Hail To The Chief

In the 2017 Presidential Inaugural Parade, marching bands performed to celebrate our democracy.

- Samuel Sweetnam

In the United States, when we think of patriotic music, we immediately think of military marches. Tunes such as the “Washington Post,” “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and “Hail to the Chief” are immediately familiar to anyone with an interest in American musical history. And what better occasion for some patriotic songs than a presidential inauguration?

Since 1805, the presidential inauguration has traditionally included a parade along 1.5 miles of Pennsylvania Avenue. The 2017 Presidential Inaugural Parade took place on Jan. 20 and consisted of five divisions and included groups from each branch of the military as well as high school and university marching bands from 12 different states. After security checks near the Pentagon, the parade began, going past the White House and the presidential reviewing stand.

PATRIOTIC FERVOR

A total of 13 different high school and college marching bands participated in the inaugural parade, and several have performed for multiple inaugural parades in the past. For example, the Norwich University Regimental Band and Drill Team, known as the oldest collegiate band in the country, participated in the parade for the eighth time. The band first appeared in the parade in 1961 and has participated in the inaugurations of Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, both Bushes, and Obama.

“Nobody [currently] in the band had ever performed for a presidential inauguration before, so it’s a great honor for them to be able to do that,” says Todd Edwards, director of bands at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. “We were selected for the parade, and we were very honored to be able to represent the school on the national stage.”