PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
RINGING IN 2026 … Representing Northwest Ohio in the Band Directors Marching Band who participated in the 2026 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2026, were from left: Ben Peck (North Baltimore High School), Megan Hayes (Elmwood High School), Polly Krause (Stryker High School), Jon Waters (Bowling Green State University band director), Kari Rosania (Fairview High School), Julee Bayliss (Fairview High School) and Laura Zumbaugh (Montpelier Elementary School).
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
It was a marching band adventure in which Laura Zumbaugh, Polly Krause, Kari Rosania and Julee Bayliss will never forget after they had recently marched in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day, 2026, in Pasadena, California.
They were a part of the 360-member Band Directors Marching Band (BDMB) consisting of band directors from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Panama whose appearance in the Rose Parade was a part of the Saluting America’s Band Directors project of the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, based in Pickerington, Ohio.
Not only did the band march in unusual and rainy New Year’s Day weather in California, but they also accompanied a float entitled “Banding Together,” saluting all students, teachers, and communities who band together to make music happen.
The Michael D. Sewell Foundation was created to honor the work of the late band director who served in central Ohio for close to 40 years.
The band was led by Jon Waters, a nationally known music educator and innovative band director at Bowling Green State University.
He will be making a return trip to the Rose Parade in 2027, accompanying the BGSU Falcon Marching Band.
Getting to Pasadena took a lot of time and effort for all four band directors in getting all their paperwork done; it became a lengthy application process where over 900 band directors had applied to be in the band in October 2024.
“You had to fill out an application saying how long you have been teaching and what you have accomplished as a band director,” said Zumbaugh.
Once Zumbaugh, Krause, Rosania and Bayliss were notified of their selection in mid-January 2025, not only were they thrilled about the opportunity to march in the Rose Parade, but also performing with many other marching bands from around the nation and world.
Zumbaugh, who plays the trombone, had previously served as band director at Montpelier High School for 12 years before returning to the classroom, where she has taught elementary music for the past five years.
What helped her to prepare for the five-and-a-half-mile march on New Year’s Day was that she had previously marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2023.
“I’m a runner and a walker, so I felt like I was pretty prepared to do the miles, but my arms also hurt from holding my trombone for so long,” she admitted.
She was accompanied by her husband, Jason, along with their two children, Seth (11) and Felicity (9), on the trip to Pasadena.
Besides being in the Rose Parade, Zumbaugh had the opportunity to perform in the Band Fest, which featured all of the participating marching bands at Pasadena City College, along with float judging, where they played for the float judges.
One of the highlights for Zumbaugh was seeing the Saving Lives Organ Transplant float, which was located next door to their “Banding Together” float, and the band played “Amazing Grace” in honor of their family members.
“Actually, there was somebody in the band whose eight-year-old daughter had died and donated her organs, and her picture was on that float,” said Zumbaugh. “That was a really cool moment.”
Zumbaugh said that it was quite an experience for her to see the crowds of people lining the streets in Pasadena watching her march in the Rose Parade.
“There is no blank space in the five-and-a-half miles,” she said. “The crowd is awesome, the energy is awesome, the people next to me made it fun.
“It’s so fun to come together with all these people, and we all have the same kind of interest, being music teachers.”
Krause, who has been a band director for 33 years, including stops in Antwerp and Hicksville before coming to Stryker this year, was unable to march in the parade because of an Achilles’ injury, but was able to perform with the band at other events playing the mellophone.
Fortunately, Krause had a grandstand seat watching the parade and admitted that it was an advantage for her despite not marching.
“It was a cool and neat experience where we started practicing on Sunday night,” said Krause. “This year was different; they had a concert band as well, and I played in that.
“Then for the next two or three days, we had rehearsals with everybody all together. Unfortunately, I was able to be in everything but was unable to do the parade itself.
“I was with everybody the whole time at the rehearsals, and it was a fun and interesting experience to see 360 people get together with three days rehearsal and put it all together.”
Krause noted that the band began about five years ago after a Facebook post invited anyone interested to apply.
“They had several people apply for it, and they marched in the Rose Parade in 2022,” said Krause. “I knew somebody locally who was in it, once I saw it and joined it on their Facebook page.
“Then they went to New York City, so I applied for that right away, and I marched in the Macy’s Parade in 2023.”
She also pointed out that the band members ranged from about 22 years old to an 80-year-old man who has been a band director for 50 years, and there was no age limit.
Krause commented that the songs the band played in the parade included a song that was specifically arranged for them called “Strike Up The Saints,” which was a mixture of “Strike Up The Band” and the “Saints Go Marching In.”
It was a fun but interesting experience for Krause, who said that just about every band director had a Type-A personality where they all wanted to be the leaders, but they were put into a position of being the students, so they had to listen to one director instead of listening to themselves.
Krause was also a roommate with Bayliss and Rosania in California. “It was fun to be with them, and for me, I had been in the Macy’s Parade, so I kind of knew what was going to happen,” she said.
“But for them, it was new, and it was fun watching their excitement with all the new things. It was new for me also, being out in California versus New York. Even though we had to get up around four o’clock in the morning for some of the things, it’s so much fun, and the adrenaline kicks in.”
Rosania, who has been the band director at Fairview High School for the past 28 years, commented on the experience as the most amazing ever.
When she found out that she was invited to participate in the Rose Parade, it was an amazing feeling for her despite all the emotions involved.
Rosania had prepared herself beforehand, carrying her sousaphone by marching around the track at Bryan High School for four miles prior to her journey to Pasadena.
“It was kind of like running a race, and you’re nervous beforehand, you have all this adrenaline, and you get going, and you’re super excited,” said Rosania about her parade preparation.
Rosania was fully recognized on national television with her sousaphone as she was on the outside, near the TV cameras. She also received 75 text messages after watching her march on television.
“I kind of knew where the cameras were near me,” she said. “Then once we turned the corner, then we had those five miles left to go, and it was great.
“The crowds would cheer every time we went by, and we had some opportunities to stop, which usually doesn’t happen, but it did.
“As soon as we had turned left, we knew we had a half mile to go. There was a guy holding a sign saying, “One More Block.” Once we got done, it was a feeling of accomplishment.”
One of her highlights was attending the Float Fest, where Rosania and others were able to get on the float. She added that everything on the float had to be covered with organic material.
Another highlight for Rosania was that she had marched in front of her high school band director, Jim Funck from Willard High School, who is now retired and played trombone.
When Rosania had returned to the classroom following Christmas break, her band students came up to her and said they had seen her on television, and she thanked them for watching the Rose Parade.
Bayliss, who plays the tenor saxophone, has been the assistant band director at Fairview for the past 12 years.
She has a solid music background, including a previous four-year stint as band director at Leipsic High School.
She described her Rose Parade experience as a very collective, unified atmosphere of being around 360 other band directors.
“It was so exciting to make music with so many different people from so many different places,” said Bayliss.
Once she was notified of her selection for the band after she had discovered it in her junk mail, she admitted that it was very exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking, knowing the parade was five-and-a-half miles.
“I was getting the opportunity to work with different band directors and music teachers from all over the world,” Bayliss said.
Knowing that she had to memorize the music, she also had to prepare her own body for the lengthy march.
She took lengthy walks during the summer and fall months with her dogs around Sherwood, preparing herself.
Unfortunately, she was unable to finish the parade due to an unexpected minor medical incident, which required a visit to the emergency room in California.
“Just knowing that I can say, I marched in the Rose Parade, I didn’t finish it, but I marched in it,” she said.
A touching and emotional moment for Bayliss took place where the band performed “Amazing Grace” on behalf of the families of organ donors and organ recipients of the One Legacy Donate Life Organization for Organ Donation at the Float Judging.
“It was the most moving performance for me emotionally of the whole trip,” said Bayliss.
“There were probably more than 500 people in that float barn, and I don’t believe there was a single dry eye in the place. I told some other teachers here at school that was a performance
“I will never forget for the rest of my life. To me, that was even more impactful than performing in the parade.”
Besides participating in the Tournament of Roses Parade, Zumbaugh, Krause, Rosania, and Bayliss are also members of the Bryan City Band, who perform on the courthouse square during the summer months.