Two volunteer dads pulled out of a Hurst parking lot before sunrise, steering a pair of 18-foot box trucks toward Manhattan.
Inside: Uniforms, instruments, ponchos, hand warmers and everything else the L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band might need on a cold New York City morning.
Behind them, 265 students, staff and chaperones will board six separate flights 鈥� the first wave meeting at the high school at 3 a.m. 鈥� all to perform in the .
For the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD program, the trip marks a milestone decades in the making.
鈥淭he band program at L.D. Bell is pretty special. It鈥檚 been around for a really long time. The band was founded in 1957, and so there鈥檚 just this really long tradition of excellence within the program,鈥� band director Suzanne Dell said.
This year, that tradition includes a national spotlight: L.D. Bell is the .
Drum major Caidyn Cumberledge said the opportunity feels unreal.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting. I just feel so privileged to get to go with all my friends and family to New York for a week and perform,鈥� Cumberledge said.
Texas is known throughout the country for being among the best band programs in the country, Dell said.
鈥淭o be considered one of those and get this opportunity is just really cool,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that I know I鈥檒l never forget, and I don鈥檛 think any of our students are ever gonna forget.鈥�
Coordinating a trip of this size means planning every hour and every mile. A travel company arranged the group鈥檚 airline tickets, hotel rooms, meals and excursions 鈥� 鈥渢he heavy lifting,鈥� Dell said 鈥� so staff can focus on rehearsals and student safety.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a huge piece of the logistics,鈥� she said.
Six flights will carry students and staff from DFW to New York on Monday.
鈥淭hey start meeting for the first wave of flights at 3 a.m.,鈥� Dell said. 鈥淭he second round leaves at 4 a.m.鈥�
On the ground, six buses will shuttle the group around the city.
Meanwhile, instruments and equipment are traveling separately. The two dads began their 24-hour drive to Manhattan on Thursday night.
鈥淓verything that we can think of that we might need is going on the truck,鈥� Dell said.
The Blue Raider Band is traveling with one chaperone 鈥� all parents 鈥� for roughly every 10 students.
The trip鈥檚 cost is shared among families, the district and community sponsors, Dell said.
One of the biggest boosts came from the high school鈥檚 strong alumni base, she said. An alumni reunion concert event in May raised $14,000, and the band invited back one of its very first directors, who is now 91, to conduct.
Fundraising dollars help cover the extras: A swag bag with a jacket, scarf, beanie and sweatshirt for each student, plus fees for an arranger, drill writer and choreographer for the Herald Square performance.
Performing for national television also means adjusting how students rehearse.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e very reliant on every marking on a football field,鈥� Dell said. 鈥淣ow all of that鈥檚 gone.鈥�
The band taped out a replica of Herald Square鈥檚 center star onto a tarp in the parking lot.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the only thing you can reference,鈥� Dell said. 鈥淓verything else, you have to dress to the form and be more aware of your spacing.鈥�
They鈥檝e been rehearsing the show since Nov. 1.
Once in New York, the band will have two remaining practices: A late-night rehearsal with the television crew on 34th Street and a final tune-up at a rented facility.
On parade morning, the call time will arrive before dawn, Dell said.
For some students, the week is not just a performance on national television, but their first trip outside DFW, she said.
Their itinerary includes at Rockefeller Center, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes, Central Park and a choice between three Broadway shows, either 鈥淭he Outsiders,鈥� 鈥淐hicago,鈥� or 鈥淢oulin Rouge.鈥�
Older student leaders help classmates navigate those first-time nerves.
鈥淲e really stress to them that you鈥檙e not alone. We鈥檙e doing this together,鈥� Dell said.
Senior brass leader Benjamin Osbourne called it 鈥渙ur little moment in history.鈥�
For Dell, the week represents a shift from the pressure of marching contests.
鈥淎 lot of times when we go to competitions, there鈥檚 gonna be an outcome,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e already won the prize. (Now) you just get to go and perform and have an amazing time. My hope is that everybody leaves with a lifetime of memories.鈥�
Viewers can watch the Blue Raider Band on NBC and Peacock Thanksgiving morning. A smaller ensemble will perform on the 鈥淭oday鈥� show earlier that week.
Got a tip? Email Andy Lusk at alusk@kera.org.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or .
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