Prairie View Marching Storm prepares for Thanksgiving parade performance

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (FOX 26) - Prairie View A&M University,  just outside of Houston, is buzzing as last minute preparations are underway before around 330 Marching Storm band members take to the streets of New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This is the first year Prairie View A&M will be heading to the iconic parade. 175 applicants from all over the country vied for a spot, but only 10 made the cut.

“We gotta look sharp.”

“We’ve been working quite a lot,” says sophomore trumpet player Hector Navarrete.

Plenty of planning, practicing, tuning and training well into these November nights.

"We’ve been preparing for Macy’s for about two years,” says Brandon Hopkins, Assistant Director of Bands and Arranger. "Thursday of next week, you know, it’s going to be a polished gem for the masses.”

The meshing of march and music under the microscope of the Director, Dr. Timmey Zachary.

“I️f you want the best results, you have to give your best work and the best work isn’t going to come in the shortest amount of time,” says Dominique Burton, Band Captain and tuba player for Marching Storm.

Several hours, on the daily, spent rehearsing and choreographing a performance that lives up to the high Marching Storm standard.

“Prairie View is definitely one of the more musical bands in the SWAC [Southwestern Athletic Conference], the conference that we’re in. Entertainment value is always through the roof,” says Hopkins.

"A lot of hard work, a lot of sweat and tears go into preparing for a performance like this," says Anastacia Smoot, a senior piccolo player who will be making the trip to New York City.

“We’re going to entertain the crowd. We’re doing what it is that we do that made Prairie View Marching Storm as famous as it is,” says Hopkins.

The Prairie View Marching Storm will hit the road on Monday, and after performing in front of their largest crowd ever, they will enjoy a big Thanksgiving feast in New York City.