Schaumburg band prepares for inaugural parade

Last week, as Schaumburg High School officials dedicated their new artificial turf field, they granted one of their largest student groups first crack at using it: the Saxon Marching Band.

With 266 members, they are the largest marching band in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, and increasingly, they are becoming one of the best ambassadors for the school.

"We never used to be able to practice on the main field, they were always having to save it for games," says junior drum major, Kristen Kuzor of Schaumburg. "But now with a turf field, we can use it whenever we need to practice."

With all of their latest appearances, they look to be needing that new field more than ever.

Recently, they performed during Northern Illinois University's "Band Day," where they were the largest band on hand. The next day, band members headed into Chicago, where they ran a water station for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

Over the summer, the Saxons marched in the 50th anniversary parade in Hanover Park, and in their hometown event, the Septemberfest parade, over the Labor Day weekend in Schaumburg.

All of that comes on top of winning the title of parade champion in last year's Outback Bowl Parade in Tampa, and placing first among all of the high school bands, in its "Battle of the Bands."

Now, they have their sights set on an even higher visibility venue: the 2009 presidential inaugural parade in Washington, D.C.

Schaumburg band director Kevin Miller knows of only one other Chicago area high school band seeking a bid, Downers Grove North High School. Both bands already have reserved blocks of hotel rooms near Washington, just in case.

Miller has been compiling application materials, including video footage of parade shows and still shots, as well as news clippings. This week, they will sit for a recording session to capture their musicianship for the judges.

Tempering their excitement is the cost. In order for the band to go, they'd need to raise $200,000. They will cross that bridge if they get the bid, Miller says.

For now, they only have a few weeks left to pull their act together. As soon as the election results are final, the presidential inaugural committee will be formed to begin planning for the parade and various inaugural balls.

Army Master Sgt. Laura Lineberger is a member of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee in Washington, whose members serve as the staff members, so to speak, for the inaugural committee, sorting through the applicants and helping to package their case.

While Lineberger cannot say exactly how many units will be in the parade, she acknowledges that historically, there are between 45 to 50 bands in the two-hour parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, which steps off after the presidential swearing in ceremony.

Of those, she adds, nearly half are high school bands, while the rest are university, military and adult bands.

Typically, she says, around 500 groups overall apply for a position in the parade, but the youth groups are looked at favorably.

"The inaugural committee likes to make sure the youth are showcased," Lineberger says. "And it's a grand opportunity for that age group to get the best civics lesson, ever."