Tony McKrimmon, the band director for Portsmouth Junior High and High Schools, has been selected to join a marching band of 400 band directors from across the country in the historic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 23, 2023.

The opportunity comes following its amazing inaugural appearance in the 2022 Rose Parade, Saluting America’s Band Director Project and is now bringing together band directors from across the country to New York City under the theme, “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.”

The theme is set to recognize the extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors and music educators everywhere. Throughout their careers, the music educators in this band have collectively mentored and taught hundreds of thousands of students. These professionals not only teach and direct music, but they also teach about life itself.

This is the second time McKrimmon is marching in the parade, which is a thing of nostalgia and honor for him, especially due to the fact that the organization is in memory of the band director that took him to march the first time.

According to McKrimmon, “This is a great opportunity for me to honor the band director that started me on the path to being a band director myself. It is also very special to me that the first time I marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was under Mr. Sewell and now I get to march it again in his name.”

The director credits his former educator a great deal for shaping him in the musician he is today.

“I’m excited to march in his honor,” McKrimmon said. “He is a big part of the reason I became a band director in the first place. To go back, in his memory, is life coming full circle to me. It is very special.”

McKrimmon has been directing bands for seven years, which has been spent entirely at PHS. He graduated from Capital University. He is also incredibly involved in the community, also performing in the Portsmouth Wind Symphony, the Short Notice Jazz Quartet, the Corner United Methodist Praise Team, the Cornerstone United Methodist Youth Band, Mikey Mike and the Big Unit, Luvdisk, and he also plays with the PHS Show Band and Pep Band.

“I honestly think it is fun. I, obviously, love playing. I try to stay active, partially, to keep my skills up, but, also, so the kids can see me in the community and using my talents. They’ll sometimes walk in somewhere, and there I am on stage performing. That’s happened a few times. I have kids who like to attend events I’m performing in, especially kids with a passion for music or have families in bands. I want to always play so I never lose that skill,” McKrimmon said. “I try to make it as much as possible that my kids are never better than I am. I have a few students on drums that I acknowledge I’ll never be on that level, but that is because we have some amazing talent.”

McKrimmon views this parade opportunity as another way to give back to his students and community.

“I think it is great for the community. A big part of what I try to do for the community and the school is, in anyway possible, get good publicity for them. It seems that anywhere we go, we get a bad rap. No matter what the school report card says, or a headline on addiction may convey, we have good things and people here,” McKrimmon said. “The music groups I’m involved in show there are good things in the city and school district. I think having local representation in such a reputable parade will be one of those things where people will acknowledge something positive is coming out of Portsmouth.”

The band will be directed by nationally known music educator and innovative band director Jon Waters. McKrimmon will be marching with his saxophone.

The sponsoring organization behind the Saluting America’s Band Directors project is the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, based in Pickerington, Ohio. The foundation was created to recognize and carry on the work of the late Mike Sewell, who dedicated his life to the school and community music programs in Pickerington and the Central Ohio area for almost 40 years.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2023 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved.