Band On Wheels
Hendricks County residents watched as The Sound of Brownsburg marching band traveled and performed at the Tournament of Roses Parade, also known as the Rose Parade, in Pasadena, California, over New Year’s Eve 2026. Thanks to social media and a live television performance, they got a special glimpse into what all goes into the process.
More than 200 members of the band, color guard, staff and parents took a flight to California after the holidays in time for the multiple performances they did over the course of seven days. But someone had to get all of their supplies packed in two 53-foot semi-trailers from Brownsburg to Pasadena.
Mike and Amy Russell and Will and Lisa Gatton were up for the task.
In fact, the Russells have been driving for the Brownsburg Band for many years. Mike has driven to New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2021 and to Orlando twice, not to mention the weekly competitions across the state.
“My daughter Natalie started with the band in sixth grade. That was about nine years ago and now she has been on staff with the color guard in Brownsburg for three years,” Mike Russell says. “We now have a senior percussionist, a junior in color guard and a middle schooler in the band as well.”
If you’ve ever participated in a marching band or have a loved one who has, those close to the program know it becomes a lifestyle — a family of sorts. In addition to the hard work the students put in, it takes many supporters and volunteers to make the band what it is today.
“I work for Oles Engineering in Whitestown. The owner donates the use of his trucks and fuel for them all season long. Will, the other driver, got his CDL two years ago and he got a job at the same company so now we are able to take two trucks on our trips,” Russell says.
When the couples learned they would be needed for the longest driving trip they’ve ever taken — Russell says he’s never been farther west than Kansas — they got to work creating an itinerary.
“I spent a bit of time researching hotels, finding those that would accommodate our large trucks and I was excited to drive it and see the sites along the way,” Russell says.
There’s more to it than just finding the most unique place to visit. The crew was on an important timeline.
Mike and Amy brought their two grandchildren, Lukas, 3, and Maseyn, 19 months, along for the ride. Will and Lisa took one truck, Mike took the other and they rented a van for Amy to drive so the group would be able to get dinner or stop at a store when they stopped for the night.
Federal regulations require the drivers start their day when the truck starts in the morning and they can only be behind the wheel for 11 hours of driving, or a total of 14 hours per day, with a minimum of 10 hours of downtime before heading back on the road.
With all of those factors, Mike created a route leaving Indiana on Dec. 24. The group stopped in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona before making their way to California.
They may not have had time to enjoy vacation sites but said the scenery was spectacular, and they shared photos on Brownsburg Bands’ social media for the community to go on the ride with them.
“I really enjoyed the rock formations in the desert and then getting into the mountains. I don’t know how to describe it. You see it in pictures but seeing it in real life … the pictures don’t do it justice,” Russell says.
Amy says they drove through Kingman, Arizona, the inspiration for Disney’s “Cars,” and she could see it clearly.
“It wasn’t what I expected. It felt like I was driving through the ‘Cars’ movie,” Amy says.
Once they arrived, the Russells and the Gattons met up with around 30 other prop crew members to unload the band’s instruments and props — which they did repeatedly as the band traveled around doing rehearsals and performing at Disneyland, Bandfest — a student band competition — and, of course, the famous Rose Parade.
“We had our fun but it was quite a bit of work also,” Russell says. “We do it for the kids. To see their excitement and the joy they get performing and being able to do those things through the band, it makes it all worth it.”
On the way back, the drivers stopped in Arizona, Texas and Missouri before ending in Indiana.
“We stopped at the Wigwam Motel on Route 66 on the way back. Each room was its own wigwam and it was on the National Register of Historic Places so that was a neat experience,” Russell says.
It was a round-trip total of 53 hours and 36 minutes.
Like most road trips, they had their share of struggles too.
The adults took turns with the flu each day on the way there and before heading back, Mike fell on the ramp of the semi in the pouring rain. A trip to the emergency room ended in more than 80 stitches in his leg.
But the couples, the prop crew, the staff and the students would all say it was worth the effort and a memory they won’t soon forget.
“As a mom, I like that Mike is always there. The prop crew is out there before the kids get done with their performance and to know my two kids see their dad as soon as they’re done is a happy feeling for me,” Amy says. “Sometimes you can feel burnt out and you don’t know if you can do another year but it means so much to them. We’re there and we’ll always be there.”
They’ve created a family. Band students become lifelong friends and hang out outside of band now, and the prop crew gets together regularly for evenings of cookouts and bonfires with the adults.
Many in the “family” support band students long after their own children have graduated — still showing up, still giving their time, their talents and their support to the teens.
“Once it’s in your blood, you just keep doing it,” Russell says. “I love doing this and I’ll do it again.”
Marching band is not a school-funded activity. It is 100% reliant on parents and outside donations, and the band frequently hosts fundraisers throughout the year, creating scholarships for band students who may not be able to afford the fees to participate.
Visit brownsburgbands.com for more information or follow the Brownsburg Bands Facebook page for details.
