Band director to march in Thanksgiving Day parade

Nov. 16—Every performance offers a different opportunity, and some stages are bigger than others for bands.

Marching in two of the biggest and most world-renowned parades is an honor only some people get to have.

Georgetown-Ridge Farm School District Band Director Paige Smith marched in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., last year, in which the parade is a New Year's Day tradition.

Now she'll be marching in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Her students are excited for her, with many asking questions about what she'll be doing and how they can see her on television.

What's unique for Paige is that she will again be marching in the parade with her father, a retired band director from Kankakee.

They are part of the band "Saluting America's Band Directors."

According to the organization, following its inaugural appearance in the 2022 Rose Parade, "Saluting America's Band Directors" project is bringing together band directors from across the country to New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade under the theme, "America's band directors: We teach music. We teach life."

"There are 408 band directors from around the country participating in this band and I am the only band director from all of Central Illinois," according to Paige.

In addition to many from the U.S., some band directors are coming from Mexico, Canada and elsewhere, and some are American teachers in other countries in international schools who are flying back for the parade.

The band came about through the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation which was created in 2017. It carries on the legacy of the late Mike Sewell, longtime band director in the Pickerington, Ohio, school system. The foundation project, named "Saluting America's Band Directors," was created as a way to recognize and salute the extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors everywhere, public and private schools at all levels, colleges and universities, the military and community bands, according to the band.

An all-volunteer advisory team of professionals in management, marketing, music education, fundraising and information technology was assembled to plan and execute the initial SABD project: to march in the Rose Parade.

Paige's background

Paige, who is from Kankakee, moved back to Georgetown three years ago. Her husband, Logan Smith, is from Georgetown and farms. They have three children, Rowan, 5, Cedar, 3 and Savannah, 1.

Paige, 32, followed in her father's footsteps in being a band director.

Her father, Eric Penrod, 61, was her band director in middle school, junior high school.

"I got to work with him for two or three years before he retired," Paige said. "So, we were able to work together, and then I continued to work there after he retired, then I moved here."

"He inspired me to continue in music," she said.

Paige started playing piano when she was 5 years old.

She said her family always went to concerts and was always around music. She has two older sisters and a younger brother, and they are all very musical. Paige is the only one of the siblings who went into music as a career.

When Paige was 9 years old, she got her first instrument, an alto saxophone. She had a year of instruction and then started band the next year.

She played the alto sax all the way through college. She got her bachelor's degree from Olivet Nazarene University and her master's degree at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. Keeping with following in her dad's footsteps, those are the colleges he went to.

Right out of school she became a band director. The first year she had half the day general music and the other half band. The next year there was an opening to do full-time band and she was grateful for that in Kankakee.

Now she's band director for 6th through 12th grade band at Georgetown-Ridge Farm. She goes between being at the junior high and high school for band classes. She's also able to teach lessons to small groups throughout the day. Every band member, sixth through eighth grade, gets a lesson throughout the week.

The school district has about 75 students in the band program. She said it's a little small on the high school side, but they'll get there.

The band previously did competitions but took a step back from that before she became band director. They've not gotten back into it with their size, doing more parade-type activities. Concerts occur through the year. Most recently they had a Veterans Day concert and are preparing for the holidays.

Band Directors Band

Paige said it was exciting to march in the Rose Parade.

"That was the first event this band ever did, and I got to be a part of that, also with my dad," Paige said. "We were like the original group."

She saw a Facebook post of the organization looking for band directors and she signed up.

Her dad was part of the group. He plays the trumpet. She marched directly behind him.

She said they thought they'd be more separated because of their different instruments.

"I actually went and found somebody while we were there last time, and said this was probably just a mistake, but if not, thank you, because that made the experience that much better. And they said they did that on purpose. They knew that we were related and they wanted us by each other," she said.

This will be Paige's first time marching in the Macy's parade. Other directors have marched in it in college or with their school bands.

"These are like once-in-a-lifetime opportunities," Paige said. "You just have to take it."

"I've always watched it. I love the Macy's Parade. So, I'm so excited. It's kind of like a bucket list," she added.

Because the group got so much recognition from the Rose Parade, for the Macy's Parade, any original band director member could participate, but new members had to apply and audition.

The parade is about 2.5 miles long and will take the band about an hour to march in it.

"It's not that bad," Paige said. "The worst part is going to be the weather."

They have ponchos to prepare for rain and earmuffs for cold weather. They have to prepare for anything.

Their band uniform consists of a red suit coat, blue slacks, button-up white shirt and a tie. The uniform had different colors for the Rose Parade.

"For the last parade, my students said that because we didn't wear hats, it was easy for them to spot me on TV because I'm so blond," Paige said.

The instrument Paige is marching in the parade with is the one she received on her 9th birthday. It was used when she got it, being repaired then. Since then, it's had a few fixes.

When she marched in the Rose Parade, she was about to step off, feeling the keys and fidgeting with it, when a piece fell off. It still worked. It's not a key that she really needed, it makes it play a little easier, she said.

She's replaced that part since. So, she's ready for the next parade.

Paige said the band has been practicing six pieces to learn. The music has to all be memorized. There are no flip folders.

In the parade, the band will perform three selections. Two songs will be used for the more general public performances, including a melody of John Philip Sousa arrangements including "The Thunderer," "National Emblem" and "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Another song is the full version of "Seventy-Six Trombones." A mixture of songs, "Strike Up the Band," "Simple Gifts" to tie into the Thanksgiving theme, and then ending with "Seventy-Six Trombones," is for the televised spot.

Paige already had memorized "Seventy-Six Trombones" from the Rose Parade, so it came back to her when practicing.

While they are in New York, the band will be participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at Ground Zero on Nov. 20. For that ceremony they are playing, "Taps," "Amazing Grace" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The band's first practice all together will be on Sunday, Nov. 19. They practice every day leading up to the parade.

Paige said she's been to New York City before, including with her high school band. They performed in the city, but not in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

"I'm very excited, and because I've been to New York I know what to expect; and because I've done a parade with this group, I know what to expect from those leaders," she said.

The weather can make such a huge difference, she said, about trying to prepare for that.

"I've got the music down," she said.

The crowd also will lift their spirits and keep them going, and that's kind of fun, she said.

Paige sad the Rose Parade was fun because that parade is so focused on marching bands specifically, there were people along the route with signs that said, "We love you band directors."

She said the band consists of 400 professional musicians that are teaching all the other musicians in the parade.

"You can guarantee that this group is going to sound good," Paige said.

She said she's really looking forward to the first practice, in a hotel ballroom to start and then practices in an armory, and hearing everyone together.

"I can't wait to hear the sound we make," she said.

They also get to do some sightseeing and see the Radio City Rockettes.

She sent her students updates for the Rose Parade and will do so for this parade too.

The band is the second band in the parade, right after the Snoopy balloon.

She's not sure on any future events with "Saluting American's Band Directors," but her dad has said this is his last one.

If Paige continues, it will be solo, but she said that's OK. Her band adventures will continue.