>> London's New Year's Day Parade is the turn-of-year tradition which kick-starts celebrations in the world-famous capital city, bringing a party-like atmosphere to the streets and entertaining the crowds with a mix of music, dance, performers, and more.

One of the true highlights for the audience, both those who've come along as spectators and those around the world watching on television, are the magnificent marching bands who've traveled from America to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But what does it take to bring hundreds of students across the Atlantic over the festive season?

In "Ready for London 2025," we're meeting some of the band directors who are planning their visit for the 1st of January and finding out what goes on ahead of their big day at the London New Year's Day Parade.

With six months to go, the band leaders and representatives from the invited high schools and universities have arrived in London, where they are welcomed by the parade's executive director, Joe Bone, and chairman and co-founder Bob Bone.

>> Ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Bob Bone.

I'm the chairman... >> It's a chance to meet other band directors, hear about the week ahead, and start to get a taste for the sightseeing on offer in the capital.

♪♪ [ Indistinct conversations ] ♪♪ >> All we want you to do now is mix, mingle, enjoy each other's company.

And I think there's going to be some food arriving very shortly for you to nibble at.

>> After a good night's sleep, the group's itinerary is in full swing, with personalized meetings with the London New Year's Day Parade team as they chat about travel logistics, hotels, getting around town, and media opportunities.

There's a lot to take in, and it's a busy day for our band directors.

>> My name is Gary Schallert and I'm one of the band directors at Western Kentucky University.

Well, I'm familiar with the London New Year's Day Parade because I was fortunate enough that when I was a senior in college at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico -- I was a senior, and the New Mexico State University Pride marching band marched in the very first London New Year's Day Parade.

And so I was there for that.

And I have long dreamed about having a group come over.

My colleague Matt McCurry, who is the director of the Big Red Marching Band, Director of Athletic Bands -- he and I had been talking about it and hoping that we could make it happen.

And with the growth and the development of the Western Kentucky University band, in particular over the last, you know, 4 or 5 years, it was time.

>> Getting the invitation was huge for us at Western Kentucky as a university just because we want to -- we're proud of the university and we want to represent ourselves really well.

And then for the students, just the opportunity to get out and do a performance of this caliber.

The reaction on the day that we made the announcement was -- it was really unbelievable because we kept it a secret.

We hadn't told anybody anything about it.

And so we had just come from a big performance at Ohio State.

And so they came in, we warmed up like a normal day, and then all of a sudden the entourage of dignitaries stepped on, and they were like, "What's going on?

What's going on?"

And then Bob Bone got up and spoke, and as soon as he said something into the microphone, they knew something was up.

>> I'm here today because your reputation goes before you.

>> And he made the announcement, of course.

They watched the video.

He made the announcement.

They were cheering.

There were tears.

There were high fives.

It was just unbelievable.

And to see that excitement from the students was just -- It was unreal.

It was so much fun and something they're always gonna remember.

>> We believe we're gonna have the largest marching band in the history of WKU this fall.

A lot of that is because of the good work that my colleague Matt is doing, and we're both working really hard to build the program.

We're bringing a 300-piece marching band.

And actually, it could potentially even be larger than 300.

And within that 300-and-some-odd-number marching band, we'll also have a 90-member symphonic band that is gonna perform in London also.

Well, Dr. McCurry and I are here for the site visit, and we have meetings set up this week to meet with the various constituencies that are responsible for organizing the parade.

Earlier today, we walked the parade route and looked at the width of the street and the length and where we have to make a left turn and where we have to make a right turn and how to navigate that and already starting to think about how many people are gonna be -- how many students are gonna be in a rank based on the width of the street.

And so that was really fun.

And then later we're gonna be seeing the various concert venues in London.

So, that's part of it.

And then learning -- and seeing the hotel and then all the possible places where we're gonna take the students so that they really get to embrace London and so that they come away with the most incredible, life-changing experience possible.

>> My name is Tamara Lewis, and I am the band director at Riverview High School, and I am in charge of the Riverview High School Kiltie Band.

We have over 170 students in the marching band, and we are unique.

The city of Sarasota was settled by Scottish people.

Matter of fact, the clan MacDonald.

So that's why the original band director in 1958 selected the MacDonald tartan, the dress tartan, as our uniform.

So, today, you know, more than 60 years later, we still wear the clan MacDonald tartan, along with, you know, hose and spats and flashes and sporran and the whole nine yards.

So, it's very exciting to represent the history of our city and acknowledge that.

And it gives us a unique look and perspective.

And this is going to be one of those brand-new experiences.

I have very few students that have been here before, and this may be their only time that they get to go out of the country and visit someplace new.

I really enjoyed walking the parade route today and seeing the spaces and working out how many students we can have across in our formation, looking at that performance area and seeing the space that we'll be performing for the grandstands.

It really helped me visualize it so that we can come up with a solid plan that works, and we're not dealing with any surprises.

Great.

>> Alright.

>> I got you.

>> I told you!

>> Alright, so, 100 yards.

We did that already.

>> So now we're at the basic start of the parade.

>> Yep.

>> From this side of the road.

>> From the far side, right?

>> So, that is a harder turn than... >> It's not super hard, though, right?

>> No, not super hard, but just to be aware of it.

They are so excited, number one, just to be in a foreign country.

But I've heard so many kids talk about the culture and all the old buildings and being able to relate what they see with what they've learned in history.

>> Oh, that's true.

>> So my name is Carri Radford.

I am the Kiltie band mom.

I'm the booster president of the Kiltie Band in Sarasota, Florida.

Band parents are very active.

They're very involved.

A lot of times, band parents have also been music students themselves, and so they know how important music is and how important the program is.

And so they want their child to have an experience like they had.

I like to think we're invaluable.

I like to think that we are an important supergroup.

The staff really depends on us, right?

They depend on us to get kids where they need to go on time.

They depend on us to help fundraise and find money.

So, yeah, I think we're a pretty integral part.

>> You know what I remember was awesome about this, was that when you get in between these buildings, it sounds so good.

>> Does it?

>> It sounds so good.

>> Oh, I bet.

Just shoot that sound down there.

>> The first time I heard about the London New Year's Day Parade was my freshman year in high school in 1996.

My high school was going to the London New Year's Day Parade, and that was very exciting.

I didn't get to go that year because it was my first year in high school, and so I didn't get to go that year, but they went and had an amazing time.

And I remember hearing the stories from all of the students that came back, that they were just blown away with the parade and the number of people that were there and that got to see them and got to spend a week in London.

They loved it.

And so that has always been in my mind.

So, in 2009, we had the invitation to bring my high school band, Carter High School from Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, and participate in the parade.

And so we did that.

And so that was the first group that I brought over to be a part of the parade, and they had an amazing time as well.

You know, you could just see it.

And from a small community in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, where a lot of people don't go out of the area at all, to do an international trip was amazing.

And that was one of the first international trips we had done.

And I have now been at Western Kentucky for five years.

And this opportunity has presented itself again, and it's fantastic.

We are thrilled to get to bring our students now.

I think I brought 110 in 2009.

And now we're looking at around 300 that we're gonna bring back for this trip.

So, it's gonna be amazing.

>> But this is gonna be a cool -- The kids are gonna be blown away in this area with the big screen like Times Square, the statue in the middle.

Now, you've done the parade before.

>> I marched it, and Matt had his group here in 2010.

>> So, how treacherous is this turn?

>> Well, we were just talking about that 'cause -- But we're going that -- Right?

>> We're coming this way.

But aren't we on that side of the road?

>> We're on that side, I think.

>> And then coming around that curve.

>> Yep.

>> So that is -- >> Yeah, that'll be a little funky.

>> Yeah.

So it's something to practice.

[ Laughs ] Make sure we practice those right turns.

>> For sure.

>> Are they all right turns?

Let me check my map.

>> They're not.

>> They're not.

So we'll practice right and left.

>> You do a swinging gate, or are you gonna do the step twos?

going to do the step twos?

>> We do swinging gate.

>> Swinging gate.

Alright.

>> Yeah.

>> That sounded very technical.

>> It's just when the line moves and the person on the inside takes little tiny steps, the person on the outside takes a big step.

>> So you basically have a moving pivot.

>> Yeah.

The next one's a left... >> Okay.

>> ...and then a right, and then it's straight home.

>> Okay.

>> There you go.

>> Well, having experienced that as a college student, being in the first London New Year's Day Parade, I think that experience opened my eyes to a lot of things.

And really it was life-changing.

It really was.

That was 1987.

That was a long time ago.

And I was a senior in college.

And I marched a baritone with the band, and I had never been overseas.

It was my first big trip.

Marching in the parade was just so wonderful.

I'll never forget it.

We stayed in the Tower Thistle Hotel.

And I remember opening up the drapes in the hotel room.

And this is, of course, late December 1986, I guess.

And -- Late December.

Opened it up, and there was the Tower Bridge at sunset.

And of course immediately I get out my camera, I start taking pictures, and I got the most incredible pictures out of my hotel room of the Tower Bridge from that night.

It was like, "Wow, we are here."

>> Welcome to the fact that you'll be participating in the very first-ever Lord Mayor of Westminster's New Year's Day Parade of marching bands in the City of Westminster.

>> Those were really special memories.

But I remember the parade well and how exciting it was to be a part of that.

So, the next square over is Trafalgar?

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Oh, yeah, this is iconic.

This will be very cool for them to... >> Yeah.

>> ...come down and right through here.

That's awesome.

>> Yeah.

I hope they can still play... >> Very cool.

>> ...while we're going through here.

>> Oh, they will.

They will They'll be -- They'll be good.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Yeah, this is great.

Nelson's Column right there.

Do you know what that is?

>> What's that?

What's that building?

>> The building is the National Gallery.

>> Oh.

>> That's the free one.

>> Oh, man.

>> Yeah.

It's incredible.

>> That would be fun to check out.

>> Seeing it definitely helps understand the planning aspect of what we need to practice.

And it makes it easier.

>> So, we're... >> We're getting ready to go down Whitehall right here.

>> Whitehall.

>> Yeah.

>> Which is that one right there.

Okay.

Where that big bus turned, right?

>> This is the biggest parade I think the school has ever done.

They went to Ireland and did the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Ireland.

But I think this is the biggest stage, with the amount of viewers, that we will have ever experienced.

And it's super exciting for the school.

Our principal is very supportive and excited for our students to be able to experience this.

>> They're gonna get things out of this trip that they just wouldn't normally get.

They're going to gain a cultural awakening that they would not have anywhere else.

I've experienced diversity like I've never seen.

And I haven't always lived in little old Sarasota, Florida.

But diversity I haven't seen in New York City.

So, that's fantastic.

The buildings and the structures in the city that are just so incredibly old.

We don't have things like that in the United States.

>> My favorite thing so far was the guards on the horses.

That was on my list today, and I thought I had missed it, so when we came across it during our walk today, it was kind of a surprise.

And I was able to jump in for a picture.

And the horse was very nice to me.

That was super exciting.

>> Matt, you gonna get a quick photo since we're here?

>> What is this horse protecting?

>> Oh, you're gonna let me go next to the horse, huh?

>> Well, to get ready for the parade, we're gonna have a lot of extra work.

So, we'll start off the year like usual.

We've got the football games and everything that we have to do.

We'll start with our band camp, and there will be lots of fundamentals.

We may gear some more fundamentals towards parade and straight lines this year to make sure that we get started early.

And then once everything's in shape for the football season, we'll jump right into parade marching and getting everybody ready.

And of course, for the grand finale, we'll have to do a parade show.

And so we're looking forward to that.

I could guess that many people have not done that.

And so it's gonna be introducing that style of marching and parade shows in a small block, you know, with 300 people.

So, there'll be a lot of preparation for that.

We'll get them going.

We'll get the music out to them as quickly as we can because we want that to be memorized while they're going down the street.

So, there's a lot of work to be done upcoming.

>> Look how big and open and wide this is.

>> Oh, yeah, plenty of room here.

>> Ah, this is -- Yeah.

What's great is, even as fixated as they're gonna be on keeping their files and their ranks straight, having that in the horizon is gonna be spectacular for them.

I mean, that's gonna be very, very cool.

>> It will.

They'll be excited.

>> Yeah, they will.

>> Even after marching the whole parade route.

They'll be excited.

We've got the calendar out.

We're marking things because we're gonna have to get the seniors to come back and work with us also, you know?

But in between football and volleyball and homecoming and all the stuff that we do during the year, we're gonna pack it in.

So, there's a lot been going through our minds.

We're thinking what great music selections can we play for New Year's that's gonna get people excited in the parade route and that kind of thing and what's that gonna look like?

So, we're getting closer.

>> 2025 is special for the bands at Western Kentucky University because it's our 100th anniversary.

The first band at Western Kentucky University was started by a student.

His name was Joyce Felts, and there were 18 students in the band in 1925.

And so for us to be stepping off our 100th anniversary on January 1st in the London New Year's Day Parade is gonna be really spectacular.

>> I think for the students to perform with an audience as big as they're going to as we walk through the streets, I think it will be exciting for them.

I think it will energize them and get them really active in the parade, you know, and to know that they're going to be on TV and millions of people are going to be watching, I think, will motivate them even more.

I think going down and seeing all of the sights that we've talked about, again, and just being a part of that, walking through the streets and marching and playing, and then turning that last corner and seeing the performance area down next to Parliament, they're going to be really excited.

>> So, we'll have a few rehearsals for the parade and practicing our turns and the lineup and the setup, and then also practicing for the final performance in front of the VIP stands, and we'll have a little routine for that.

We're looking at a special song for the parade by an English pop star.

We're going to keep it top secret for now, but we're looking at a really great song to include.

We'll also include our bagpipes in the parade as part of our sequence, and our Highland Dancers.

So they'll be performing in the parade.

And then, our wind ensemble has also been invited to be part of the concert band performances, So we're super excited to be able to perform in a beautiful and wonderful hall.

Definitely a unique experience for the students.

>> Walking the parade route is just one aspect of planning for the band directors and their team during their week in London.

[ Indistinct conversations ] Luckily, with so many years of experience, the London New Year's Day Parade organizers are on hand with everything they need to know.

[ Indistinct conversations ] >> So, the organization and the trip, you know, this has been going on so long, and the administrators that are a part of the London program have this down to a science.

You know, I remember, in 2009, I was like, "How are we going to get all of our instruments over there?"

And, "How are we going to do this?"

And uniforms, and, "How are we actually gonna get this many people on a plane?"

And the same thing now.

You know, we're thinking of 300, and my mind is blown thinking, "How are we going to travel with 300-plus people to get over here?"

But the organization of it is so great.

>> As the week progresses, there's still more to see, from the opportunity to dine in London's prestigious buildings, to exploring the city's sight-seeing opportunities.

It's a packed itinerary.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> ...on the bridge.

A little wave and a smile.

He was never paid for the design of the building.

He was given the penthouse suite at the... [ Guide speaking indistinctly ] ♪♪ >> This week has been invaluable to planning the trip.

To be able to be here and see everything in person really gives you that unique perspective that you'll be able to share with the kids and really understand all the details and what it means, of where to go, how to get on the Tube, how to find a bus, how to get around.

>> Well, this week has been important to get back into the swing of things here and to get to see everything before we make the big trip, you know, so we have it already in our mind what it's going to be like when they get here.

So it's been very important to be here and to do this and to get to see it before they get here in just a couple months.

It's so great to see the Parliament House and Elizabeth's Tower and Big Ben, and we just did a tour of the Tower of London, which was fantastic.

And just to see those things again, you know, up and down the South Bank, just seeing the Eye of London, and so there's so many things to see and talk about.

Westminster Abbey.

They've all been great.

And just to see what our students are going to see when they get here.

They're just going to be mind blown with the history.

You know, we just came through the Tower of London, and you see carvings on the wall from 1500s.

And, you know, we don't even think that long back historically, you know?

And I think they're going to be blown away to see that and to experience it and stand in front of a coat of armor or a cannon and, you know, see those kind of things, see the crown jewels.

I think they're going to be totally amazed.

>> The Tower of London experience is going to be amazing for them.

You know, I didn't know how big the Tower of London area was and that it really was a castle.

So I definitely walked in not knowing anything today, and learning a lot about the history within the castle and seeing that it not only was a place of residence at one point, but then an armory, and learning all the details in that.

And the kids are going to be able to connect what they've learned about, you know, the different kings and queens, the monarchy, wars over time and conflicts between governments, and be able to see in person what the different facilities look like, where people lived, where -- you know, where they fought from.

The idea of a moat around a building is gonna be a unique experience, and to be able to see that in person and understand what that means.

>> Our week here in London to prepare for bringing the bands to London for the New Year's Day Parade has been amazing.

We've seen some really spectacular sights, and, of course, capturing the history and the culture.

I'm just so excited for our students to have that opportunity when we bring them here in less than -- well, in about six months, actually.

It's been really good to just see everything again and to be thinking about it from the perspective of, "Okay, we're going to have 300 college students with us now when we come back, and how are we gonna plan this, and how do we work this out?"

And so it was very helpful to be here this week.

Bringing the students back, I think, is going to be the most exciting thing for me, so that they have an opportunity to experience what I was able to experience as a college student almost 40 years ago.

And, you know, the memories that I still have today from that experience, they're just spectacular.

And it's been really neat.

You know, walking by Saint Paul's yesterday, I was like, "I remember that."

And then being at the Tower of London today, I was telling Doctor McCurry and my colleagues, like, "I know that there's a big room here with all the armament, and, you know, we need to go find that," because I remembered that from January of 1987.

>> Each section of the city is so different and unique.

I am absolutely excited about coming back.

There's still 100 things that I want to see, so I'm super excited about coming back and having the kids see it.

There really is nothing like sharing that experience with 150 high schoolers, so it's going to be great.

>> I can't wait to be back.

I can't wait to see the looks on their faces.

I can't wait to see how they react to things when they see them.

And then, of course, the performance in the parade.

Walking the parade route the other day, you can just imagine the people that are going to be lining the sidewalks, and you get down to the TV area at the end, and I'm just excited for them to have that experience.

It's going to be life-changing.

>> ♪ United we will stand ♪ ♪ It's now or never ♪ ♪ We're reaching out our hands ♪ ♪ Let's come together ♪ ♪ No matter who you are ♪ ♪ 'Cause we're all invited ♪ ♪ London united ♪ ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ Yes, we're all excited ♪ ♪ London united ♪ ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ 'Cause we're all invited ♪ ♪ London united ♪ >> ♪ Watch out, we're here ♪ ♪ Everybody stand clear ♪ ♪ We're too hot to handle ♪ ♪ There is no doubt ♪ ♪ We're too hot to handle ♪ ♪ We'll knock you out ♪