through a nomination and vetting process. The school’s band first had to be nominated to perform at the event.
Then parade organizers traveled to the university to evaluate the Marching Pride, ultimately deciding to offer the 195-person band a spot in the parade. About three-quarters of the Marching Pride were able to fly to London to march on Monday. Slippery Rock’s Office of Global Engagement helped make the trip a reality.
Other American university bands participating in the parade are from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Mansfield campus of the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
Slippery Rock’s band learned that it would participate in late 2022. Practice for the New Year’s parade began in September, and included building endurance by adding laps to the band’s marching routine to prepare for the 2-mile parade route. The parade route will begin at Piccadilly and end in Parliament Square near the famed clock known as Big Ben.
During the parade, the Marching Pride will perform Slippery Rock’s fight song, the “Rocky” theme and rock song “Make Me Smile.”
Emily Eastman, an SRU senior studying music education, is excited to see the Marching Pride’s hard work pay off.
“I’m really looking forward to the band showcasing to the entire world what we do best,” Ms. Eastman said. “I’m excited for the students in the ensemble to really feel the pride that comes with that.”
The last time that the state school’s marching band performed internationally was in 2019, when students traveled to Dublin, Ireland, for the St. Patrick’s Day Festival. None of the current students attended that festival.
In addition to marching in the London parade, Slippery Rock students will also see the Tower of London, tour Oxford University, take a river cruise on the River Thames, watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, and explore London on their own during their weeklong trip.
For many, this will be their first international trip, Helmick said.
“I’m hoping that this breaks down a few barriers in terms of international travel so that students can make connections, grow and see the world,” he said, “and realize that the world is a lot smaller of a place than we think it is.”
The parade begins at noon in London, or 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
It will be aired on PBS and livestreamed on the parade’s website.
