By ANDY NYSTROM

Reporter Newspapers

Chance Sweetser is an early riser, a talented trombonist and a member of the 2014 Macy’s Great American Marching Band.

Getting up at 5:30 a.m. since he was in junior high for jazz band practice is part of his musical lifestyle. It’s what it takes to help pave the road to The Macy’s 88th Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 27 in New York City.

“He’s always up at the crack of dawn and he wouldn’t miss it for anything,” said Chance’s mother, Kristin Sweetser, about music rehearsals.

Chance, a 16-year-old Interlake High School musician, was selected as one of the 180 high school musicians from across the country who will march in next week’s big parade. Musicians submitted five-minute YouTube video auditions as well as resumes outlining their accomplishments to the Music Festivals and Tours website; a panel reviewed the audition submissions. Chance also received a recommendation, which he sent with his video audition.

“It’s an honor to have been selected and I’m grateful to my brother Zach for encouraging me to audition and for believing I had what it takes to make it,” Chance said. “I’m also thankful to my parents for always supporting me in all my musical adventures and dreams.”

The Sweetsers watch the parade each year on television, but last Thanksgiving was the first time Chance witnessed the marching band in action. He slept in past 9 a.m. and nearly missed the band kicking off the parade, but Zach hit rewind so Chance could watch its “impressive” performance of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Can’t Hold Us.”

After almost a week of rehearsals, the band will step off from Central Park at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning in front of 2.5 million live spectators before performing at Macy’s Herald Square in front of more than 50 million television viewers watching the broadcast live on NBC.

“It’s almost impossible to envision being a performer in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I still haven’t fully grasped that it’s happening and probably won’t until I step off the curb and feel the energy from the millions of people lining the streets,” Chance said. “In addition to meeting and performing with students from all 50 states, I’m most looking forward to our televised performance in front Macy’s Herald Square. There’s something really magical about that place during the holidays.”

Chance is a member of the Interlake Jazz I Ensemble, marching band and wind ensemble as well as the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. He recently returned from Nashville, where he performed at the Grand Ole Opry House as part of the NAfME All National Honor Band. In February, he will perform with the All-Northwest Honor Band in Spokane. Last summer, he mentored budding youth musicians and performed with Macklemore’s trumpeter, Owuor Arunga, at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle.

Chance has been playing the trombone since the fifth grade, following in Zach’s footsteps with the instrument. Both boys also play the piano.

On Chance’s trombone success, Kristin said: “He thought he would give it a try and he ended up just taking off on it. He loves it. His brother said, ‘Wow! He’s going to be so great at that.'”

Chance’s favorite and influential trombonists are Jiggs Whigham, J.J. Johnson and Wycliffe Gordon. As for composers, he’s drawn toward Martin (Marty) O’ Donnell, John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, Michael Giacchino and Randy and Thomas Newman. His dream job would be to record music for Disney and Pixar motion pictures.

In addition to marching in the parade, Chance is one of three members of the band selected to be part of a CNN story that will be aired the evening before Thanksgiving. He will film a short video diary that will include practicing his music at school, boarding a plane to New York City, checking into his hotel and meeting his roommates.

The band will play Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” in front of Herald Square and will march to Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven” in the parade. The musicians will be under the direction of Auburn University’s Dr. Richard Good and assistant director, Barry Houser, from the University of Illinois.

While Chance is in New York City, his fellow Interlake marching band members will do their traditional march in the Seattle Macy’s Day Parade. His Interlake band directors David Kim and Paul Gillespie and the school’s musicians share in Chance’s excitement to be part of the iconic parade. Chance said that Kim, Gillespie and his private instructor Cathy Cole are keys to his success.

“Throughout the last school year, Chance has consistently sought out opportunities to push himself to improve his musicianship and grow his experience,” Gillespie said. “He benefits many facets of our music department as a dedicated student section leader and standout trombone player. He is truly an asset to our band program,”

Added Kim: “He’s always very humbled and always has great integrity. For him, it’s not about ‘me,’ it’s about the team — what he can do to make the team better.”

Kim said Chance is shy, “But when he plays, you wouldn’t think that.”

ANDY NYSTROM: 425-867-0353, ext. 5050; anystrom@redmond-reporter.com