The Union Pines High School Marching Viking Band
has been selected to represent the State of North Carolina in the 2010 National
Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C., on July
4, 2010.
“This invitation is a great honor since only a limited number of
bands throughout the entire United States
are chosen to perform,” said Director Rob Hill. “It’s a very prestigious
honor. The application process was rigorous, but well worth it.”
America's National Independence Day Parade takes
place annually on July 4th at 11:45
a.m. in Washington, D.C., on Constitution Avenue
from 7th to 17th Street
before a street audience of hundreds of thousands of spectators. The parade
consists of invited bands, fife and drum corps, floats, military and specialty
units, giant balloons, equestrian, drill teams, VIP's, national dignitaries,
and celebrity participants. The Parade is a major national event which seeks to
draw the attention of Americans to the real meaning for the holiday.
Representation from all parts of the United States
is the goal of the Parade National Selection Committee. Marching bands are
selected on the basis of overall quality, as well as geographical, ethnic and
stylistic diversity. It is the annual goal of the parade organizers to have at
least one band or unit represent each of the 50 states of the union.
The Union Pines High band will be in Washington, D.C. from July
3 – 5, 2010, during which time a complete program of sightseeing and
other cultural activities will be part of the experience. Following the parade
on July 4th, they will join several hundred thousand tourists who enjoy the
televised performance of the National Symphony in front of the U.S. Capitol
Building and the spectacular fireworks display. “It’s a tremendous honor
to represent the State of North
Carolina, UnionPinesHigh School, and MooreCountySchools at
one of the most patriotic events in the country,” Hill said. “Selection
to the parade is a prestigious honor, and this will be a great learning
experience for all of our students.”
Currently, the Union Pines Band program consists of 150 band
students, which is a significant percentage of the school’s student population,
greater than 13 percent. Because they are a large group, they compete in the
largest division class 4A across the state, even though UnionPinesHigh School
is a classified as a 3A school. In the fall semester, the Marching
Vikings compete regularly and have brought much prestige to
the school through their superior quality of performance. During the
spring semester, the marching band breaks into three concert bands - the Wind
Ensemble, the Symphonic Band, and the Concert Band. They all compete at
state level contest each year and have all received superior ratings in the
last few years. They have also received superior ratings at out of state
competitions where they have competed against many bands across the country.
We
are proud of the Union Pines Band for their hard work has paid off!!.
