BHS Students Get National Recognition at Tournament of Roses Parade

Seven Bentonville High School students returned to school Monday, fresh off their holiday performance in the 124th annual Tournament of Roses Parade in southern California on New Year’s Day.

Julianne Clements, senior drum major and Devin Brooksby, sophomore baritone, Byron Marciniak, Junior Baritone, Matt Hall, senior percussion, Jackson Urhahn, sophomore trumpet, Monica Gates, sophomore color guard and Melissa Wadley, sophomore dancer, at Bentonville High School, are the seven students selected by Music for All to be members of the Bands of America (BOA) Honor Band in the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade.

They were chosen from hundreds of students nationwide.

“I feel like for us, it’s the beginning of Bentonville being known nationally for our marching band and our music,” Hall said.

Every year around 300 students from all across the nation are selected to be part of the Bands of America Honor Band; this year, 325 were selected.

“Just to be a member of such an ensemble, there were people from everywhere and we met so many people from the east to the west and south and north and just to be among them was such an honor,” said Clements.

Marching with pride and honor for 5.5 miles, the students said every step was worth it.

“I felt kind of famous, I guess you could say,” Wadley said. “Everyone was raving at us and screaming. It was just kind of surreal feeling. I just had to focus on dancing with the music and not getting nervous.”

Two of the members graduate this May, making the parade an extra special way to end their high school career.

“For me to get to continue through Christmas break marching and just having the fun experiences that marching band brings, it was kind of like a final hoorah,” Clements said. “If I don’t do marching band in college, I’ll know that I ended with something really amazing.”

All seven band members are traveling to Mountain Home to audition for all-region this Saturday.