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McDonald's All-American Band reunites in Red Wing
Alumni from the McDonald's All-American High School Band are reuniting in Red Wing. FOX 9's Tim Blotz has the story.
RED WING, Minn. (FOX 9) - The historic Sheldon Theater is hosting dozens of alumni from the storied McDonald’s All-American High School Band during their annual reunion.
McDonald’s All-American High School Band playing again
The backstory:
During the 1960s, public relations consultant Al Golin approached McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc with the idea of taking the best high school musicians from across the country and forming a band to perform for the nation.
"Ray bought into it right away, and in 1967, the band was born," said John Parker, a three-time drum major for the band.
The band consisted of 104 musicians, two from each state, including the District of Columbia, and one student from the Virgin Islands and another from Puerto Rico.
"The concept was, hey, we had all-stars in sports, why don’t we do that for music," recalled Parker.
The band was assembled by the renowned Paul Lavalle, a music director for Radio City Music Hall, and the NBC Orchestra.
For 25 years until it's disbanding in 1992, the All-American Band performed annually at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York and at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, in addition to concerts at Carnegie Hall.
Their personal stories
Dig deeper:
For Shantel Dow, originally from Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, the memory of getting selected for the band is still a highlight of her life.
"I remember very specifically going to get the mail the day that letter came that I made it into the band," reflected Dow. "And I brought it into the house and my mom was home and the two of us opened it together, and she was in tears. I was in tears."
The year was 1980, still a time when air travel was a luxury for most families and, for many of the new band members, the trip to New York City was their first flight on an airplane.
"Like deer in the headlights where you get to New York City and all the hustle and bustle and some strange woman coming up to you and putting a hundred bucks in your hand and saying take a cab to this hotel, and off we were," said Dow.
Jeff Sowden was selected as a tuba player in 1969 from his high school in St. Anthony Village in Minnesota
"We met in a large ballroom in a hotel in New York City before the Macy’s Parade," recalled Sowden of their very first rehearsal. "I’ll never forget this, when the first note was played, it was like holy mackerel, these kids can play."
What's next:
The All-American Alumni Band will hold a series of concerts in Red Wing.
Thursday:
• 5 p.m. Woodwind Ensemble Performance, Sheldon courtyard
Friday:
• 12:30 p.m. Dixieland Band Performance, Levee Park
• 7 p.m. Concert Band Performance, Sheldon Theater
Saturday:
• Noon, Jazz Band Performance, Band Shell
• 12:50 p.m. Concert Band Performance, Band Shell