By Lori Baker
Honoring America’s Veterans is offering $1,000 stipends to the first 10 marching bands to register to perform in the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, The subsequent five bands to sign up will receive a $500 stipend each.
The stipends are an incentive to encourage more marching bands to showcase their talents in the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, in Phoenix. The annual parade draws about 45,000 spectators.
Mountain Ridge High School’s Pride of the West Marching Band and Color Guard have performed in the parade for several years and was named the top band in the 2024 parade.
Jeffrey Malone, Mountain Ridge High Director of Bands said: “We participate because we feel that this parade provides us a great opportunity to give back to our community, and support veterans for all they have sacrificed for us.”
The 180-member band plays piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, alto, tenor, and baritone, trumpet, mellophone, trombone, marching baritone and sousaphone. It also has snare drum, bass drum, tenor drum, impact drum and cymbals. Its color guard spins flags, rifles or sabres.
Besides Malone, the band is led by Sal Rodriguez, Pride of the West Assistant Director. Student leaders are Drum Majors Nolan Wilson, Nathan Kalna, and Isaac Singh.
The Pride of the West Band is a three-time defending Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association Division 1 State Champions and Arizona Marching Band Association 5A State Champions. The ensemble recently performed at the Arizona Music Educators Association Conference and the Music for All National Festival in Indiana.
Malone recommends that other bands sign up for the parade.
“The Phoenix Veterans Day Parade is a great experience from beginning to end. It is well-organized and has great crowds for students to perform for,” he said.
Bands must play music along the entire length of the two-mile parade route and are strongly encouraged to play patriotic and military marches.
To register, contact Band Outreach Coordinator Marshall Pratt via email at mapratt58@gmail.com or Paula Pedene at paula.pedene@honoringamericasveterans.org.