It may have rained on their parade, but Alicia Keegan was still smiling

PASADENA — Columbia Ridge Elementary music director Alicia Keegan joined 350 band directors from across the country in the 137th Rose Parade presented by Honda on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California.

Keegan's path to the parade began in 2023 while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from home.

"I saw the Band Directors Marching Band in the parade and was curious about how to participate," Keegan said. "I looked up the program director online and emailed him."

What followed was a year and a half of correspondence, applications and persistence. Her original application to play flute was rejected, but she received a new offer to play piccolo instead, an instrument she first picked up in high school.

"The piccolo is a very small, high-pitched flute that is played similarly to a silver flute," Keegan said. "It was an easy transition for me to make."

For the parade, she practiced and memorized five songs to perform at the Rose Parade, Bandfest and Float Fest in California. She also participated in "Service Through Music" projects with the band, including a concert for firefighters who battled wildfires in the state last January.

The Band Directors Marching Band accompanied a float along the 5.5-mile parade route under the direction of nationally known music educator Jon Waters. The band's theme, "America's band directors: We teach music. We teach life," honored music educators who mentor students both musically and personally.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the importance of music education," Keegan said. "Singing, dancing and playing instruments is part of a balanced education."

According to a press release from the Ephrata School district, “the project was sponsored by the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, which honors the legacy of Mike Sewell, a lifelong advocate for school and community music programs in Pickerington, Ohio.”