CARLSBAD, Calif. — Two brothers from La Costa Canyon High School are trading their classroom rehearsals for one of the nation's biggest stages when they march in the Rose Parade on New Year's Day.
Sem Parker, a senior, has been playing trumpet for eight years. His dedication and raw talent earned him a spot in the prestigious Bands of America Honor Band, which includes more than 250 performers from across the nation.
"The best kids across the nation, you know, everyone's auditioned and applied to be in this role, you know, I was lucky enough to get in," Sem said.
The honor band will march in Los Angeles' biggest New Year's event — the Rose Parade. For Sem, it's the perfect way to end his senior year.
"I was pretty excited. I was like, yeah, I got a huge last foray. I get to be part of what is a pretty cool tradition now up in LA," he said.
Sem won't be marching alone. His younger brother Tore, a sophomore, also earned a spot in the honor band.
"He's been a big influence for me, so it's really nice to have him there," Tore said.
For the brothers, participating in the parade represents a full-circle moment.
"I was quite excited to be able to participate in it, something that I've been watching on TV for years, but now I'm," Tore said.
Band Director Charles Mekealian has been teaching at La Costa Canyon High School for five years. Watching Sem and Tore succeed hits close to home for him.
"This one's very unique, um, and, and kind of special to me because I was actually in the Marine Corps and I've, I've participated in this parade," Mekealian said.
He said the opportunity to play on one of the biggest stages in the country requires extremely dedicated musicians.
"They both hold leadership positions within the program, um, and you know, both as sophomores, which has been pretty great, um, and yeah they've really helped our program grow over the years as well," Mekealian said.
The Rose Parade will kick off at 8 a.m. on New Year's Day along Pasadena's Colorado Boulevard.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
