As the United States of America holds the inauguration of the 47th president, Donald J. Trump, the Texas High School Tiger Band will stand alongside prominent members of the nation upon the beginning of his second term.
“[The process of being selected] was months of just waiting,” color guard director Herman Montoya said. “So, we put in an application and once you put in the application it’s really just a waiting game.”
The selection and process of being chosen to perform in this special event proved an incredibly rigorous process that ended up paying off extremely well for the students and staff members involved in band. After a long season of waiting and hoping they would be selected for this opportunity, the band finally received notification of their selection.
“We finally got the word on Dec. 22 that we were invited to the Presidential Inaugural Parade,” band director Arnie Lawson. “It was very exciting, but only gave us three weeks to prepare for a huge, huge trip.”
In preparation for this once in a lifetime event, the band practices on a daily basis, ensuring that their performance remains polished and ready to take on the White House.
“To prepare for the Washington D.C. trip and parade, we have done multiple music rehearsals,” senior drum major Xavier Briggs said. “This includes getting new music to perform in the parade, and also we have done outside marching rehearsals around the track for multiple days.”
To successfully raise the necessary funds for this once in a lifetime event, the Tiger Band works diligently and strategically, actively planning and organizing various fundraising efforts. The primary form of financial support that the band sought out recently is contacting businesses.
“Currently, we have been going by like certain businesses, trying to see if they’d be willing to support us financially,” junior Lela Williams said. “And, it’s been encouraged that the students in the band go and ask people to donate.”
The presidential inauguration will be televised on Jan. 20, 2025. The event will be streamed on ABC, CBS, CNN, CSPAN, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC and PBS. Contact the Texas High Band Booster Club by emailing [email protected] or calling 903-278-2105 for interest in financially supporting the band on this trip.
“I’m most excited to get to explore Washington D.C.,” Briggs said. “We get to see a bunch of different sites and monuments, and it’s just going to be a really fun experience.
