Oskaloosa Native to perform at Rose Bowl

Macy Milledge

Oskaloosa High School 2015 graduate Macy Milledge will travel with the Hawkeye Marching Band to perform at the Rose Bowl Parade and Rose Bowl next week as the Hawkeyes take on Stanford in the January 1st bowl game.

Milledge is in her freshman year at Iowa studying Speech Pathology and joined the band over the summer preparing for football game performances. “They told us during our college visit that we would march for 6 home games and if we got lucky, we might get to go to a bowl”.

Not only has Macy been fortunate to play during those home games, the 250 member band travelled to the Big 10 championship game in Indianapolis a few weeks ago, and will make the trip to Pasadena on December 29th.

Iowa Hawkeyes Marching Band 2015 (submitted photo)

Macy plays the Mellophone (a version of the French Horn) along with 15 other ‘mellies’ in the band and is a bit nervous about the 5.5 mile, 2 hour parade. “They told us we will have to high-step for over a mile while the television cameras were on, so I’ve been walking the treadmill trying to make sure I’m in shape” Milledge says with a smile.

Rich Waddington OHS band director says “we are excited to have a graduate representing Oskaloosa in the Rose Bowl festivities. Its incredible to see the opportunities band students get following graduation. We’ll be looking for Macy next week!”

Although the band had to learn new formations and new music nearly every week during the regular season, they will perform a 15 minute set that they performed earlier this year which will include songs from Queen.

Although the band is going out 3 days early, they will make the trek back to Iowa in their chartered plane right after the game. “I guess the athletic department didn’t want to have to put 250 of us up in a hotel for an additional night, but we’ll sleep well on the red-eye back.”

Macy’s parents Joe and Tanya reside in Oskaloosa.