More to the Story with Staley: Band Invitation
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — It might be one thing for a college marching band to perform in a holiday parade. But it’s a whole different thing to head “across the pond!” And take part in one of the biggest parades in the entire world!
That’s what “The Marching Mocs” are getting ready to do!
It’s quite the scene at UTC’s Fine Arts Center, as representatives from London, England made it official.
Yes indeed, an historic event for the UTC Marching Band. The official invitation to the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade and Festival. One of the largest and most prestigious parades in all of the world!
“We’ve known about the invitation for several months now, as well as the students knowing so they could begin their planning,” said UTC Band Director Randall Coleman. “And we’re just now able to get everybody here for the official invitation.”
It will be the first time the Mocs Marching Band performs on the international stage. And what a stage it is!
The London Parade has been going down for over 35 years. There are always around 8,000 performers participating in front of a half a million spectators on the street, with millions more watching from home.
It’s quite an honor, and a feather in the cap for band director Randall Coleman and the entire university!
Dr. Kenyon Wilson is the interim director for the Department of Performing Arts. “We knew the 100th anniversary of the band was coming up. And we wanted to do something big. I didn’t think Randall would cook up something THIS big! So, we’re terribly excited,” Wilson said.
It’s just another indication as to how much the UTC band has changed under Randall Coleman.
Coleman hasn’t even been on the job for two years. Yet the Marching Mocs now sport some 150 members, up from 100 last year alone.
“It’s surprised me how quickly the transformation has happened,” Dr. Wilson said. “We knew when we invested in Randall that he wanted to make some changes. And he wanted to honor our tradition. He’s certainly done that.”
“I wouldn’t say surprised,” Coleman said. “I’d say shocked. I hoped it would happen. I knew it could happen. But how fast it’s happened, yes!”
The Marching Band now has the rest of the year to raise money for the big parade. It’ll cost about $4,000 per student.
But Coleman says he and his students will find ways to make it happen.
