Apple Festival Parade warmup vTWO September 13 2025

Parades, I'm sure, number the tens of thousands on this planet every year. Many people enjoy watching parades and even taking part in parades.
Here in southern Illinois, every year in the fall the Apple Festival Parade attracts thousands of spectators and is quite popular with young and old.

I enjoy the parade. However, being a field recordist, I'm also fascinated by the staging areas, where the bands begin their warmups and "practice their chops". Similar to pulling back the curtain in the Wizard of Oz to see the wizard making the sounds. This recording, I did, in a similar setting.
I was about five blocks from the main street where the actual parade route is, watching the big school buses, and charter buses, stop and let the marching bands off where they could warm up.

Towards the very end of this recording, you will hear -- in the distance -- the sirens of the police cars and fire engines, kicking off this year's Apple Festival Parade.
The whole time I'm recording this "getting ready" routine I wonder what is going through the minds of these bandos? Are they nervous? Giddy?

Nevertheless, here is the recording and I hope you enjoy.

Equipment: SONY PCM D-100.