MSD marching band to play at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York

MIAMI – It’s not even Halloween yet, but one local group of students is already getting ready for Thanksgiving.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School Marching Band, known as the “Eagle Regiment” has been invited to perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

“We’re gearing up to do the biggest thing this school has ever seen,” said Band Director Steve Rivero. “This is considered the biggest marching band stage to ever play on.”

As for what song they’ll be performing, that’s still top secret.

“You will definitely know the songs that we’re going to play. But it’s a surprise. It’s themed out. As the Macy’s people said, we really need to go all out. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Rivero said.

The MSD marching band is the only band from Broward County to ever be selected to play in the popular holiday tradition.

This past weekend, they won their first marching band competition of the season at Flanagan High School.

“It’s going to be a whole different ball game. We play against different bands. We have a whole football field to work with,” said band member Ethan Leavy. “But for the parade, we walk a straight line and a minute and a half of show and we’re starting to work on it now.”

“I’m really excited. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so it’s going to be really amazing” said performer Maya Advani. 

162 students are expected to participate in the parade. Dozens of staff, family and friends will join them.

To help them make it there, Tony Montalto and Max Schachter donated a total of $42,000 to the band.

Their children, Gina and Alex, were among those killed in the massacre at MSD in 2018.

Both were proud members of the band.

“Alex loved the band so much. He made his best friends in band. He learned a work ethic in band and he learned how he can work hard and succeed,” Max Schachter said. They’re going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and we wanted to be there for them. Alex is with them everyday.”

The Thanksgiving performance will cap off a truly incredible year for the Eagle Regiment, which kicked off 2023 marching in London’s New Year’s Day parade.

Lauren Pastrana

Lauren Pastrana is the co-anchor of CBS4 News weeknights at 5, 6, 7 and 11 p.m. She joined CBS Miami in April 2012 as a reporter. She is an Emmy-nominated, multimedia journalist with experience in television, radio and web-based news reporting.