Cambridge music educator Michele Haverfield will march in Macy's parade

CAMBRIDGE − To many people the thought of Thanksgiving morning evokes memories of the smell of turkey roasting in the oven, preparations for the day ahead with family and friends and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Whether it's on in the background as you work in the kitchen, or you've secured your spot in front of the television to watch, the parade is an unofficial part of many celebrations. For one local woman, this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is about to create some new memories.

Michele Haverfield, a music educator at Cambridge Middle School, will get to participate in the parade by marching with the Saluting America's Band Directors (SABD) Marching Band.

The SABD was formed by the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, which is named for the former Pickerington Central Marching Tigers band director. The group is comprised of more than 400 educators from across the United States and Mexico.

When the opportunity arose to apply to march with the band in the Macy's parade, Haverfield thought "I'll give this a try." The band marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade in 2022, and Haverfield had friends who had marched. With the support and encouragement from Diana Whiteman, a retired band director for the Newark City School system who went to college with Haverfield, she applied and was accepted. More than 600 band directors applied to march, with just more than 400 being selected.

"It was really fairly simple (to apply). Obviously, they want your name, what you do, what your experience is. They asked a couple of questions about my philosophy on music education and if I knew someone who had marched in the previous parade, and I had. That kind of bumped me up on the list. They want to know what instrument you play, what part you want to play, and I'm sure that's a big determining factor."

Months passed between Haverfield's initial application and her notice of acceptance. After hearing from others who applied and were accepted, Haverfield assumed she was out. "I put my name in and then months later I kind of forgot that I had applied. All of a sudden I got the email, and I was like "Oh!"

When it comes to her philosophy on music education, she said, "Music is for everybody. Music is a benefit for everyone. I want anyone who wants to learn an instrument (to do so), I want to find where they fit and I want to find where they're going to succeed. For a lot of our kids, they struggle in other classes and such. They can come to the band room and find success and they can find a family there. They can find support there. I think music is about a lot more than music."

The trip to New York does come with a hefty cost. Help from the Cambridge City School District and the music boosters has allowed Haverfield to make the journey while only covering the balance of the trip. Her husband, who is the percussion instructor at Dover City Schools, will be making the trip with her.

Haverfield headed to the Big Apple on Sunday, where the band has both music and marching rehearsal every day leading up to the parade. The band will play a number of tunes depending on where in the parade route they are, with "Seventy-Six Trombones" as a definite music choice.

Marching in the parade with the band does require a uniform. "They want us to kind of look like a band director because this is a band of band directors. Dress pants, blazer, shirt underneath with a tie."

She will have limited free time in the city, but has hopes of visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, taking a stroll in Central Park, and maybe taking in a matinee of a Broadway show. "One thing we can go see is to watch them inflate the balloons the day before and we're free that day. I'm excited about that because the balloons are such a special part of the parade." The entire group will also get the chance to see the ever-popular and timeless Rockettes Christmas show.

She and her husband have plans to head back to Ohio after the parade. Finding a place to eat on the road home is Haverfield's current plan for Thanksgiving dinner, but the organization will host a dinner for the band directors in New York prior to the parade.

Her students have expressed their excitement for Haverfield and this opportunity. One of her seventh-grade students, Mikayla, said "I was excited to hear she was going to be in the parade because she works really hard and she deserves it."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Cambridge teacher will march in 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade