Addison High School Band to march in Bicentennial Parade

ADDISON - A dream has come true for first-year Addison High School band director and former AHS band member Garrett McCurley. It is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for his band students, as they have been chosen as one of seven bands in the entirety of the state to march in the Alabama Bicentennial Parade on Dexter Avenue in Montgomery, celebrating the state’s 200th birthday, Saturday, Dec. 14.
A patriotic theme for the halftime show during football season was decided upon early in the school year. The name of the show is “A Patriotic Salute.”
 “This is the 75th anniversary of D-Day and it’s 200 years of Alabama (statehood), so I think that needs to be recognized,” McCurley explained. “Our first song is a medley of ‘America the Beautiful,’ ‘Grand Old Flag’ and ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic.’ A ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ mallet solo introduces the rocking drum feature. A powerful rendition of ‘God Bless America’ ends our show with a giant red, white and blue flag flying over the top of the band.”
McCurley completed a form when it came to his attention about the bicentennial parade and sent in a one-minute video of the band performing.
“I got the email back, and it said we were selected,” McCurley said. “We’re only one of seven bands in the entire state (to participate). It’s really amazing. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Nobody else will be able to do this for another hundred years at least.” One high school band was chosen for each of the seven congressional districts in the state.
Since the parade begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, McCurley and the band students will be traveling to Montgomery the day before and staying in a hotel nearby. They will rent a charter bus to get to Montgomery.