ARCADIA, Calif. — He's back at the front. Drum major Justin Wu has been practicing with the Arcadia High School band for the 2022 Rose Parade.
The band was supposed to perform last year, but the parade was canceled. It was Wu's senior year.
"I was pretty bummed out because we were supposed to do the Rose Parade last year and go to a lot of competitions and try to compete one last time," Wu said.
He's now a freshman at the University of California, Davis, but he wanted a second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
About 25 school alumni will join 220 current students down the 5 ½ mile parade route in Pasadena.
Band director Tom Plunkett said the former students deserve to be part of the show.
"The kids earned the right to be there," Plunkett said. "They got invited and it was a shame we couldn't do it. We totally understand why but we're just lucky we got a chance to get the alumni back into this event. So we're excited."
Wu hasn't picked up his stick since he's been in college. He's relying on muscle memory and seven years of training to get him through his first Rose Parade.
"I'm a little anxious 'cause it will be a lot of people and it will be my first time in front of a lot of people in a little while," Plunkett said. "But I think it will be really enjoyable."