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March on
Northville High School Marching Band is parade tradition
They'll come strutting their stuff and
blowing their own horns down the
parade route Wednesday, just as they
have done for the 4th of July parade
since the 1920s.
Every year, the musicians from the
marching band atNorthvilleHighSchool
don their polo shirts, some “marachable”
shoes and join the other entries in the
Northville 4th of July Parade.
MikeRumbell, the director of the high
school band and marching band, said he
never knows exactly how many young
mudicians will be in the parade until the
morning of the event.
“We call this the Summer Marching
Band,” he said, “because somany people
are on vacation, seniors have graduated,
some people may be working. So it's cer-
tainly not thewhole band,” he said.
The whole award-winning group
would number at more than 200,
Rumbell said, but the parade usually
brings 50 to 90 of the young musicians to
the line up at Northville Downs. The
number varies fromyear to year.
The students who march are all vol-
unteers, playing in the parade for the
enjoyment of the experience, he said.
They choose selections of strictly patriot-
ic music they have learned for Memorial
Day events, “and of course, our school
song.”
“They are very familiar with this
music,” Rumbell said, “and they do a
great job.”
The “marchable” shoes allow for no
flip flops but have to be comfortable,
study shoes the teens can march in for
two miles while playing their instru-
ments. The students are also allowed to
wear summer clothing because the band
uniforms would be “way too hot,”
Rumbell said.
The students enjoy the parade or they
wouldn't volunteer and march in the
event every year, he added, and he
knows they really have a good time.
Rumbell said he's been the band director
at the high school since 1972 and he still
enjoys the event.
“I'mstillmarching,” he said.