Libertyville High Marching Wildcats to perform at Jan. 1 parade in Rome

The Libertyville High School Marching Wildcats will be traveling to Rome to perform in a New Year's Day parade.

Seventy-five musicians accompanied by dozens of parents and chaperones will be on an overnight flight Dec. 27 en route to a guest appearance in the event before an anticipated crowd of 100,000 or more.

The parade route travels through the heart of Rome, along the well-known shopping areas, the 13th century Via Babuino, past the famous Spanish Steps and finishing at Piazza del Popolo – the People's Square and center of festivities.

“It's the major parade for downtown Rome,” said Adam Gohr, Libertyvllle High’s director of bands.

During the eight-day trip, the band also will perform at the Frascati Festival in the hilltop town 45 minutes outside Rome. LHS is one of 11 bands from the U.S. participating in the events.

While there, the LHS contingent has a full itinerary with tours of the city and historic sights, including Pompeii, Vatican City, the Colosseum and the Pantheon. The excursion is arranged by Youth Music of the World, a Virginia-based event management company in cooperation with Destinatio Events, its European collaborator.

The LHS band visited London about five years ago on a similar trip but it's the first time it has been to Rome, Gohr said. He said he consulted with student leaders and parent groups before applying to Youth Music.

The marching band is a volunteer extracurricular activity and includes members from all grade levels. The trip was approved by the school board and announced in November 2022, providing time for fundraising and preparation, Gohr said.

It will be the band's second international trip during Gohr's 11-year tenure. Besides music, the trips are designed as educational experiences.

“One thing I look for is something with a unique or marquee performance opportunity,” he said. “You're not the tourist – you're the thing the tourists watch.”

For the parade, the marching band will perform “Shut Up and Dance;” “Loyal and True” (the LHS Fight song); “Magnificent Seven,” from the Wild Wildcat West show this year; and, “Hard Rockin' Holiday Parade,” Gohr said.

The band is comprised of 10 different wind instruments and five percussion instruments.

“Because it's a holiday parade, some of our drummers are bringing sleigh bells,” Gohr added.