For Sarah Gibson, few memories will top the time she and her older sister, Stacy, marched alongside each other for the first time as members of The Ohio State University Marching Band two years ago. Family members in the stands watched with tears in their eyes as the sisters performed.

For Ryan Dunson, leading the band out as an assistant squad leader of the snare drums is an experience he’ll never forget.

And for Joshua Aguilera, dressing up as “Wilbur Wolverine” and drawing boos from 100,000 Ohio State fans as Brutus’ opponent in a halftime skit remains atop his list of favorite band memories.

But for these Fisher students, and the nearly two dozen others who are part of “The Best Damn Band in the Land,” the unique opportunity to perform as part of the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade may soon rival these and other band-related experiences.

“It’s the honor of a lifetime. To be a member of the band when it makes its first appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade means a lot to me,” said Adam Wells, a third-year operations management student and a trumpet player. “Every Thanksgiving Day I would wake up to my mother watching the parade on TV. Now she and my father have an excuse to come see it in person.”

The Ohio State University Marching Band was selected from more than 100 applicants as one of 12 high school and college bands to march in the 92nd edition of the annual holiday spectacle.

“We are thrilled to represent the state of Ohio in our first-ever Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance,” said Christopher Hoch, director of Marching and Athletic Bands at Ohio State. “This will be a once-in-a-lifetime performance experience for our students, and I’m excited that we will be able to showcase our tradition of excellence on the streets of New York City for viewers around the globe.”

Dunson, a third-year logistics management student, said the performance will be a part of a busy week that is capped by the annual Ohio State-Michigan game just two days after the parade.

“This parade means the world to me, and although it will be hard work and a crazy week, I have no doubt that it will be one of the best experiences of my life,” he said. “The chance to perform live in front of millions of people is an opportunity that I would get nowhere else.”

Time management and prioritization are themes that have been key to Gibson’s success as an operations management student at Fisher. While she juggled her responsibilities as a first-year baritone player in the band, she joined the college’s Business Scholars program, which helped her establish a group of peers.

“Business Scholars was really important for me as band kept me busy my freshman year and made it harder for me to get to know people,” said Gibson, now a second-year operations management student who is minoring in business analytics. “It provided me with 60 familiar faces to know around the business college. Having this base really helped me create study groups and transition to Fisher.”

Fourth-year Accounting Honors student Patrick Wang has a slightly different perspective on the band’s upcoming trip to New York. Wang serves as part of the band’s support staff as a student uniform assistant. The staff manages the band’s instruments, uniforms and audio and visual recordings. Student staff members also work to acquire props for performances, food for game days and make sure the band runs smoothly.

“Being a part of such a tradition is truly wonderful,” he said. “To not only be in the parade, but to be in the parade as a member of the OSUMB is just unbelievable. There will be so many eyes on us as we celebrate Thanksgiving with all of New York City and the nation.”

Photos courtesy of Crockett Photography.