Rose Parade to include Merced trumpet player

A Merced High School sophomore will have an up-close view of the 2017 Tournament of Roses Parade: She’s been chosen to march as a member of the Bands of America Honor Band.

Julie Morimoto, 15, will be among the 300 honor band members marching in the Jan. 2 parade, according to a statement from Music for All, a nonprofit educational group.

Morimoto, a trumpet player, will spend a week in Southern California preparing for the honor band’s performances at the Tournament of Roses Bandfest and Disneyland, as well as the famed Rose Parade, now in its 128th year.

She was preparing to leave Merced on Christmas Eve in order to spend the holiday with family members in Southern California before joining the band in Pasadena.

“I’m super excited to be able to play in the Rose Parade,” she told the Sun-Star. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see everyone and to meet people from all over the country.”

Morimoto learned about the honor band from her mother and applied for it by sending in a video recording of a performance, she said. After being accepted, she was assigned several songs to learn, which she has been practicing since August.

Morimoto, who also plays saxophone, percussion and piano, hopes to pursue a career in music education or performance in order to “spread the light of music.”

“I just love music, in general, so much,” she said.

Eric Martin, Music for All president and CEO, said in a statement that, as one of the few musicians chosen for the honor band, Morimoto “deserves the admiration and support” of the community she will represent.

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Rose Parade to include Merced trumpet player."