‘Americans We’

Russellville band to march in inaugural parade

Russellville Cyclone Band members practice for their performance Jan. 20 in Presisdent-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural parade in Washington, D.C. The band will play “Americans We.” Russellville’s band participated in the 1977 and 1997 inaugurations, too, and Director Dewayne Dove attended the one in 1997 as an assistant band director.
Russellville Cyclone Band members practice for their performance Jan. 20 in Presisdent-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural parade in Washington, D.C. The band will play “Americans We.” Russellville’s band participated in the 1977 and 1997 inaugurations, too, and Director Dewayne Dove attended the one in 1997 as an assistant band director.

Every 20 years, like clockwork, the Russellville High School Band goes to a presidential inauguration.

This year makes the third one.

The band purposefully started working to get an invitation for the inauguration before the Nov. 8 election, said Dewayne Dove, head band director.

He said discussions started years ago about trying to attend the inauguration.

“We said we need to apply so it’s 20, 20, 20,” he said.

Dove said he started in September getting everything together and contacted U.S. senators and representatives in October to get letters of recommendation.

“You have to do a brief essay on what sets you apart from others,” he said. “Our selling point was this is our third attempt to go — it was a 20- and 40-year anniversary of bands who went before us. We’re honoring groups from ’77 and ’97 as trying to go for 2017.”

The Russellville High School Band went to the inaugurations of former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. The band hasn’t applied to attend an inauguration since then.

“It was about doing it this year,” Dove said.

In addition to an essay, the band had to turn in a two-minute performance video and additional information, including honors and achievements the band has received.

“Then it’s a sit and wait,” he said. “The sitting and waiting was a long time, it seemed.”

The band found out Dec. 20 that it had been accepted to march in the parade.

“It’s been a whirlwind of flurry ever since,” Dove said.

The parade is 15 blocks long, according to the inauguration website. Assistant Band Director David Gaston will get to march, as well.

Dove said the Cyclone Band will play “Americans We.”

“We’ve chosen it for two reasons. It is a good piece of music,” he said, adding that it’s a “traditional march song.”

“The second part is because of the title itself. We feel like we’re all Americans, regardless of race, sex, creed,” he said. “This is about being Americans. It became more important to us based on the title itself.”

The invitation to attend president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration has been somewhat controversial, Dove said.

“It has in the fact that you’ve got people on Facebook with nothing tied to Russellville who send out hateful messages,” he said.

He added that the Russellville band has had local, state and national support, too.

“This is not about a political party winning. Yes, it’s an inaugural parade, … but you start this process even before you know who the winner is. It’s about the historical significance. It goes back to when we decided to pursue this for this year, neither party had a candidate; we hadn’t finished the primaries. This is because of the history of what the inaugural parade is.

“This will be seen worldwide. That is something pretty incredible to think you’re going to have your band, your community, your state seen literally all around the world,” he said.

The group is raising $150,000 to go on the trip, which includes meals for the students, Dove said. To date, the band has raised about $130,000, he said.

“We’re going to make it, and definitely, we are going. There is no turning back right now as far as the trip. We want to pay for it all up front, not when we get back,” Dove said.

Participants, which include about 173 of the 180 band members, will leave Wednesday on chartered buses and come back Jan. 23. They will try to cram in as much sightseeing as possible, too.

Dove said the itinerary includes taking the students to see historic monuments, as well as the Arlington Cemetery, Mount Vernon and the Smithsonian Institution, and on a dinner cruise on the Potomac.

Senior band members Hailey Smith and Riley Kelley, both 18, called the chance to participate a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.

Neither student has been to Washington.

Smith, who plays percussion, said she was “so excited” when news came that the band had been invited, and she and other band members were texting about the trip.

“We were trying to figure out how we were going to fundraise,” she said.

Kelley said his father, Geoff Kelley, jumped in to help with fundraising immediately, as did other parents. His father is going on the trip, too, Riley Kelley said.

Both students said they like the music that has been selected.

“It’s great sounding; also, it has a good meaning behind it, as well,” Kelley said of “Americans We.” “What Mr. Dove had thought behind the meaning, … no matter who was going to win it, we need to be together as Americans.”

Riley Kelley said it might take a “miracle,” but he would like to meet Trump.

“I’m expecting this to be a once-in-a-life opportunity, and I’m really excited for it. It’s going to be a great trip, and I’m glad I’m getting to partake in it,” he said.

“It’s definitely going to be the trip of a lifetime,” Smith said.

Dove said there are three ways to contribute to the band’s fundraising efforts: by visiting a GoFundMe page available through the Cyclone Band Facebook page; by contributing to the Cyclone Band Operation D.C. account at First State Bank; or by contacting boosters through cyclonebandoperationdc@gmail.com.

Amanda Johnson, president of the Russellville High School Band Booster Club, will attend the trip, as will her husband, Dr. Tim Johnson. They will accompany their son, Carter, a sophomore who plays trombone.

“It’s been exciting, overwhelming and humbling how the community has supported us and stepped up,” Amanda Johnson said. For example, she said a recent fundraiser, which was like an old-fashioned pie supper, was standing room only.

Johnson said Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s office has pledged $2,000 for the trip. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, contributed $10,000. She said the hope is that Hutchinson and other Arkansas legislators will be able to meet the Russellville students and get their photos made together.

Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.

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