SPOKANE, Wash. — Every year a handful of bands are selected to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year, the former band director at Gerry Middle School in Spokane is getting a chance to perform in the parade!
Chris Poole has spent the last week putting the finishing touches on his performance as he gets ready to travel to New York City. He told KREM 2 that he is just so excited to have the opportunity.
Chris is no stranger to the big stage after being a former band director for more than 20 years. Poole said, “I myself have performed for the Queen of England and bands that I have directed have performed for every president from Clinton through Obama, mostly at the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC.”
Even though he has performed and directed at these many events, he has never got the chance to take his band to a parade of this magnitude. He said, “I'm just really excited and proud to be able to represent not only myself but the area and all the students that I've taught that I wish had the opportunity to do this as well.”
Poole’s opportunity this week is a rather unique one. He will be marching as part of the Band Director’s Marching Band. “I applied, which involves sending a brief biography of the teaching, I've done, the bands that I've taught, the different performances and things I've done with those groups, as well as performing that I've done myself and a little bit of background and I was fortunate enough to be selected to perform in the 2022 Pasadena Rose Parade,” said Poole.
Poole will be one of two band directors representing Washington State.
In between rehearsals and sightseeing, the band will also perform at the 9/11 Memorial.
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