Wheaton Warrenville South Student Selected to Perform with the Bands of America Honor Band in the 2017 Rose Parade

Daniel Hjellming, a sophomore at Wheaton Warrenville South High School, has been selected by Music for All to be a member of the Bands of America (BOA) Honor Band in the 2017 Tournament of Roses® Parade. Daniel was selected from among hundreds of applicants across the nation for membership in this prestigious national honor band. Daniel is the son of Tom and Becky Hjellming of Wheaton. His band director is Vic Scimeca. He studies percussion with Daniel Eastwood and piano with Marcia Lehe.

The BOA Honor Band is a 300 piece national ensemble with winds, percussion and a flag and dance team. Bob Buckner, who recently retired as director of the Western Carolina University “Pride of the Mountains” Marching Band, will direct the 2017 BOA Honor Band. Bands of America is a program of Music for All (MFA), one of the nation’s largest and most influential organizations in support of active music making.

Daniel, a percussionist playing bass drum, will spend a week in southern California, where he will have rehearsals, performances at the Tournament of Roses Bandfest and Disneyland, special activities and a featured appearance in the world-famous parade. The 128th Rose Parade® presented by Honda themed “Echoes of Success” will take place on Monday, January 2, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. (PST). The 5.5-mile parade (which is often referred to as the “Rose Bowl Parade”) will be broadcast on ABC, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, KTLA (Tribune), NBC, RFD-TV and Univision. The Parade is also seen in more than 200 international territories and countries. To learn more, visit the Broadcast Partners page available on the Tournament of Roses® website. Magnificent floral floats, spirited marching bands and talented equestrian units anchor the traditional, two-hour spectacle along Pasadena’s famed Colorado Boulevard.

“To be selected for this opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for students and a testimony to their excellence and achievements,” says Eric Martin, Music for All President and CEO. “Daniel will be one of only 300 members chosen to be part of the Bands of America Honor Band, and his participation deserves the admiration and support of everyone in their community. The Rose Parade® is one of our country’s national pageantry treasures, and the 2017 Honor Band members will be ambassadors of America’s bands, and of their states and communities.”

Music for All (MFA) is one of the nation’s largest and most influential organizations in support of active music making. Since 1975, MFA, through its Music for All, Bands of America, and Orchestra America programs, has been a destination and set the standard for scholastic music ensemble performance and music education advocacy. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization, MFA’s mission is to create, provide, and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all.