SHELBYVILLE, Ky.-- When you watch the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade next week, you might see some familiar faces along New York City’s most famous streets.
Junior Andrew Mazarakis and senior Jacob Taylor have hit all the right notes in the Martha Layne Collins High School marching band.
And on Thanksgiving Day, they’ll both get a chance to do it for a national audience.
Mazarakis tells Spectrum News 1, "Every year it’s been a tradition in my house. We put it on like when we’re preparing like the Thanksgiving Day turkey. I always like watch the bands and I always thought I wonder what’s the process get into those bands?
"To be apart of this what seems like a super exclusive marching band I’m so excited," explains Taylor.
Both teens will perform with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band during the 95th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
The musicians are among more than 200 high school students invited to take part in the honor.
"This was really my last chance to do it and I would’ve had no idea that I could even try out to be in the marching band if I wasn’t given the information," said Taylor.
" I know a lot of people don’t even go to Macy’s day parade nonetheless like march in it. So, to have this opportunity especially as a junior in high school is just unreal," explains Mazarakis.
In order to be selected to perform on the big stage, Mazarakis and Taylor had to apply as well as submit a pretaped audition piece to showcase their talents.
"Every single day for the one week I was practicing for at least an hour and a half on the one piece," said Mazarakis.
"Showing that I’m good enough especially with only a week of practice to get into this group of only about 250 students," said Taylor.
Kevin Osborne, Band Director at Martha Layne Collins High School says his students hard work and dedication paid off.
He was also the person who encouraged them to apply.
"I have told the students in the past the only difference between us and anybody else is ZIP code and if those individuals had the opportunity why not us, explains Osborne?
The students recently received the music they will be performing and are spending hours practicing every week.
"I’m going to be putting in a lot of hours in memorizing that music," said Taylor.
Thanksgiving can’t come soon enough before they pack their bags for this once in a lifetime performance.
Both students will head to New York City on Nov. 20 for a few days of practice before the big day.