Clarksville student performs in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has been a holiday staple for the last 96 years, and for one Clarksville high school student, it has become a dream realized.

Each year, the Macy’s Great American Marching Band holds auditions for high school students to be a part of the parade, Clarksville senior Noelle Noble, who plays the snare drum in her high school marching band, jumped at the opportunity. As a loyal watcher of the Macy’s Day Parade each year, Noble noticed she could put her skills to the test and audition to be a part of it.

Practicing an hour each day from January until May, followed by the audition, Noble was invited to join the Macy’s Great American Marching Band in June. “I was over the moon. I couldn’t believe it,” Noble said. “I was literally jumping up and down in my living room.” Now for the first time ever, she’s visiting New York City, and performing on her largest stage ever. “It is absolutely unreal. It is so insane that I was selected to be in this,” admitted Noble. “I’ve always watched the parade on tv so it’s going to be crazy to see it in real life and be a part of it.”

Noble joined high schoolers from all 50 states, who all experienced a Thanksgiving Day they will never forget.

“I’m really excited to introduce myself and meet new friends who have the same interests as me,” Noble said. “It is going to be very challenging because we don’t know each other, and we don’t know each other’s habits. But I’m really hoping that everybody’s really respectful and willing to learn.”

Noelle and her family left for New York last Friday. She left her hotel at 2 a.m. Eastern Time Thursday morning and performed for NBC cameras at 4 a.m.

The Macy’s Day Parade started at 9 a.m. on WSMV 4.

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