Natalie Dimundo: Macy's Day Parade

On Thanksgiving morning, while most people were dreaming of an upcoming turkey feast, trombonist Natalie Dimundo (’19) was on the streets of Manhattan, NY, performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade, which dates back to 1924, is one of the biggest American spectacles, and features dancers, singers, floats, bands and of course the massive flying balloons. Dimundo auditioned to be part of the event, and was selected to play trombone in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band--the official band of the parade.The band is extremely competitive, as about 2000 high schoolers from across the country auditioned and only 250 got in. Dimundo saw a flyer about the group in the band room, and thought it sounded like a good experience.“I sent in a video recording in March [of this year], and I didn’t hear back for a couple months so I was a little scared. But then I was accepted in early June and it was super exciting to get in,” Dimundo said.Because the musicians don’t live in the same area, the group practiced fervently on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday leading up to the parade. For the days prior, they rehearsed in Teaneck, NJ for nine hours straight, practicing not only the music but also coordinating the marches and formations. If the rehearsal wasn’t grueling enough, Thanksgiving Day was extremely demanding for Dimundo and the marching band.“I was still on west coast time, but we were supposed to go to bed [Wednesday night] around 9:30 and then wake up at 2:00 a.m. the day of the parade. We got dressed in uniforms and were on the bus to Manhattan by 3,” Dimundo said.The bus took them to Herald Square in Midtown, where the huge Macy’s store is located. The marching band ran through its performance twice with the NBC crew and television broadcasters before the parade even started. After the runthrough, the group travelled again to 77th and Central Park West where the parade began. Since Macy’s Great American Marching Band was at the end of the parade, Dimundo and the musicians waited for over two hours until the start of their march.When it was finally time for the band to start performing, Dimundo did what she does best: play music. Accompanied by three millions spectators, the marching band played two pieces and walked just under three miles down to Herald Square where the parade concluded.  According to the Macy’s website, three million people in Manhattan watching the parade live, and over 50 million people around the world tuned in and saw it on television. Just getting into the group took extreme dedication, which the director of bands at Samo, Kevin McKeown, can attest.“She took the time to learn about the program and practice and audition for it, which is pretty awesome. Natalie had that same drive when I started her in trombone in fourth grade at McKinley, and I knew that even at a young age she would become a really great example for others,” McKeown said.Dimundo’s dedication certainly has paid off, and she has proven to be an exceptional trombonist not only locally, but on the national level. Looking back on the life-changing experience, Dimundo is filled with nothing but happy memories. “It was a total blast, and I recommend anyone who wants to audition to try out. I didn’t know anyone going into it and I was one of only two students from California. It was a completely new experience for me, I learned a lot, and I made a ton of new friends,” Dimundo said.