SHERBURNE – Last Friday, an exhausted yet elated Sherburne-Earlville High School musical emissary returned home after a six-day stint in New York City. Meaghan Weinell represented her school in front of millions of Americans during the 86th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the largest Thanksgiving day parade in the nation. The parade drew millions of Americans across the nation to TV sets.
After acing an audition earlier this year, Weinell won a spot among some of the most talented young musicians in the country, who composed this year’s annually selected Macy’s Great American Marching Band. The marching band constituted nearly 250 high schoolers, including the color guard, assembled from all corners of the nation.
“It was the most amazing thing I have ever done,” Weinell exclaimed. “There were band members from every state. I had roommates from Michigan and South Dakota.”
Weinell described how wonderful it was to be among such a diverse group of people who were dedicated to music. “Everyone was so friendly and great and we were teaching each other amazing new things about music I didn’t know about.”
“One of my favorite parts was being able to meet so many people from all over,” said Weinell. Weinell’s music teacher and guide, Jeffrey Manwaring, had told her about his experience with different kinds of Americans while he was going to school in Kentucky, but she had not fully appreciated what he meant until experiencing it for herself. “I met a girl from South Carolina who was just as excited as I was, but didn’t show it at all,” she said.
“It’s just amazing, everyone in the community was watching for her on TV,” said Manwaring, who added that this had been the first time he’d ever sent a student in for an audition. “The first thing I told her was not to get her hopes up because they only pick 250 kids in the nation – and what do you know, she made it!”
While in New York City, Weinell took part in strenuous and lengthy rehearsals, from a nine-hour session Monday to a five and a half hour session Wednesday, in preparation for the parade. This hardly seemed to faze her exuberance though and if anything, Weinell spoke of her hours spent drilling with affection. “We had rehearsals every day because although he had to have the music memorized before and, we had never met each other before and no one know the choreography,” she said.
“Marching in the S-E band helped to prepare me. We marched in Canton, Ohio, which was a really long parade as well. Mr. Manwaring was great too and he taught me to be ready to march like that,” said Weinell.
Though Weinell’s parents could not be there in person to cheer her on, they got to watch her march during the broadcast along with millions of other Americans. “They actually missed me during the first showing and had to watch it again,” she laughed.
Macy’s Great American Marching Band alumnus do not have to audition again and Weinell will be returning to New York City next year to participate in the parade. Emboldened by Weinell’s success, Manwaring also intends to compel other students to audition.