The traditional Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday will include an Aurora connection as a brother and sister from West Aurora High School will be performing with other musicians from across the country as part of Macy’s Great American Marching Band.
Last winter, senior Emily Lesniak, a saxophone player, and her brother Asher Lesniak, a
junior who plays trumpet, went through an application process hoping to participate in the band and learned in March that they both were accepted.
At the parade, Macy’s Great American Marching Band will include 180 musicians as well as 40
color guard members and dancers who will also be part of the presentation.
A supporting sponsor known as Music Festivals and Tours is continuing its partnership with Macy’s and noted in a press release that, once again, the group will be “honoring America’s finest high school musicians, color guard members and dancers,” adding that “this band will be comprised of select students from across the United States.”
“Once again, this prestigious band will take an honor position among the gigantic helium balloons, impressive floats carrying celebrities and the nation’s top marching bands,” the release
said. “The band will step-off from Central Park, and will be cheered on by the 3 million
spectators lining the parade route. Arriving at Macy’s Herald Square, the band will perform for
celebrity hosts, a grandstand audience and more than 50 million TV viewers watching the broadcast live.”
Lydia Lesniak, who serves as the president’s assistant at North Central College in Naperville, said this was the first time her children have applied for the parade but that the family has a legacy of sorts “as my husband has done the Macy’s parade before with another group and so my kids thought they’d
give it a try.”
“The kids wanted to see if they could get into a group themselves and it worked,” she said. “My husband performed with the Band Directors Marching Band. He is a high school band director at Plainfield East High School and so he marched in Macy’s, and a couple years before that, he also marched in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl parade with the same group.”
Lesniak said her daughter began playing saxophone in fifth grade and her son picked up the
trumpet when he was in sixth grade. Both have been busy this year participating in the marching
band at West Aurora High School, she said.
She said her children got involved by doing some research online and looking up the requirements to become involved with the band at the Thanksgiving parade. They applied after last year’s parade in December or January “when applications were open for acceptance and found out in March that they made it.”
“They had to play certain things on their instruments and then they have to have a video sent to them showing how to march,” she said. “I’m not sure of the details, but they had to show how they could march correctly according to certain commands and also be able to play certain pieces on their instruments. It was both a marching and a musical tryout.
“It’s been a proud parent moment coming from a musical family and really kind of neat,” she said of her children being chosen to be part of the band at the parade. “They’re enjoying themselves and reaching out for other experiences and this is one they’ll not soon forget.”
Emily Lesniak, 17, said she has “always seemed to watch the parade when they would show it on TV.”
“When I found out I could actually be a part of it I figured why not take the opportunity and just go with it,” she said. “When I got the call that I made it I was really surprised. There are so many applicants and I didn’t think I really had a chance. I’ve very grateful.
“It’s so cool that me and my brother got picked,” she said. “I’m excited to experience the atmosphere.”
Her brother Asher, 16, said he is “excited about being in front of millions of people, which is pretty cool, and also getting to see New York.”
“I was there a couple of years ago when my sister performed at Carnegie Hall and I was in the audience,” he said. “She is in a choir and one of their tours was to Carnegie Hall.”
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Here in Aurora, he said his fellow marching band buddies “think it’s pretty cool to have been
picked out of thousands of people that applied.”
“They’re not jealous. They’re really supportive and happy for me to have this experience,” he
said. “It’s pretty cool to represent the city and our state. I’m already networking with people
from across the country through group chats and getting to know each other.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.