By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
To the best of anyone’s recollection, no Rowan County high school band has participated in a governor’s inaugural parade in the past 20 years.
That’ll change today.
Two times over.
Bands from North Rowan High and South Rowan High will participate in the parade, which will begin at 12:30 p.m. in downtown Raleigh.
Only 11 high school bands from across the state were selected for the parade. North and South have the only two bands chosen from the state’s Piedmont section.
The governor’s inauguration and parade will be aired on WUNG (channel 5 on local cable channel).
The parade route covers about a half-mile, and includes a stretch past a reviewing stand where North Carolina’s new governor, Beverly Perdue, will be watching.
“The kids are absolutely thrilled,” said Keith Howell, North Rowan’s band director. “This is a reward for all the hard work they do during the year.”
Howell said about 80 band members and 18 chaperones will be making the trip to Raleigh. They left Friday afternoon and stayed overnight in a motel.
Band members will perform a medley of patriotic tunes titled “Spirit of America.”
“To me, if you’re marching in an inaugural parade, you ought to perform patriotic songs,” Howell said.
He said he was proud when he got a call from Perdue’s office inviting North’s band to participate.
“But I didn’t immediately accept,” Howell said. “I went back to the classroom and let the kids make the decision. To participate in a parade in the middle of January is something of a risk. The weather can be nasty.”
Howell said his students immediately voted in favor of participating. “They were very excited,” he said.
Howell said it’ll cost about $3,200 to transport the students and house them overnight, and he said members of the band’s boosters club went to work to raise the money. Howell said Joyce Trexler, chairman of fundraising for the club, headed the drive. Principal Rodney Bass also helped.
“They made some phone calls and raised the money pretty fast,” Howell said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be going.”
South’s band didn’t stay overnight, but will be taking a pair of activity buses to Raleigh this morning. Todd Whittington, director of South’s band, said about 60 members will be going.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Whittington said. “It’s something I wanted the kids to experience.”
This is Whittington’s first year at South Rowan and he said previous high school bands he’s directed ó one at South Stanly and another at Northwest Cabarrus ó have participated in past gubernatorial inaugural parades.
Whittington said he called Perdue’s office about the possibility of the Raider band participating in this year’s inaugural march. He said he left a voice mail that was immediately returned.
Perdue, the caller said, would love to have the Raider Regiment ó the nickname for South’s band ó included.
Whittington said Perdue visited Rowan County several times while campaigning last fall, and said she apparently liked the area and the people, and wanted to thank them for their support.
South’s band will be playing “China Grove,” a song made popular by the Doobie Brothers in the 1970s.
The song is appropriate, considering the school’s close proximity to downtown China Grove.
“The kids suggested that we play that,” Whittington said. “They wanted to put China Grove on the map.”
Whittington said he rearranged the music to “China Grove” slightly to suit his band. He said he thought spectators along the parade route will enjoy the music.
“I know I like music of the ’70s and ’80s,” Whittington said. “I think there are lots of people out there like me.”
The theme for today’s parade is: “North Carolina into the Future.”
Tim Crowley, communications director for Perdue’s inaugural committee, said the new governor was interested in having people and bands from across the state. “We reached out to a lot of high school bands and performers,” he said.
Crowley said organizers are hoping the parade proves memorable.
“It’s definitely a historic occasion,” he said. “It’s something that anyone in any marching band should feel honored to participate in.”