Not 1 But 2 Iowa Marching Bands Get International Attention

It was an exciting holiday season for two sets of high school bands.

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Any former band kid will tell you that it takes hard work and a whole lot of perseverance to succeed in a marching band setting. This hard work can pay off with amazing opportunities and trips of a lifetime.

This is what happened for two different Iowa Marching Bands this new year.

Not one, but TWO different school bands got the chance to show off their skills (and brag a little bit to their friends) at the very start of 2023.

Davenport Central High School Band

The 109 person band received an invitation to perform at one of the most notable New Years Day celebrations in Europe several years ago. In February of 2020, the band was invited to be a part of the 2022 London's New Year's parade but it got cancelled due to COVID-19, according to reports.

On January 1st of 2023, these teens FINALLY got the chance to travel across the pond and play in the parade in London. This was the first time the band has performed at this parade in the band's 130 year history.

Amazing stuff!

Pella Marching Dutch

Approximately 5,000 miles away, another group of teens took part in a major American tradition; the Rose Bowl. It seems kind of fitting that a town that is well-known for it's tulips sends out their band for the Rose Bowl.

For the third time in program history the Pella Marching Dutch, the marching band for Pella Community High School, performed in the famous Rose Bowl Parade. The Iowa school made the journey to Southern California a few days after Christmas.

Before making their appearance in the parade, the band was spotted performing throughout Disneyland. On January 2nd, the Pella Marching Dutch participated in the famous college football tradition.

This 2023 matchup had the Penn State Nittany Lions go head-to-head with the Utah Utes with Penn State winning the game.