An 11th-grade Union County High School student had the chance to shine during the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.
Ayden Burnett played the flute with the Great American Marching Band during the parade, an opportunity he discovered when he made the Georgia All-State Band.
Union County High School Band Director Will Stafford said Burnett is really talented and was not surprised that he made it.
“He has made the Georgia All-State band several times and making it on the flute is next to impossible really in Georgia because there are so many people trying out for a very limited number of spots,” Stafford said.
Burnett had to fly out six days before a parade to practice and site see.
“Thursday morning, we would have to get up around 2:00 a.m. to do a pre-show check to make sure everything was running smoothly,” Burnett said.
When it came to the actual show, Burnett said he was not nervous. Once he saw the crowd, the music took over.
He first joined the school band when he found out that they did a trip to Six Flags at the end of the year. Eventually, he grew to love playing the instruments. Burnett started off playing the Saxophone but switched to the Flute three years ago.
“It's been great. I've loved every second of playing it. I don't see practicing as boring, I see practicing as a fun opportunity to improve,” he said.
Burnett plans to audition for the Georgia All-State Band again this year on December 10 and then focus on trying out for next year's Macy’s Day Parade.
“All I have to say was, it was just a life-changing experience," Burnett said.
