PB Band Director Victor Iapalucci Marches In The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

“The Pride of Barbour County” was well represented in the Big Apple this past week, as Philip Barbour Band Director Victor Iapalucci joined again with the members of the Band Director’s Marching Band to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The band is comprised of 400 members, with the nucleus being those charter members, Iapalucci among them, who joined prior to the Tournament of Roses Parade. Those members were then joined by additional band directors through an application process. Iapalucci, and Shaylynn Dabbs, Lincoln Middle School Band Director, comprised the entirety of the West Virginia delegation.

Band Directors traveled to New York City from across the country and the world, and gathered Sunday night for an indoor music rehearsal, centering around their anthem “Amazing Grace.” Other selections for the parade included “Strike Up the Band,” “76 Trombones,” and a custom arrangement of Aaron Copeland’s “Simple Gifts” for their Herald Square appearance in front of the famed Macy’s flagship store.

During the days that followed, the band traveled to Weekhawken, New Jersey for both outdoor marching and indoor rehearsals, and a Fox and Friends appearance, as there wasn’t a location large enough in the city to accommodate the group. They then traveled to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and an exception made to allow them to be the only band to perform on the grounds of the memorial. Thousands assembled to hear the band play, and to honor those who perished.

The group then celebrated Thanksgiving at a Tuesday night banquet to allow members to rest prior to their parade performance. At that banquet, Mr. Iapalucci was honored, with other members for performing “Amazing Grace” as part of the virtual band and was recognized for his status among the group as a Teacher of the Year finalist, as well as Grammy Semifinalist.

The highlight of the evening, however, was “The Pride of Barbour County” being recognized as one of 24 band programs across the country to complete a “Service Through Music” project through the Michael D. Sewell Foundation. These projects aim to bring awareness to the contribution music programs can bring to the communities and states they serve. The Philip Barbour Band performed as part of the flagpole dedication at George Byrer Field, and a write up of both their completed projects can be found on the foundation’s website. The Philip Barbour Band Boosters, through member Allison Iapalucci, took the opportunity to present Director Jon Waters, of Bowling Green University, with a special Philip Barbour hat. For reference, he collects items from band directors with whom he has worked, and was delighted to gain his first piece of West Virginia memorabilia.

Mr. Iapalucci was presented an engraved whistle from the Fogelberg Foundation, named in honor of the musician of Dan Fogelberg, whose song “The Leader of the Band” memorializes not just his own father, who was a band director, but band directors everywhere.

The group then spent the balance of Wednesday preparing for their performance. The call time for the dress rehearsal in Herald Square began at 1:15 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, with the Band Director’s Marching Band’s slated time at 3 a.m. Group members then headed to breakfast before returning to Central Park West at 5:30 a.m. to get into formation. The band stepped off just after 8:30 a.m. and proceeded down Central Park West, around Columbus Circle before marching onto 6th Avenue, and on to 34th Street.

Following the conclusion of the televised performance, where eagle eyed viewers spotted Mr. Iapalucci displaying his playing and marching skills, the group joined again for one last open air performance of “Amazing Grace,” before returning home. Iapalucci said of the experience, “I just wish I could share a tiny bit of the wonderful support, atmosphere, and collegiality shown to this group with my colleagues at home. Our motto is ‘we teach music, we teach life,’ and so many times I see those music teachers I work with, across the state, do just the same.”