By Alan Van Ormer
Tribune editor

A Dell Rapids High School trumpet player will be marching with an elite group of high school students at the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Hillary Sward, 17, will be one of 185 musicians from all over the country, to march with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band. The band will be the first entry on the three-mile trek in New York City.
“This is a completely new experience,” Sward said. “I am happy to work with a high caliber group.”
Her high school band director, Brian Smith, said it is a great honor for Sward because only two to four students from any state can be part of the marching band. “It will be a great experience,” he said. “She will be playing with the best musicians for her age across the country.”
Sandy Kalbach, one of the coordinators at Music Festivals, said the experience would be one that Sward will remember for a lifetime. “The band will be featured on television,” she said. “They will be leading off the parade, which is one of the positions of honor. There will be two million people watching in New York City, in addition to those watching on television. It is quite an honor to be selected.”
Music Festivals handles all the coordination for the event and for the 225 students that make up the band. This is the fourth year the company is coordinating the band. Music Festivals have been in business for 24 years and exclusively works with student groups.
During the All-State Competition in the spring, Sward applied to be part of the marching band. She was notified in May that she was selected. Sward is one of three South Dakota students participating with the marching band. Charlotte Mallard of Huron and Annie Hockhalter of Groton are the other two.
Sward left for New York City on Saturday. During her week-long stay, she will be practicing her music and participating in sight-seeing activities. Sward raised $1,400 for the trip doing raffles, rummage sales and using money from her job.
“I feel honored and this is a great opportunity,” she said. “This will be different than anything back here because I will be playing with the top musicians in the country and working with the top directors.”
Sward, who is a senior, started in music in the fifth grade. As a seventh grader, she became involved with the trumpet. At the time, Sward couldn’t decide which instrument to play.
“I felt if I made a mistake, no one would notice,” she said. “Now, I really like it. I stuck with it.”
Smith is also a trumpet player. “Mr. Smith is more willing to help me,” she said.
He also knows what types of struggles Sward is going through when playing the trumpet. “I know how difficult it is to play higher notes,” he said. “I have overcome obstacles myself and am able to apply what I have learned to help students overcome those same problems and obstacles.”
Smith, who has been working with her for five years, said when Sward first started she was just an average trumpet player. “Through hard work and trying different things, she has progressed and become a good player,” he said.
The Dell Rapids Marching Band has competed in major area competitions like Luverne, Minn., Brandon, Vermillion and the Festival of Bands.
To prepare for Thanksgiving Day, Sward has been practicing the music each day. “It is just a matter of memorizing,” she said.
Tunes the marching band will be playing at the Macy’s Day Parade are ’76 Trombone’ and ‘Americans on Parade.’ The band members arrived in New York City on Nov. 21 and for the next four days were either rehearsing or sightseeing. On Thanksgiving morning at 2 a.m., they will be rehearsing in front of Macy’s, according to Kalbach. The band will be at the parade start at 8 a.m. and then march down Broadway. That evening, the band members and parents will participate in a Thanksgiving Dinner and dance.
“This group is not a cohesive group until they come together,” Kalbach said. “They will first see their director on Saturday. They have a lot of hard work ahead of them when they get here to be a cohesive group. Most of the students we have are the cream of the crop.”
Sward said she is anxious and a little nervous going to New York City. “I’m excited to be able to meet new people,” she said. “As soon as I start playing, the nerves and anxiousness will start to go away.”
Smith said it is great that Sward is representing the Dell Rapids community. “She is a great example of what you can accomplish with hard work,” he said. “She wasn’t born with the greatest talent. She is just one of the hardest workers.”