Gibson County Mass Band performs at annual Rose Parade

GIBSON CO., Tenn. — After weeks of preparations the day is finally here, the Gibson County Mass Band has made their way to Pasadena, California for the Rose Parade.

“It’s just absolutely incredible how much the kids grew, not only as a total group but as individual musicians, and how they all bonded together which produced our overall product that we had today,” said Lead Director, Jeremy Tate.

The band is made up of five Gibson County schools, and the group has been practicing for weeks.

“At the start everyone didn’t know what to expect. For a lot of students it was the first time everybody got to work together in one big group. So it was kind of confusing, but we got so much done over the past few months and it definitely paid off today,” said drum major, Kalyn Gant.

The group started getting ready for their performance as early as three in the morning Saturday, ready to show the crowd what they’ve put together.

“Kids were just ecstatic about the opportunity and the closer we got to the parade route the more the nerves built, but also the more the excitement builds as well,” Tate said.

From the very first practice the group had a few battles to overcome, but in the end their hard work paid off.

“Something about the Rose Bowl Parade, where you come around this one corner and you could just see all those stands of people. At one point you get to see the beautiful mountains, it’s just right in front of you and it’s just a rewarding experience,” Gant said.

If you’d like to see the progression and journey of the Gibson County Mass Band click here .