RU Student to March in Rose Bowl Parade

When the 124th annual Tournament of Roses Parade kicks off New Year's Day, a Radford University freshman will be in the ranks of participating musicians.

Sarah Miller is among 300 talented young musicians selected to march in the Bands of America Honor Band when it performs in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1, 2013. The Honor Band is a national group of students selected by audition from across the United States. It includes winds, brass, percussion and a flag and dance team.

Miller, who has studied the piccolo since she was in fifth grade, was selected earlier this year based on a recording she submitted in January. "I've watched the parade every year, and I love it," she said. "I'm really excited because it's going to be a really big band."

Miller, an Exercise, Sport and Health Education major at RU, has been in marching bands since high school. In fact, she performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2010 and 2011 with another group. Yet she admits to being a bit nervous about the nationally televised Tournament of Roses. "It just comes from meeting so many new people," she explained. "But that's easy to adjust to. A lot of band people are nice people, and they're really talkative."

In addition to marching in the 124th annual Tournament of Roses Parade, Miller and her band mates will play a concert at Disneyland and will tour Hollywood, she said.

Bands of America is a program of Music for All, a national nonprofit music education organization that supports active music making. The organization states its mission as providing educational experiences and performance events for students in instrumental music