The Seminole High School Warhawk Marching Band will perform in the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year's Day, marking the third time the band will be part of the annual event.
The students will represent Florida in the 136th Rose Parade as the reigning Class 4A state champions, which is a title they earned in November at the Florida Marching Band Championship.
More than 130 students spent the past year rehearsing and raising $3,000 each for the trip.
"The students are absolutely thrilled," said band director Gerard Madrinan.
"For me personally, it’s an honor to be a part of this time-honored tradition. To be able to perform on a national stage means so much to our school and community."
He said the students have been preparing for the 105-degree turn onto Colorado Boulevard and rehearsing the two parade tunes: "Rock Around the Clock" and "Gangnam Style."
"Both pieces feature full dance choreography in addition to marching in the parade block. Balancing the Rose Parade repertoire and our competitive marching season has been a blast," Madrinan said.
He was also there when the school participated in the Rose Bowl parade in 2005 and 2013.
Madrinan is an alumnus from the Class of 1999, has been a part of the program for 23 years and has been serving as director for the past decade.
He said the parade has taught them so much about American tradition and the importance of civic and community engagement.
"While the students enjoy their district evaluations and competitions, the opportunity to march in this nationally televised parade has brought our community together, both from a performance and fundraising point of view," Madrinan said.
"Our biggest hope is that our students will have memories that will last a lifetime. Their participation in the Rose parade is not only a performance opportunity, but the chance to represent the city of Seminole, Pinellas County schools and the Sunshine State."
The parade's 20 invited bands are selected by volunteers in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. Criteria include musicianship, marching ability, and entertainment or special interest value.
NBC will televise the 5½ -mile parade from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event features its traditional floral-covered floats that are judged in the annual Tournament of Roses.
For those keeping track, the Seminole band is the 46th of the 83 parade units. It will follow the Louisiana tourism float, a performance by country artist Timothy Wayne and the Rotary float, according to the Pasadena Star-News.
The parade precedes Rose Bowl game, which is hosting a College Football Playoff quarterfinal between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks. The game kicks off at 5 p.m. and will air on ESPN.
