Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will take its talents international
The Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will make its first international trip in 2024 to play in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Ireland.
Being invited to play in the Macy鈥檚 Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City twice in a five-year span is an amazing accomplishment. But to have an opportunity to perform on St. Patrick鈥檚 Day in Dublin, Ireland, well, that鈥檚 taking it to a whole other level.
甜瓜视频app鈥檚 Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will perform in the St. Patrick鈥檚 Day Parade in Ireland on March 17, 2024.
鈥淚t all came about because POTM has had memorable performances all over the U.S., but has never performed internationally,鈥� said Jack Eaddy, WCU鈥檚 director of Athletic Bands. 鈥淧erforming in the St. Patrick鈥檚 Day Parade is a chance-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students and we鈥檙e honored to represent our university, community, region and nation on an international stage.鈥�
Jude Hahn, a sophomore flute player from Albemarle, was stunned when she learned of the band鈥檚 upcoming trip.
鈥淚 was genuinely shocked,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had no idea. After COVID-19, I didn鈥檛 think we would do something that grand and that big. It鈥檚 so legendary for us to be able to do something like that. We鈥檙e the first in this program to go international. It鈥檚 absolutely insane and I鈥檓 so excited.鈥�
Eaddy said after going through an application process, POTM was one of a couple of U.S. bands selected to perform in the parade that has been held for more than 100 years. Trip details are still being finalized, but Eaddy said the band will have several performances and visit historic sites in Ireland.
Jack Eaddy
The band performed in the 2019 Macy鈥檚 Thanksgiving Day Parade after being chosen to lead the parade in 2014. It also marched in the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
Brandon Rice, a rising senior from Irmo, South Carolina, who plays the electric violin, performed in the last trip to New York City.
鈥淭o say that the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band is going international sounds surreal, like a dream you鈥檝e always dreamed of, but you never thought was going to happen,鈥� Rice said. 鈥淔or us to be able to fly out of the country and march in the St. Patrick鈥檚 Day Parade, it鈥檚 going to be not only legendary for the people in Ireland, but also for us because we鈥檙e a massive band from the small town of Cullowhee, North Carolina.鈥�
Eaddy sees it as an opportunity for the students to experience something they otherwise may have never experienced.
鈥淚 know this will be the first trip internationally for many students and will provide them an opportunity to not only see things they鈥檙e studying, but to experience them, too,鈥� Eaddy said. 鈥淲e have a product that represents excellence, so we鈥檙e able to participate in amazing experiences. Invitations to perform like this also attract prospective students to attend WCU and join our program.鈥�
The goal, Eaddy said, is for the entire 500-plus member band to go to Ireland. To help make that possible, an announcement of the band鈥檚 fundraising efforts will be forthcoming.
鈥淲e鈥檒l definitely be able to do this with the support of our community, family and friends,鈥� Eaddy said.
