Local Student Selected to Perform with the Bands of America Honor Band in the 2026 Rose Parade®
Kara Wilson, a senior at Fort Zumwalt East, has been selected by Music for All to be a member of the Bands of America Honor Band in the 2026 Roses Parade® presented by Honda, in Pasadena, California. Kara will join hundreds of performers from across the nation in this prestigious national honor band. Kara is the child of David and Kathy Wilson. They are a member of the Lion Pride Band under the director of Mr. Rick Padgett.
The Bands of America Honor Band is a national ensemble with over 250 performers including winds, percussion, and color guard. Richard Saucedo, composer, conductor, and retired director of the national champion Carmel H.S. (IN) marching band, will direct the 2026 Bands of America Honor Band, with assistance from Dr. Melissa Gustafson-Hinds, director of bands at O’Fallon Township H.S. (IL).
Kara Wilson, a clarinet performer, will spend a week in Southern California, where they will rehearse, perform at the Tournament of Roses Bandfest, participate in special activities, and deliver a featured appearance in the famous parade broadcast worldwide. The 137th Rose Parade presented by Honda begins at 8 AM PST on New Year’s Day and is themed “The Magic in Teamwork.” The 5.5-mile parade will be televised worldwide through the parade’s broadcast partners. Magnificent floral floats, spirited marching bands, and talented equestrian units anchor the traditional, two-hour spectacle along Pasadena’s famed Colorado Boulevard. Learn more about the parade and broadcast at tournamentofroses.com.
“To be part of this opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for students, and a testimony to their dedication to music,” says director Richard Saucedo. “The Rose Parade® is one of our country’s national pageantry treasures. The 2026 Honor Band members are ambassadors of America’s scholastic music and arts programs, as well as their schools and communities. Congratulations to Kara on participating in this fantastic experience.”
This will mark the sixth time Music for All’s Bands of America Honor Band has performed in the Rose Parade® presented by Honda. The Bands of America Honor Band also performed in the Rose Parade® in 2005, 2009 when it was a part of the President’s Award-winning entry created with NAMM and Sesame Street Workshop, 2013, 2017, and in 2022. Music for All sponsors and partners will play an important role in preparing the Bands of America Honor Band for their performances. Yamaha Corporation of America, MFA’s National Presenting Sponsor, will provide percussion and brass instruments. Fred J. Miller, Inc. (FJM) will outfit the members in custom uniforms designed by award-winning designer Michael Cesario, one of the nation’s leading pageantry visionaries. Music Travel Consultants, MFA’s Official Student Travel Partner, will manage the travel, housing and logistics for the band members and their families.
Bands of America is a program of Music for All (MFA), one of the nation’s largest and most influential organizations in support of active music making. Music for All is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit educational organization.
About the Pasadena Tournament of Roses® and Rose Parade® presented by Honda
The Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that hosts America’s New Year Celebration® with the Rose Parade® presented by Honda, the Rose Bowl Game® and a variety of accompanying events. The Association’s 935 volunteer members supply more than 80,000 hours of manpower, which will drive the success of the 136th Rose Parade, on Monday, January 1, 2025, followed by the 111th Rose Bowl Game. For more information, visit www.tournamentofroses.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Music for All
Music for All’s mission is to create, provide, and expand life-changing experiences through music. Our vision is to be a catalyst to ensure that every child in America has access and opportunity for active music-making in their scholastic environment. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, Music for All’s events and programs serve more than 600,000 attendees annually –– and more than 1.7 million program participants since 1975. Programs include the Bands of America Championships for marching bands, a summer music camp for students and teachers, festivals for concert bands and orchestras, national honor ensembles for students, educational podcasts, and online resources for teachers.
Music for All’s efforts are supported by national presenting sponsor Yamaha Corporation of America and its family of sponsors, strategic partners, and grantors.
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You can keep up with the latest information for Music for All online at musicforall.org, Facebook (@musicforallnetwork and @bandsofamerica,) Instagram (@officialmusicforall,) and TikTok (@officialmusicforall.)
Sponsor Information
Music for All efforts are supported through sponsorships, including current partnerships with National Presenting Sponsor: Yamaha Corporation of America; Official Instrument Rental Partner: Sweetwater; Official Uniform Sponsor: Fred J. Miller, Inc.; Official Student Travel Partner: Music Travel Consultants; Official Spirit Wear Sponsor: PepWear; Corporate Sponsors: Ball State University and Visit Indy; and Associate Sponsor: StylePlus. Music for All is also supported by the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis; Ball Brothers Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; George and Frances Ball Foundation; Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Inc., Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial Foundation, Inc, the Arthur Jordan Foundation, and The NAMM Foundation.