>> [Background noise].
Hi, I'm Chris Nisely [phonetic].
Not only am I a reporter for Boiler Bytes,
but I'm also a tuba player
in Purdue's All American marching band.
So when Boiler Bytes wanted to do a number on the band's trip
to New York City and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade I knew I
was the right guy for the job.
[ Band Music ]
>> The Macy's experience for us was amazing.
You know, to be the first band from the Big Ten Conference,
to be the lead band in the parade, to be the largest band
in the parade was a huge thing for us
and an experience our kids will never forget.
>> I think this parade had a significant impact
on our Purdue alumni around the world and also this community.
To see our band represent this great university and the cities
of West Lafayette and Lafayette really brought a sense
of pride to so many people.
>> [Background music] The preparation
for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade began long before the
big day.
Planning, practice and precision went
into getting ready for the performance.
>> Well, we had to plan because it's actually on a street
and not on a football field, so we had to plan
for the width being shorter and there not being any yard lines,
so it's been huge with that but --
and memorizing our music has been a big thing too.
So we're really excited to show everybody
that we can expand our horizons a bit.
>> There is pressure to march really,
really well and very precise.
We want to really impress the viewers
and show them what a Big Ten band is all about.
We're precision marching and we know how to have fun
and we know how to play really well.
[Background noise].
>> The band loaded up in West Lafayette and drove
for 14 hours to New York City.
We had a few days to sight see, which included making stops
at the Statue of Liberty and Radio City Music Hall.
The trip was leading up to the big performance
on the Macy's star.
>> That particular day there was a level of excitement and energy
in this band that I've never seen before.
And as I stood in Times Square and looked back at the street,
at the band, and saw the Macy's balloons behind me,
I had a real sense of pride in the accomplishments
of our band being in that parade that day and all
of us experiencing it together.
>> Nine o'clock we're lined up for the parade.
We hear all the canon's going off behind us throwing confetti
in the streets and, you know, it's a lot of pressure being
in front of the parade.
You set the pace, there's a lot of weight on your shoulders
as far as entertainment goes and expectations
from Macy's especially.
But you know, once you get going you're --
like everything just kind of runs itself basically,
but adrenaline kicks in and you're flying down the street
like you never thought you could.
It comes to the end of the parade, it's all done,
it happened much faster than anyone could have thought
and overall it's just awesome to be able
to represent the university the way we did and it was great
to be out in front of such an awesome marching band.
>> I think the band as a whole did the best performance
that we could probably ever hope for.
Everyone was into it and excited and we all felt, you know,
the spirit of the holiday and that we're here to have fun
and the crowd just loved us and it energized us so much.
>> Being a senior in the marching band,
being a senior drum major after doing this
for three years I really can't think of a better way
to kind of wrap it all up.
>> Our trip to New York City was a once in a lifetime experience
for me and the entire band.
I know we'd go back in a New York minute.
I'm Chris Nisely for Boiler Bytes.
