Six stellar high school bands from around the country appeared in the Macy’s 97th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thurs., Nov. 23, 2023. These bands were led by capable and accomplished music educators, and in this third in the series we introduce the remaining educators to you.

Director of Bands Steve Rivero, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Hailing from Parkland, Florida, was the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Eagle Regiment. This 162-member marching band is recognized as one of the finest and most comprehensive high school band programs in the nation. Director of Bands is the talented Steve Rivero. He has taught there since 2019.

Director of Bands at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School led his students in their first-ever appearance in the Macy’s Parade. Photo credit: Steve Rivero

Steve was named a quarter-finalist for the 2020 Grammy Music Educator of the Year. He also garnered honors as the Arts Teacher of the Year for Broward County in 2017, and honored as Teacher of the Year in 2002. He has also garnered the National Band Association Citation of Excellence, and the FBA Oliver Hobbs Award, in recognition of consistent superior band performances and commitment and service to the field of music education. In 2002 he was named Teacher of the Year at Hialeah High School, where he was teaching at the time. Steve earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Miami in 1995.

In addition to his work in public schools, Steve serves our country as the Commander and Conductor of the Florida National Guard’s 13th Army Band. Throughout his 35-year career in the Army Reserve, he has received numerous honors and awards, including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Florida Commendation Medal, and the Guam Commendation Medal.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagles Regiment Marching Band from Parkland, Florida, marched in the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo credit: TapInto.net

The Eagles Regiment kicked off 2023 marching in London’s New Year’s Day Parade. In addition to its many awards and accolades over the years, the group has garnered three recent Grand Champion Awards at the Florida Marching Band Regional Championships in 2021, including The Jupiter Festival of Bands, The Lancer Jamboree, and The Falcon Sound Invitational. They are four-time State Champions at the Bands of America Orlando Regionals.

Director of Bands Dr. Melissa Gustafson-Hinds
O’Fallon Township High School Marching Panthers

Dr. Melissa Gustafson-Hinds led her students from O’Fallon Township High School in the 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo credit: Music For All, Inc.

Also appearing in the parade was the 290-member O’Fallon Township High School Marching Panthers of O’Fallon, Illinois, under the expert leadership of Dr. Melissa Gustafson-Hinds. This is their second appearance in the annual spectacular; their first was in in 1992.

Melissa has been the Director of Bands at O’Fallon for 16 years. In addition to her teaching duties at O’Fallon Township High School, Melissa serves as Music Department Chair and recently served as the President of District VI of the Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA). She has also served as a Music for Allnational Festival clinician.

Melissa earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, graduating with University Honors. She earned her Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2000. She completed the requirements for her Doctorate Degree in Teaching and Learning, with an emphasis in music, from the University of Missouri St. Louis in 2010.

The O’Fallon Township High School Marching Band appeared in their second appearance in the  annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo credit: KTLA Channel 5

The talented Director of Bands created a special program for her students’ appearance in this year’s parade. “Our message is about joy to the world. And so we combined Ode to Joy, which everybody knows with Joy To The World. And we spelled out joy at the end using parts of a wreath as the ‘O’ and then a ‘J’ and a ‘Y’ to represent joy to everyone out there on this wonderful Thanksgiving Day,” Melissa explains.

The Marching Panthers garnered awards as the Bands of America Grand Nationals Finalist in 2018. They have appeared in the Tournament of Roses Parade three times, the Fiesta Bowl Parade three times, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade twice. They. have also appeared in the Orange Bowl Parade, the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, the Waikiki Thanksgiving Day Parade in Waikiki Hawaii, and the Disney World Thanksgiving Day Parade in Disney World, Florida.

Six stellar high school bands from around the country were selected to appear in the Macy’s 97th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thurs., Nov. 23, 2023. These bands were led by capable and accomplished music educators, and we introduce three of them to you below. We’ll introduce others in a future post.

Mercer Island High School Marching Band, Directors:
Parker Bixby, Kyle Thompson, and Jacob Krieger

The Mercer Island High School Band (MIHS), known as “The Pride of the Island,” represented the Pacific Northwest in this year’s parade. The 300-member group was led by co-directors Parker Bixby, Kyle Thompson, and Jacob Krieger.

Parker Bixby, music educator at Mercer Island High (MIHS), is one of three co-directors of the school’s marching band. Photo credit: MIHS

The first co-director of the Mercer Island Band is Parker Bixby. Parker has taught at Mercer Island High School since 1995. “The Macy’s Parade is, for high school band program, nothing short of a bucket list experience,” remarked Parker. “Macy’s represents the ultimate opportunity for students, staff, and community to come together in pursuit of a once in a lifetime performance experience in front of the nation,” he continued.

Parker earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Washington. He earned his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Montana. He is a member of The Washington Music Educators Association and the National Association for Music Educators.

Music educator Kyle Thompson is one of three co-directors of the Mercer Island High School Band. Photo credit:MIHS

The second co-director of this band is Kyle Thompson. Kyle earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music from Central Washington University. Previous Education positions include Director of Bands at Cedarcrest High School in Duvall Washington, Consultant with the UCLA Marching Band, Program Coordinator with the Central Washington University Marching Band, Director of Education and Brass Caption Supervisor of the Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps, Brass educational faculty of The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from Rosemont Illinois, and Brass Caption Supervisor of the Troopers Drum and Bugle corps from Casper, Wyoming. He is an active member of the National Association for Music Education and the Washington Music Educators Association.

The third director who leads the Mercer Island High School Band is music educator Jacob Krieger. Photo credit: MIHS

Jacob Kreiger is the third co-cirector of this amazing band. Jacob earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a second Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance with a Jazz Studies Certificate from Central Washington University (CWU). In addition to his work with high school students, Jacob has toured with a professional jazz band to China and Taiwan.

The MIHS Marching Band is a non-competitive, entertainment-focused ensemble that performs regularly for local, national, and international events. In addition to this year’s Macy’s Parade, the group has performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade four times. They also performed with American rapper and singer Macklemore as part of the 2022 Seahawks NFL home opener. Mercer Island High School has been selected as a Grammy Signature School twice, and the city of Mercer Island is a two-time recipient of NAMM’s “Best Communities for Music Education” designation.

Six high school bands from around the country made an appearance in this year’s Macy’s 97th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thurs., Nov. 23, 2023. Each of these bands was led by an expert and accomplished music educator. We  introduce some of them to you today, and some of them in future posts.

Director of Bands Tom Reifenberg,
Greendale High School Marching Band

Tom Reifenberg, Director of Bands at Greendale High School, led his school’s marching band in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo credit: National Association for Music Education

One of the bands that appeared in the parade is the Greendale High School Marching Band, under the capable leadership of Tom Reifenberg. This 200-plus-member group hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Tom has taught at Greendale High School since 2001. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, in 2001. He earned his Master’s degree in Music Education from Music Education from Boston University in 2008, and a second Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2021.

The Greendale High School Marching Band marched in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo credit: WTMJ-TV Milwaukee

Throughout his career, Tom has earned many accolades. He was named the recipient of the Michael G. George Distinguished Service Award in 2017. He was honored as the Greendale Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year in 2015, and the same year he garnered a Herb Kohl Fellowship, an award that honors excellence in education in the state of Wisconsin. He was named Wisconsin’s representative in School Band & Orchestra Magazine‘s annual “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” report in 2013. He has also served on the WSMA State Marching Band Committee and the UWAY Board of Directors.

This is the second appearance in the Macy’s Parade for the Greendale students; their first appearance was in 2016. The group is known throughout the state, as they have won an impressive 19 consecutive state championships!

Director of Bands Chad Kohler, Fishers High School Tiger Band

Chad Kohler serves as Directory of Bands at Fishers High School in Fishers, Indiana. Photo credit: Fishers High School

The Fishers High School Tiger Band from Fishers, Indiana, marched under the direction of Director of Athletic Bands Chad Kohler. The group boasts an enrollment of 250 students, who filled the coveted position of appearing just ahead of Santa Clause!

In addition to his work at Fishers High School, Chad has performed and instructed the Cavaliers a Drum and Bugle Corps and served as Percussion Caption Head for the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. He regularly performs throughout the Indianapolis area, most consistently with the Nickel Plate Jazz Orchestra and Fishers Wind Symphony. Chad also serves on the Board of Directors for the Indiana Percussion Association and the Percussive Arts Society. This exemplary music educator earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Kentucky. He earned his Master’s degree in Music from the University of Akron, Ohio.

The Fishers High School Marching Tigers from Fishers, Indiana, performed in the 97th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. Photo credit: Fishers High School

The Fishers Marching Tigers have earned other honors in addition to their selection for the Macy’s Parade. They performed at the 2023 Grand National Championships, where they finished in the top 12 for their Christmas show. In 2016, the group achieved success as an Indiana State Finalist at the prestigious Bands of America competition. The group also performed at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 2017 and the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2015. In addition, they have performed in the Walt Disney World Main Street Parade.

Director of Bands Dave Zamborsky, Jenison High School Marching Wildcats 

Director of Bands Dave Zamborsky of Jenison High School inWest Michigan will lead the 193-member Marching Wildcats in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo credit: WOOD TV8

Also appearing in the parade was the 193-member Jenison High School Marching Band from Jenison, West Michigan. They appeared under the expert leadership of Director of Bands Dave Zamborsky. The group looked terrific in their impressive silver and black parade uniforms, which featured an Art Deco pattern!

Dave earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music from Northwestern University and his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri, St. Louis.

“We see this as a really awesome opportunity to represent the whole state on this nationally viewed program,” Dave remarked. “They’ve put in a ton of time and a ton of energy into preparing for this week.” The Jenison students were positioned between balloon floats of characters from DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda and the YouTube series Ryan’s World.

The Jenison High School Marching Band looked impressive in their silver and black parade uniforms which featured an Art Deco pattern. Photo credit: Jenison High School

The Jenison High School Wildcats Marching Band has been honored as the MCBA Flight II State Champion an impressive 11 times. They have earned recognition as a Bands of America Grand Nationals Semi-Finalist and a Regional Championships finalist many times. In 2022, the group garnered their first ever Bands of America Regional Championship. They have also performed in the Fiesta Bowl twice.

High school music educator Brenda Gregory was honored by her former student, country music singer Chris Young, at the 57th Annual Country Music Awards on Wed., Nov. 8, 2023. Photo credit: Siegel High School 

Many fans of country music enjoyed the broadcast on the 57th Annual Country Music Awards (CMA) on Wed., Nov. 8, 2023. Among those fans were many educators, and they must have been delighted when Chris Young, a Grammy-nominated and CMA winner country music singer, paid a special tribute to his high school music teacher, Brenda Gregory.

Brenda currently teaches at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, but she was teaching at Murfreesboro’s Oakland High School when Young was her student. She cast him in the role of Riff in the musical West Side Story when he was just a freshman. Before he completed his high school years, Young was also cast in the Kevin Bacon role in Footloose at the Arts Center of Cannon County and as Inspector Javert in Les Miserables.

Although humble, Brenda understands the important role that music educators play in the lives of their students. “Music teachers have the ability to help students find themselves,” she declared. And Young does not underestimate Brenda’s influence. “Some people have trouble encouraging someone in the right way,” he said. “She walked a fine line, stern when you needed it and a pat on the back when you needed it,” he recalled.

As part of his tribute, Young presented Brenda with a brand new Chevy Trax. After honoring her, the CMA Award winner also paid tribute to music teachers all over the country. “Let’s hear it for all of our music educators,” Young encouraged as Brenda and the star-studded crowd at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena cheered.

Brenda is a native of Columbia, Tennessee. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music at MTSU.  She has served on the faculty of the Governor’s School of the Arts, and she has been recognized five times as an Outstanding Teacher of the Arts . She was named Tennessee Arts Teacher of the Year in 2010. She holds professional memberships in ACDA, MTVA, MENC, and REA.