The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, in New York City, is the largest annual parade in the U.S., featuring massive floats, celebrity performances and marching bands.
Deona Julary is a senior at Hinsdale Central and drum major for the Red Devil Marching Band.
In September, Julary received a notice that she had been selected to lead the Macy’s Great American Marching Band, a role given to only two high schoolers each year.
“I just texted everyone I possibly could, and I was just so happy and ecstatic and completely in disbelief,” Julary said.
In a marching band, drum majors act as second in command and assistant to the band director, during practices, parades and football games.
“We lead the homecoming parade in Hinsdale, as well as the Memorial Day Parade … right now we’re preparing to perform for the London New Year’s Day Parade for 2024, so I’ve been preparing for that as well,” Julary said.
Drums were not Julary’s first pick when entering band; a multi-instrumentalist, Julary took up the clarinet in fifth grade, performing for Westview Hills Middle School under band directors Karen Moffett and George Huff.
“They were so strong in their leadership and directorship,” Julary said. We went to Superstate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign … a competition for the best bands in the state of Illinois.”
Julary also “dabbled” in violin and piano growing up before being pushed to pursue a role as drum major by her former band director Matt Goeke who now directs the band at Hinsdale South.
“He really encouraged me and saw the leadership abilities needed to switch from a clarinet player who was marching on the field to a drum major conducting the whole band,” she said.
Julary auditioned for the role in the spring of her sophomore year; she hadn’t expected much to come from it since drum majors are typically seniors, she said, but the results were in and Julary would lead the Red Devils her Junior and Senior years.
Her work as a drum major wasn’t just to grow her musical talent, the role requires considerable communication skills and leadership ability, she said.
Hinsdale Central sends its drum majors to the Smith Walbridge Clinics, summer band camp outside of Champaign Illinois, for one week.
More than 500 drum majors from across the country attend this camp teaching high schoolers how to march, how to lead and how to teach others, Julary said. It is at this camp that the Macy’s Great American Marching Band scouts for its two leads.
Julary leaves for New York Saturday Nov. 18 in order to prepare herself and the band for their performance next Thursday.
“Stepping out of your comfort zone is so important, and getting a hold of as many opportunities as you can,” she said. “The number one thing I’m going to do is learn from all of these different marchers from across the nation, because I really want to bring back stuff I learned to my own band.”