2 Houston students to play in Macy’s Great American Marching Band during Thanksgiving parade
CYPRESS, Texas – As millions of Americans gather around their televisions this Thanksgiving, watching the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, two Houston-area students will be living their dream on the streets of Manhattan, performing in the 99th annual celebration.
Hannah Bockhahn, a senior at Cy-Fair High School, and Lance Jehlik, a junior at Cypress Woods High School, have been selected to perform in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band, joining an elite ensemble of the nation’s top young performers.
From HTX To NYC
For Bockhahn, the journey began with what she thought would be an easy P.E. credit.
“I honestly auditioned for it because I thought it would be an easier P.E. credit. It definitely wasn’t,” she said. “But after my first season of doing it, I realized that it was something fun that I’d like to continue.”
Now, in her fourth year with the color guard, Bockhahn is one of just 40 color guard members selected nationwide.
“It’s such a crazy coincidence almost that I was one of the few people that they selected for it,” she said.
Jehlik’s path to the parade started with a love of music that began in childhood.
“I’ve always enjoyed listening to music in the car and I could always pick out the beat,” he said.
His choice of the trombone was driven by its unique qualities.
“It’s a very unique instrument because of the slide, and it’s very fun to play.”
A competitive selection
Both students learned about the opportunity through connections to last year’s parade.
Jehlik’s neighbor, a former color guard member, shared information about the auditions, while Bockhahn was inspired by two friends who performed in last year’s parade.
“I was like 50-50,” Jehlik said about his chances after submitting his video audition. “It’s the whole nation. It could be anyone, but I was really happy when I got the text back that I made it.”
Jehlik, who will join approximately 100 other musicians in the band, will help perform several numbers during the parade, including “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman.
“I always just want to keep improving myself and play harder music each year,” he said.
Preparing for the Big Apple
Both students fly to New York on Saturday morning, facing a packed schedule of rehearsals and sightseeing.
For Bockhahn, who has never been to New York City proper, the reality hasn’t fully set in.
“I don’t think it’ll feel real until I look out of the plane window and see the whole city,” she said.
Jehlik, who has visited New York before but only in summer, is excited for the winter cold. He’s never played in winter temperatures before.
“I just want to see how cold it is during winter,” he said.
The parade appearance could be just the beginning for both students. Jehlik plans to continue playing in college and possibly pursue competitive marching outside of college.
Bockhahn, who plans to study crime scene investigation in college at either West Texas A&M or UNT, hopes to continue with color guard for a few more years.
She credits her success to her coaching staff, particularly Kelsey Hernandez.
“Without her help and her creating this good of a program, I wouldn’t have had this great opportunity,” she said.
For Jehlik, representing Houston on a national stage carries special meaning.
“It’s like such an honor, because I know kids now, they’re looking up to me, because I represent them and I want to represent them well. It’s really such an honor and I hope that me doing this makes you realize that you can do it too. If you work for it, you can do it.”
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