The Falcon Marching Band director is leading a 400-member marching band at the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, showcasing collaborative music education throughout the nation, according to BGSU officials.

Jon Waters is the director of the Falcon Marching Band and an assistant teaching professor of music education at BGSU. Since its formation in 2018, Waters has been the director of the Band Directors Marching Band.

“We thought it was going to be a one-and-done thing with the Rose Parade, where we came up with the first-ever band and float combination,” Waters said. “When I got back from the Rose Parade, I got a call from the head of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and he said, ‘We’re just sorry we didn’t get you guys in our parade first.'”

BGSU officials say the band will meet in New York City Sunday, Nov. 19 to rehearse the parade in-person for the first time. Waters says the theme of the performance leans heavily on Americana and the message of giving thanks.

“The Macy’s parade is unique in that it’s about 2 1/2 miles long,” Waters said. “The first two miles are all on the streets of New York. It starts at Central Park and comes down 6th Avenue and then it sort of stops about a block before the Macy’s flagship store. The part of the parade that you see on TV is actually in Herald Square in front of the Macy’s store, and we’ll perform there.”

The Band Directors Marching Band is set to stop by the 9/11 memorial while in New York City with a performance on Monday, Nov. 20.