Miss District of Columbia poses with members of The Pride of Herndon during the Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C. on April 16.
The Pride of Herndon played for the entire nation on April 16 in the 81st annual Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C.
The band submitted pictures and videos and was selected as one of 14 marching ensembles. According to director Kathleen Jacoby, this is a unique experience in The Pride’s recent history.
“Everything about the day was surreal: taking a picture on the steps of the most visited museum in the nation (the Air and Space Museum), having Miss District of Columbia and Miss Maryland come hang out during warm-up, setting up next to huge balloon floats, staging next to news vans
from major television networks, snapping a quick shot of the kids in line-up and catching the Washington Monument in the background, turning the first corner and being right in front of the National Archives,” Jacoby said.
“These kiddos can go just about anywhere. Who knows where their next big parade will be! I did feel that Herndon really represented the local suburban D.C. community well in comparison to the bands from farther away. For those bands, coming to the Nation's Capital is their big trip of the year. It made me remember, and I hope the kids realize how fortunate we are to live in this area,” said parent and Fairfax County music teacher Patti Adams.
The over 30 seniors in the band relished the opportunity to don their uniforms one last time and be together in perfect weather, performing and hobnobbing with parade celebrities.
“The most memorable moment of the day was turning the corner where the cameras were rolling and suddenly feeling everyone in the grandstand’s eyes on us. It was a bit intimidating but also really amazing because instead of feeling nervous I felt proud that there was such an amazing group of musicians behind me,” said drum major Julia Picchiottino, a senior, of her last marching experience with The Pride.
Jacoby said, “You would think being a native of this area would desensitize me to the awesomeness of our nation’s capital, but it was just the opposite. I felt an incredible amount of awe and pride.”