EPHRATA – Ephrata music teacher Alicia Keegan has been selected to join a national lineup of 350 band directors who will march in the 2026 Pasadena Rose Parade® as part of the “Band Directors Marching Band.”
Keegan will help guide a colorful float down the 5.5-mile parade route on January 1, representing the Ephrata School District and music educators across the country. The parade entry celebrates the theme “America’s band directors: We teach music. We teach life.” Organizers say the purpose is to highlight the lifelong impact band directors and music teachers have on their students—teaching not only music, but leadership, teamwork, and resilience.
“Singing, dancing, and playing instruments is part of a balanced education,” Keegan said.
The ensemble will be led by noted music educator Jon Waters, who will direct both parade rehearsals and a Bandfest performance in Pasadena.
The project is sponsored by the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, created to honor the late Mike Sewell and continue his longtime support of school and community music programs in Ohio. Keegan’s selection places Ephrata on a national stage, celebrating the value of music education and the teachers who make it possible.