On Thanksgiving Day, the Wyoming All-State Marching Band brought a brassy and thoroughly rehearsed slice of Western hospitality to the City of Brotherly Love.
One hundred sixty high school students traveled across the country to perform in the 124th annual Dunkin Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Wyoming All-State Marching Band led the way as the first marching band in the parade and made two appearances before it was over. They played the themes of Ghost Riders in the Sky and the theme from The Magnificent Seven as they marched past the iconic Rocky Steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Tiffany and Samuel Hartpence traveled to Philadelphia to watch Wyoming’s marching band. Their son, Alden, was one of the snare drummers in the Wyoming All-State Marching Band, along with 11 other students from Lander Valley High School.
“We’re very proud of him and all the Wyoming kids,” Tiffany told Cowboy State Daily. “They did an amazing job and represented us well.”
All-State All Over
Since 1991, the Wyoming All-State Marching Band has taken the best of the best from Wyoming’s high school marching bands to give them a chance to enhance their extracurricular activity with opportunities to learn, grow, and travel with their peers.
“Traveling and music have always gone hand in hand,” Aric Hagemen, the executive director of the Wyoming All-State Marching Band, told Cowboy State Daily. “Traveling is an incentive to help motivate these kids and push them to become better.
Wyomingites regularly see the Wyoming All-State Marching Band marching all over the state. They regularly appear in the Cody Stampede Parade, the Sheridan Rodeo Parade, and Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Meanwhile, the band has been featured in dozens of national and international parades throughout the United States in the last three decades. Highlights on that list include the President’s Inaugural Parades in 2001 and 2005, the Tatoo International Music Festival in Scotland, the 2012 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and five appearances in the Tournament of Roses Parade.
The marching bands has made multiple appearances in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade, the oldest of its kind in the nation. They had to march through the rainy morning, but that wasn’t too much of a concern.
“The last time we did this parade, it was really, really cold with no rain,” Hageman said. “We take what we can get, and we made it through. It was a really good showing from our Wyoming kids in Philadelphia.
Getting Together
Students apply to be part of the prestigious marching band, which forms for a big trip every two years. Every student selected must practice independently to ensure they’re prepared to play and coordinate with the entire group.
“They’ve had their music since April and have been practicing as a group since June,” Tiffany said. “It’s a big moment for them.”
Hageman gathered the 2024 Wyoming All-State Marching Band for a week of training in Powell at the end of June before performing in the Cody Stampede Parade. The last time the 160 students marched together was during Cheyenne Frontier Days.
“We haven’t seen them since July,” Hageman said. “We had a day and a half of rehearsals in Cheyenne before we got on the plane on Monday morning.”
As part of their Philadelphia parade appearance, the students spent three days sightseeing in New York City and will spend another day in Philadelphia before returning to the Cowboy State. These trips are quite expensive, which is why the band only convenes every two years.
The next trip for the Wyoming All-State Marching Band will be the Hawaii Ki Christmas Parade in 2026. Hageman is already getting the logistics ready, knowing dozens of talented marching band students are already lining up to represent Wyoming across the Pacific.
The next trip for the Wyoming All-State Marching Band will be the Hawaii Ki Christmas Parade in 2026. Hageman is already getting the logistics ready, knowing dozens of talented marching band students are already lining up to represent the Cowboy State in the Aloha State.
Watching From Wherever
Tiffany and Samuel Hartpence were among the many parents who traveled with the Wyoming All-State Band to Philadelphia. Despite the rain, they secured a primetime spot adjacent to the Rocky Steps.
“The live feed for ABC was right next to us,” Tiffany said. “Parents were watching along the entire route.”
Many other parents and band directors watched from Wyoming. Wade French, the band director at Cody High School, tuned in to watch senior Brendan Klose marching through Philadelphia with his sousaphone.
“This is his second time with the All-State Marching Band,” French said. “He did stellar, as always. I’m very proud of him, the entire band, and their staff. They are ambassadors for our state and always look and sound great!”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
