Rosemount teen to play in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade two years after learning new instrument
Noah Carlson didn't even know what a mellophone was when he joined the Rosemount High School marching band in 2022.
This Thanksgiving, Rosemount High School senior Noah Carlson will trade turkey at home for trumpets and trombones in Central Park.
Carlson has been selected to be part of Macy’s Great American Marching Band, made up of more than 150 high school students from around the nation who will perform in the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Carlson, 17, plays mellophone in Rosemount High School’s marching band and trumpet in the school’s concert band. The mellophone is considered a sort of marching band version of the French horn.
The Macy’s parade first took place in 1924, the second-oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the United States. The parade famously involves massive balloon versions of famous cartoon and cinematic characters like Snoopy, Spider Man and SpongeBob SquarePants, along with thousands of costumed performers walking alongside ornate floats, with music and dance performances from classic acts like the Radio City Rockettes. The parade will be televised nationally on NBC; a reported 28.5 million people tuned in last year.
“I’ve never been to New York City before. It’s going to be really exciting,” Carlson said. “I’m really excited to see all of the fall and Thanksgiving energy.”
Carlson has been playing an instrument since fifth grade, when students in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district were first introduced to the school band program. He picked the trumpet.
“I thought it was such a cool thing,” Carlson said of the trumpet. “I felt pretty amazing playing it.”
He has continued playing through his school career, including jazz band, concert band, pep band and wind ensemble.
In 2022, Carlson joined the Rosemount High School marching band.
As the then-underclassman joined the marching band, he realized the trumpet section was already packed with 24 players. The mellophone section, however, had an open spot.
Leon Sieve — one of Rosemount High School’s band directors, along with Taylor Eliason, Scott Palmer and Calvin Lipetzky — approached Carlson about his interest. The student was intrigued, but there was a slight hold up.
He couldn’t pick a mellophone out of a lineup.
“I didn’t even know what a mellophone was, but I said to my band director, I’d think about it,” Carlson recalled.
For Sieve, it serves as a perfect example of how Carlson is willing to help out other students, and learn a new role in order to help the greater program.
“He is a dedicated, energetic, positive, hard-working person. He’s a joy to teach,” Sieve said. “We’re excited for him to have an opportunity to join students all over the country for this parade. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
How it happened
Now, Carlson finds himself ready to play an instrument he didn’t know existed two years ago in front of an audience of millions. How did it all come together?
Last year, Carlson saw a video of the Macy’s parade and noticed the marching band included kids close to his age. After a Google search, he discovered the band consisted of high school students who applied for the honor, and the requirements matched his musical experience.
“It didn’t seem too far beyond my capabilities. I don’t think I am the greatest musician or anything, but I thought it was worth a shot,” Carlson said.
He thought it over. Why not try it?
He just needed to record a three-minute solo, as well as a video of him showing his marching prowess. A slight problem emerged, though.
It was January.
“It was wet, it was cold, it was hard to play and you’re out of tune,” Carlson said. “The more takes that I had to burn through, it got more risky for my playing ability. In marching band, we say that the more you play, the worse you feel.”
He tried a couple of times in the school parking lot, but the video wasn’t his best work. With the first idea a bust, he asked for help from Assistant Administrator Tim Conboy, who volunteered some school gym space during winter break. Carlson’s friend Cale Bock, a fellow senior in the Rosemount High School marching band, offered to hold the camera.
With the support of teachers and administrators, as well as his marching band friends, Carlson had an application complete. Then, the wait began. He learned of his acceptance in May.
Carlson’s parents, Dee and Dane, said the marching band has provided their son with a great group of friends, a real community for him as he has moved through his final years of high school. The family will be back in Rosemount during the NYC parade, planning to watch with a group of family and friends.
Macy’s does not cover travel expenses for the band participants, but they do host a Thanksgiving dinner and dance the last night before the kids head home, Dee Carlson said.
She said Noah is very committed to the band program in Rosemount.
“Isn’t that what every parent wants? For (your children) to find something they truly love and enjoy?” she said. “He has really found a community in the band program here at Rosemount. Those are his people. He’s made so many friends that I think will be lifetime friends, and they have the same type of interests. We’re so proud of him.”
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
What: Rosemount High School senior Noah Carlson plays with Macy’s Great American Marching Band
Where: The parade begins on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street in New York City.
How to watch: NBC’s broadcast of the parade begins at 8:30 a.m. Thursday and continues until noon. It will simulcast on Peacock, with an encore presentation at 2 p.m. on NBC (KARE Ch. 11).
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