Athens band directors Regina and David Raney reflect on marching in the 2026 Rose Bowl Parade

Mark White | The Mark White Show

Athens, Alabama - For Regina and David Raney, the 2026 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, was more than a nationally televised tradition. It was a rare opportunity to represent music educators on one of the most visible stages in America.

The Athens couple, both longtime Alabama band directors, marched in the Rose Bowl Parade as members of the Band Directors Marching Band, an ensemble of more than 350 music educators from across the country.

“We applied for it last January or February, and I believe, we found out in March that we were accepted,” Regina Raney said. “We weighed the expense because it did cost more than we thought it was going to, but we knew what it represented and the opportunity it was for us was may be a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

Regina and David Raney said they nearly backed out before ultimately committing to the trip.

“I’m just so glad we did it and glad we didn’t back out,” Regina said.

David Raney, who retired in 2022 after a career in band directing, described the experience of rehearsing and performing with hundreds of fellow educators as both unusual and inspiring.

“It was kind of surreal being a part of it. There were about 350 band directors from across the country,” he said. “When you have 350 people on a football field, the director is giving instruction and everybody is silent. You could hear a pin drop.”

The group’s schedule included more than the parade itself. David Raney said the band also performed at an event called Bandfest where visiting high school bands showcased their productions and participated in additional parade related performances.

Regina Raney, who currently works with sixth through eighth grade students, said the parade route was unlike anything she had experienced.

“I’ve never been at a parade first of all, that’s five and a half miles long, and that’s going to take two and a half hours,” she said. “The roads were lined up both sides. There were no places that we didn’t have people lined up holding signs, clapping for us, waving at us.”

The couple said weather also made the day memorable, with rain falling on parade day, something Regina Raney noted was unusual for Pasadena on Jan. 1st.

The Band Directors Marching Band was created with a mission beyond performance.

Regina Raney explained that the organization was formed in honor of Michael Sewell, an Ohio band director whose influence on students and fellow educators was widely felt.

Regina tells us, “His wife, Karen, decided in her time of grieving that she didn’t want his legacy to die, so she, with other people to help her, developed a memorial foundation in his name and out of that came Saluting America’s Band Directors.”

Regina Raney said the organization’s legacy element was visible even during parade introductions.

“They announced that we were from Pinkerton, Ohio,” she said, referring to Sewell’s hometown.

In their conversation with The Mark White Show, both directors emphasized that music education reaches beyond the field, stage, or competition.

“Band directing or any teaching job is not an easy job,” David Raney said. “Sometimes you don’t even know the impact that you have.”

He said former students often reconnect years later to share how the lessons of discipline and perseverance carried into adulthood.

“Seeing students overcome adversity and go through their program, and they’re using these same principles, what I tried to teach them as far as work ethic,” he said. “It’s really everything.”

Regina Raney described band students as “sponges,” saying the daily time band directors spend with students creates a unique opportunity to shape character as well as musicianship.

“We have an opportunity to make an impact on their lives and never take that for granted,” she said. “You may be the only positive thing of their day.”

The couple also encouraged other educators interested in participating in future events to apply when opportunities are announced. Regina Raney said the most recent cycle drew about 900 applications, with a little over 350 selected.

“If you’re a band director, it is wonderful,” she said. “It felt good to be a kid again, even though my body said, wow, five and a half miles did not feel the same.”

Mark White closed the interview by urging listeners to express gratitude to the educators who have influenced their lives.

“If you have someone who’s made a difference in impacting your life, tell them,” White said. “Let them know what they meant to you.”

For Regina and David Raney, the parade was both a celebration and a reminder of what their profession has always been about.

“We teach music, we teach life,” David Raney said.