Local band directors marching in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — When all eyes are on New York City Thanksgiving Day, some local band directors will be representing the Miami Valley after they applied and were chosen to march with “Saluting America’s Band Directors.”

From the Miami Valley to the Big Apple, Beavercreek’s Heather Marsh-Myers and West Carrollton’s Laura Bukosky will be part of the sounds of this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Marsh-Myers playing clarinet and Bukosky playing alto saxophone, they will join 400 band directors from across the country to play in the parade.

“I’m super excited to do this. I love New York City. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is such an iconic event. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to be a part of. This is going to kind of be a bucket list item for me to be there while the parade is happening, and to actually be part of the parade is a huge honor,” says Marsh-Myers.

“I’m really excited. There’s definitely nerves, and we’ve been practicing and preparing for this for quite some time now,” says Bukosky. “I’ve been marching all over my house. I’ve been marching up and down the band room. just trying to find ways to move around and play.”

The two previously played at the Rose parade in 2022 in Pasadena with “Saluting America’s Band Directors,” an organization put on by the Mike Sewell Foundation.

They both say they’re proud and excited for this opportunity to shine a spotlight on music education and set an example for their students.

“Making music is a life long skill and something that you know the most I can hope for as a music teacher is for them to want to continue their musicianship after high school,” says Marsh-Myers.

You can watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on WDTN starting at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.