The Jonesboro High School Majestic Marching Cardinals are ready for their close up on a national stage.
The Clayton County school marching band, which has made a name for itself among its peers with its signature tune “Valdosta,” a variation of hip hop artist Archie Eversole’s “We Ready,” has been invited to take part in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
“Every time we step in a building, we play that song and it lets people know that the Majestic Marching Cardinals are up in the house and we’re about to set this thing off,” said band director Lynel Goodwin.
The chance to perform in the parade is a big win for the school and the district. Hundreds of bands compete for a chance to participate in the annual holiday tradition, with winners getting to demonstrate their skills before a national audience of millions.
“We are absolutely ecstatic,” Clayton Schools Interim Superintendent Anthony Smith said. “What a great representation of Jonesboro High School and of Clayton County Public Schools ... and the community.”
The band of about 120 students will need to raise about $1,500 per student for the trip, Goodwin said. Members will hold fundraisers and seek donations from local organizations. Smith said the school system will also play a role in providing funds, but did not elaborate.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
The money will be used to pay for hotels, food and tickets to events and attractions, such as Broadway shows, the Apollo Theater and visitation fees for the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. The district will handle the travel on coach buses.
“We’re not cutting any corners because our students work really, really hard,” Goodwin said, explaining that he plans to work with travel agencies to secure group rates on accommodations and travel. “They deserve the best.”
The band has grown in the seven years since Goodwin came to Jonesboro High in 2016, he said. When he arrived, the band had a paltry 15 members.
That number increased annually as word of mouth attracted more and more members, he said. He expects the band could potentially hit 150 as more students hear about the trip to New York. If it does, he said all students will participate in the parade.
“I’m imagining that with this announcement the enrollment will grow,” he said. “And no one will be denied (the trip) because of lack of funds or financial hardship.”
Nyla Palmer, 16, has been with the band for the past two years and said it was the chance to travel and receives scholarships that led her to join. The 10th-grader, who plays the trombone, said she has watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and always wished that she could be in it.
“This is a really big deal for us,” she said, adding that this will be her first trip to the Big Apple. “I’m proud of our organization and the chance that we get to do this.”
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Fellow band member Tyler Gardner, 16, said the Macy’s invitation is the result of hard work and that raising the funds for the trip, which will also be his first to New York, will require elbow grease. The 10th grader, who has played trumpet since the sixth grade, also has performed with the band for the past two years.
“There are a lot of people willing to help but it’s still not going to be easy,” he said.
Goodwin said it will be worthwhile, for both the students and the music-loving public.
“Our band is energetic, it’s innovative, it’s creative and there is a passion that is rivaled by no other band,” he said. “I can stand on that very firmly.”
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