The West Chester University marching band will have 75 seconds to impress and dazzle the tens of millions of viewers who will be watching them perform “Winter Wonderland”, and judging by the last week’s rehearsal, they plan to deliver.

The talent of the “Incomparable” Golden Rams is impressive, as it is one of only 10 high school and college bands in the entire country that was selected to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This gives the Golden Rams a chance to be part of an event that not only generates huge television ratings, but also draws thousands of locals and tourists onto New York’s streets to celebrate the day.

“We don’t get to perform for audiences like that on a regular basis,” said the marching bands director, Andrew Yozviak, who left for New York with the band on Tuesday.

Considered the true start of the holiday season for many, the parade first walked the streets of New York over 90 years ago with decorated floats and huge balloons floating overhead. Being a part of the parade and playing in it, is considered one of the highest levels of marching-band achievement.

“I’ve been watching the Macy’s parade since I was little,” said drum major Jacqueline Cotto, a fifth-year music education and performance student from New York. “I always wanted to march in it. That was always a dream.”

This is not the Rams’ first time representing Chester County and Pennsylvania. They performed in the Thanksgiving Parade once before, in 1986. The difference is that this year the Golden Rams will be the only representative from Pennsylvania.

The band plans to use their one minute and 15 seconds of fame to the maximum, as they have been preparing for it for over two years. As the band marches along with the parade they will be covering popular tunes, but once they reach 34th Street, which has the Macy’s building and NBC’s cameras, they will start performing “Winter Wonderland.”

Purple-blue flags adorned with glittering snowflakes, deep turquoise sails, and the band members’ white plumes in purple caps will help create the illusion of the snowy theme.

“We have this down pat,” freshman clarinet player Lauren Platt said. “We’re really prepared, so I don’t feel nervous at all.”