Indian Creek student Gabby Aders plays her trumpet on Thursday in band director Amy Heavilinճ room. Aders was chosen to be part of the Bands of America Honor Band, which brings high school students from around the country together to perform and participate in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Aders was paired with a former Indian Creek band student Jaden Schrougham, a freshman at Purdue University, and the pair will be performing together.
SCOTT ROBERSON | DAILY JOURNAL
The opportunity of a lifetime seemed to slip away.
For two years, Gabby Aders had toiled through practices, instrument lessons and performances with the Indian Creek High School Marching Band. Though she had intellectual disabilities, she had been part of the school’s United Sound program, which pairs students with special needs with someone to mentor them.
Through the program, Aders was able to play at football games, regional events and other high-profile performances. But the pinnacle was supposed to come last year — marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade.
The coronavirus pandemic appeared to have squashed that dream. Fortunately, Aders and her mentor, Jaden Schrougham, will finally have their moment in the spotlight.
The pair have been invited to participate in the Bands of America Honor Band, a group of outstanding high school musicians from around the country who will perform in the 2022 Rose Parade. Over eight days, they will perform in an exciting field show, march through the streets of Disneyland and visit attractions such as the Griffith Observatory, Huntington Beach and California Adventure.
Then on the morning of New Year’s Day, they will be part of the famed parade playing through the streets of Pasadena.
“This is just one more thing to show the general public the abilities of individuals, as opposed to disabilities. It’s one more way of showing that they’re capable of being involved in these types of special events,” said Kevin Aders, Gabby’s father. “It’s not just for normal individuals. Anyone can accomplish it.”
The 300-piece national Bands of America Honor Band is a program of Music for All, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide life-changing experiences through music for all students. Combining music competitions and programming across the country with arts education advocacy, the group works to expand the role of music and the arts in education.
One of their most visible activities is the Honor Band, which has marched in the Rose Parade in 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017. They were invited back to play at the 2021 event.
As part of the planning, Music for All invited participants from another organization, United Sound, to take part. United Sound provides musical performance experiences for students with special needs through peer mentorship. A student with special needs who is interested in music is paired with a fellow student, and together, they play and eventually perform together.
“Students who normally wouldn’t be able to be part of a band program get the chance to do that with their peers,” said Amy Heavilin, band director at Indian Creek High School.
Indian Creek is one of six participating Indiana schools to take part in United Sound. Heavilin had already established a general music class for students who have special needs at the school. She worked with the essential needs program teachers at Indian Creek, and helped create something that would teach those students the basics of music.
When she learned about United Sound, it seemed like a perfect extension of that class, she said. The Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson Education Foundation provided a grant to help the school start the program.
“It’s been a fantastic program. The students on both sides are incredible,” Heavilin said. “Music is something that belongs to everyone, and I think that everyone should be able to play music and express themselves through music. Being able to do that this way is awesome.”
When the Aders family learned about the opportunity, they asked Gabby if she wanted to take part. She is part of the essential skills class at Indian Creek and is active with Special Olympics, so she has an interest in being part of activities that focus on inclusion, Kevin Aders said.
Gabby wanted to take part, and chose to play the trumpet. Through she has an intellectual disability, which can make speaking difficult, she has flourished.
“If you know her, she’s very shy and quiet at home. But when she’s around the kids in the band and playing her instrument … we’re amazed that she can play the trumpet, just because of her size and stature,” Kevin Aders said. “Speech is her biggest disability, so being able to do an instrument that requires that effort was exciting to see.”
Through the United Sound program, Gabby blossomed, gaining confidence, having fun with her fellow bandmates, including Schrougham, and being a part of the exhilaration of performing.
“She always is beaming and enjoying being with the other band members and being included,” Kevin Aders said.
When information came out that 12 United Sound participants could apply to be part of the Honor Band, Gabby and Schrougham went through the registration process. They found out in early 2020 that they had been chosen.
As soon as they were notified, the Aders started practicing and preparing for the parade. She worked with her speech therapist on words such as “parade” and “Hollywood,” so she could talk about her experience.
She also tried to be ready for the event physically.
“They have to be able to walk seven miles that day for the parade, so we had been walking a lot, carrying her instrument, practicing walking around the yard,” Kevin Aders said.
But as exciting as the initial announcement was, it was equally disappointing when the Rose Parade was canceled last year due to COVID-19. The Aders had no information about whether they’d get the chance again, or what would happen.
It wasn’t until March of this year that they learned they’d been invited back.
“Anyone that wanted to still come could,” Kevin Aders said. “We wanted Gabby to still have that opportunity.”
Schrougham graduated from Indian Creek in May, and attends Purdue University. Still, he was extended an invitation to play in the Honor Band with Gabby.
Participants in the Honor Band will fly to California on Dec. 27, and perform through Jan. 3. They’ll have a full schedule, where they get to tour the famous floats that are going to be featured in the parade, visit Disneyland to perform multiple times and take part in a variety of events surrounding the Tournament of Roses.
“They’ll basically get to be music ambassadors and get to go around Los Angeles and do a whole bunch of different things,” Heavilin said.
