Young Musicians Get in Step for Parade

It’s not the prospect of marching 5 1/2 miles that makes North Park Middle School Band members weak in the knees. It’s all the attention they’ll get along the way.

The award-winning band from Pico Rivera has been selected to take part in Wednesday’s Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, the first group of middle school students to receive that honor since 1951.

Parade officials originally considered the band too young to walk the entire parade route, and for five years they dismissed the school’s applications for that reason. But an audition was finally set up in early February after the students began writing letters to tournament judges with promises that they would undertake endurance training if they were accepted.

An announcement came almost immediately: They were in.

“Everyone was crying for happiness,” said eighth-grade saxophone player Jacqueline Antunez. “We finally accomplished our dreams.”

Band director Ron Wakefield said his students are more than ready to perform in the lineup of 23 marching bands.