ANDERSON — A Highland High School student will be the lone Hoosier in the premiere marching band at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Allen Doty, a junior alto sax player, will strut his stuff in the Macy’s Great American Band, a select group of high school musicians from every state in the country. The 185-member band will lead the parade this year.
“I’m really glad and thrilled I could be a part of the tradition and carry the Highland name to it,” Doty said.
Doty will join band members who each are responsible for learning their parts ahead of their arrival in New York which was expected Saturday. They will be outfitted and have just four half-days of rehearsal before kicking off the parade that begins in front of Macy’s landmark story.
“I’m just trying to get focused on memorizing the music and getting ready for the trip,” Doty said. So are members of Doty’s family, who are also traveling to New York to watch him in action in the traditional parade of bands, floats and balloons through the streets of Manhattan.
“We’re terribly excited. ... I’m counting the days. I just can’t stand it,” said Allen’s mother, Nikki Doty. “We’re planning on being there at 5:30 in the morning (Thanksgiving Day) so we can get a front-row seat.”
And if you think that’s early ...
“(Thanksgiving Day) is a really long day for them. They get into New York City at 2:30 a.m. for dress rehearsal in front of Macy’s,” Nikki Doty said. Then the band will be among the leaders of the procession.
Along with the excitement of participating in a holiday showcase broadcast on national television, the New York trip also will include several sightseeing opportunities for Doty and his bandmates. Students will go on cruises with views of the city skyline and Statue of Liberty, and spend time at such landmarks as Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building and Times Square.
Doty said he’s particularly looking forward to seeing the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. “I’m really excited to be going and to see all these things in person,” he said.
This won’t be the first time Doty has been on a musical mission. He was a member of the Indiana Ambassadors of Music that toured Europe for three days in 2008, with stops from London to Australia.
Marching Highlanders band director Doug Fletcher said Doty seized the opportunity to join Macy’s select band. “He really did it on his own. He found out about the opportunity, got the application, and I helped him make his audition CD,” said
“It certainly is a great honor for Allen,” Fletcher said. “He’s a go-getter. When he talked to me about it, I was 100 percent in support of it, and I’m glad he got picked.”
Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com
Local Education
Highland student to march in Macy's parade
- Local Education
-
-
Adult education GED classes offered
Anderson Community Schools is offering classes in GED preparation, English Language classes and Basic Education Refresher classes for the 2011-12 school year.
-
ACS taking a look at its dress code
The Anderson Community School Corp. dress code that many parents have argued against may see some slack in the near future.
-
McGhee sworn in as newest member of ACS board
New Anderson Community Schools board member Danny McGhee was sworn in with a group of community members there in his support Tuesday.
-
South Madison board interviews 4 finalists
The search went from 12 to four, and on Thursday, only one will remain to fill the vacancy of the South Madison Community School Corp. board.
-
Proposed bill would streamline college credit transfer process
Indiana college students worried about whether their credit hours will transfer to another university may get some relief if a proposed higher-education bill passes.
-
Shift to online learning raises questions about costs to schools
Legislation that would require high school students in Indiana to take at least one online course is meeting resistance from some school administrators who say they can’t afford any more mandates from the state.
-
Wall Street atmosphere alive at AU
Surrounded by a stock market ticker and television screens showing the latest stock prices and world financial news, Federico Boscaini purchased 230 shares of Chevron stock for more than $24,000. He did it in a financial stock trading room at Anderson University — and with university funds.
-
NCLB loses grip on Indiana
Indiana is one of the first 10 states in the nation to receive a waiver from President Barack Obama’s administration for certain requirements within No Child Left Behind. That spells change for local districts.
-
In a roundabout way
If all goes well, construction for a new roundabout at the intersection of Indiana 38 and County Road 300 West near Pendleton Heights Middle School could begin by the middle of next year.
-
Search for history on Mars
Greg McCauley will discuss a Mars mission at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Pendleton Public Library, 595 E. Water St. The 45-minute talk featuring multimedia is free and open to the public.
- More Local Education Headlines
-
Adult education GED classes offered
