Music to the ears: Fresno State selected to participate in future Rose Parade

Start smelling the roses.

Fresno State is going to the Rose Bowl.

Not the Bulldogs football team.

But the Fresno State marching band will be there for the first time ever, selected by the Tournament of Roses Association as an official participant of the 2023 Rose Parade in Pasadena.

The popular Rose Parade has become part of America’s tradition on New Year’s Day as colorful floats and marching bands weave through the palm tree-lined streets of downtown Pasadena before a nationally televised audience.

In addition, the Bulldogs marching band will participate in the Tournament of Roses Bandfest with other participating marching bands. Bandfest is an opportunity for bands to perform a field show that showcases their musicianship and pageantry.

“The Tournament of Roses Parade is the pinnacle of honors for a college marching band and I am immensely proud of what our student-musicians have achieved,” said Steve McKeithen, the Bulldog Marching Band director. “We cannot wait to perform for the hundreds of thousands of people who will line the parade route as we represent Fresno State in ‘The Granddaddy of them All,’ the 2023 Rose Parade!”

The Rose Parade, around since 1890, often is held hours prior to the Rose Bowl Game, which traditionally is played between the conference champions from the Pac-12 and the Big Ten.

Since the Fresno State football team is in the Mountain West, the Bulldogs would not be able to play in the Rose Bowl Game.

Nonetheless, the Bulldog marching band’s participation in the Rose Parade could prompt many from the central San Joaquin Valley to trek to Pasadena to see the event in person.

The Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game typically are held on New Year’s Day, except when Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday, which is the case in 2023.

So the 2023 Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game will be held on Monday, Jan. 2.

“We’re so excited that the Bulldog Marching Band will be representing Fresno State in the Rose Parade on January 2, 2023!” said Dr. Honora Chapman, Fresno State’s dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. “About 50 million people around the world will be able to hear the musical pride of the Valley play.”

Fresno State’s band director actually placed an application for the Bulldogs to participate in the 2022 Rose Parade.

But the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back all applicants by a year.

As Fresno State’s largest student organization on campus and consisting of a diverse group of students with 270 members, the Bulldog marching band often brings much passion and energy at football games.

In 2020, Fresno State marching band member and cymbals player Travis Morris was featured on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” as well as Good Morning America much because of his enthusiasm that was captured on video at Bulldogs football games.

In the past decade, the Bulldog marching band has performed at five bowl games and two NFL games, and was featured in the launch of Just Dance 2019 at the 2018 E3 Expo in Los Angeles.

The band also has been invited to perform in the 2023 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, along with nine other marching bands from the Mountain West Conference.

This story was originally published October 31, 2021 at 9:43 AM.