Central student selected as tambrilist for The Salvation Army marching band in Rose Bowl

An Aberdeen Central marching band student had the opportunity of a lifetime as he rang in the new year marching in the 2023 Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade with The Salvation Army's marching band on Jan. 2.

Damon Sheets, a junior, has been active with The Salvation Army in Aberdeen since elementary school and never stopped. So, when one of the musicians dropped out due to a conflict with his basketball schedule, Sheets was asked if he was interested.

And, he said, who wouldn't be interested in a trip to California.

Sheets was asked because of his marching band experience at Central. He's a member of the color guard, but, he wouldn't be part of a color guard. Instead he'd be a tambrilist -- or one of more than 20 playing the tambourine in the first four rows of the band.

Not only was this a new experience for him, it was also new for The Salvation Army's marching band. In its 133-year history, the tambrilist section has been all women. This year, Sheets was one of two male tambrilists to march with the band, and, he said, the first who was under 18.

He was selected about a month before the parade.

"I had the weekend to practice," he said.

Naturally, that was the same weekend Sheets was competing in an oral interp contest, so he'd practice in his downtime in between rounds in the hallways and in his hotel room in the evening.

To prepare, he said, he learned the routine by watching a video. Naturally dominant with his left hand, Sheets said he didn't realize until he arrived that he'd learned the routine with the wrong dominant hand and had to relearn the choreography using his right hand. And, he said, while they had more than one group practice before the parade, Sheets said, due to a rain during the second practice, they ended up practicing about 2 1/2 hours as a group.

The Salvation Army marching band is composed of musicians from all over. Sheets said each Salvation Army region is able to select a certain number of delegates. South Dakota is in a region with Iowa and Nebraska where two delegates can be selected.

"For most bands there's a three-year application process," he said. "The Salvation Army has a standing invite every year."

They played two songs in the parade — "Great is our God" and "This is our Story."

And, he said, before each rendition of "This is our Story," Sheets said, "the drum line would yell story time every time."

"It was one of the best experiences of my whole life," he said. "Everyone was really nice."

And, he said, they even had opportunities to visit with people along the way when the band stopped marching. During one break, Sheets said, the other male tambrilist spent time teaching some of the kids on the street.

At another point in the parade, someone in the band notice a section of people from Utah.

"Someone yelled 'yeah Utah' and they went crazy!" Sheets said.

In total, he said, the parade is about 5 1/2 miles long.

After marching about three hours straight, Sheets said, it felt like it had been a half hour and by the end he was ready to go again, but along the way his hands did start to blister, so he was grateful to the person who provided some Band-Aids for his hand.

In addition to marching band, Sheets is also active in Debate, Show Choir, Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center Dance Classes and theater programs at Central and Aberdeen Community Theatre.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Central student was tambrilist for The Salvation Army marching band