Three District 99 musicians will be on the move Thanksgiving morning as they march from New York's Central Park to Herald Square in the 91st annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Downers Grove South Senior Jake Burrows, Downers Grove South Junior Kelly Jankowski, and Downers Grove North Sophomore Miles Teague were all selected by competitive audition to represent Illinois and perform with the 2017 Macy’s Great American Marching Band. The parade is expected to draw 3.5 million live spectators cheering on the band before arriving at Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square for an international performance for more than 50 million TV viewers watching the broadcast live on NBC.
“To be selected for this national band is a tremendous accomplishment for Miles,” says North High Principal Janice Schwarze. “It’s rare that one student--let alone three students--from a district are selected for a band of this caliber, and we are so excited for Jake, Kelly and Miles."
The band will include 185 student musicians from all 50 states. The audition was open to students from more than 14,000 high schools across the United States. Students post their auditions to YouTube. “We’re so proud of Jake and Kelly and know they will represent our school and community very well,” says South High principal Ed Schwartz. “The fine arts programs in our district are truly two of the best in the country, as evidenced in part by this great achievement. Jake, Kelly and Miles will be tremendous ambassadors for our community."
