Olivia O'Reilly and Hunter Landon, Seniors at Wando High School have been selected by Music for All as Members of the Bands of America Honor Band in the 2026 Rose Parade presented by Honda, in Pasadena, California.
They will join hundreds of performers from across the nation in this prestigious national honor band. Olivia is the daughter of Philip and Paula O'Reilly. Hunter is the son of Chris and Susan Landon. Both students are a members of the Bands of Wando under the direction of Bobby Lambert, Lanie Radecke, and Matthew Kilby. Wando Marching Band enjoyed a successful fall marching season and are now looking ahead to participating in Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade and concert season.
The Bands of America Honor Band is a national ensemble with over 250 performers including winds, percussion, and color guard. Richard Saucedo, composer, conductor, and retired director of the national champion Carmel High School (IN) marching band, will direct the 2026 Bands of America Honor Band, with assistance from Dr. Melissa Gustafson-Hinds, director of bands at O’Fallon Township H.S. (IL).
Olivia O'Reilly, has been selected for a leadership role, as Drum Major. Hunter Landon plays trumpet. They will enjoy spending a week in Southern California, where they will rehearse, perform at the Tournament of Roses Bandfest, participate in special activities with other high school marching bands, and deliver a featured appearance in the famous parade broadcast worldwide. The 137hth Rose Parade presented by Honda begins at 11 AM EST on New Year’s Day and is themed “The Magic in Teamwork.” The 5.5-mile parade will be televised worldwide through the parade’s broadcast partners: ABC, NBC, and streaming. Magnificent floral floats, spirited marching bands, and talented equestrian units anchor the traditional, two-hour spectacle along Pasadena’s famed Colorado Boulevard. Learn more about the parade and broadcast at tournamentofroses.com.
“To be part of this opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for students, and a testimony to their dedication to music,” says director Richard Saucedo. “The Rose Parade® is one of our country’s national pageantry treasures. The 2026 Honor Band members are ambassadors of America’s scholastic music and arts programs, as well as their schools and communities. Congratulations to Olivia and Hunter on participating in this fantastic experience.”
This will mark the sixth time Music for All’s Bands of America Honor Band has performed in the Rose Parade® presented by Honda. The Bands of America Honor Band also performed in the Rose Parade® in 2005, 2009 when it was a part of the President’s Award-winning entry created with NAMM and Sesame Street Workshop, 2013, 2017, and in 2022. Music for All sponsors and partners will play an important role in preparing the Bands of America Honor Band for their performances. Yamaha Corporation of America, MFA’s National Presenting Sponsor, will provide percussion and brass instruments. Fred J. Miller, Inc. (FJM) will outfit the members in custom uniforms designed by award-winning designer Michael Cesario, one of the nation’s leading pageantry visionaries. Music Travel Consultants, MFA’s Official Student Travel Partner, will manage the travel, housing and logistics for the band members and their families.
Bands of America is a program of Music for All (MFA), one of the nation’s largest and most influential organizations in support of active music making. Music for All is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit educational organization.