PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – A Wood County music teacher will march in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA as one of 325 band directors selected nationwide.
Jeff Treadway, who has taught music for 15 years in various Wood County schools, is one of four band directors representing West Virginia and the only one representing Wood County. Treadway graduated from Ohio State University and was a member of the Ohio State Marching Band.
Going professional was never something Treadway considered. After encouragement from his elementary music teacher, he participated in music and choir throughout his early education. Despite some pre-graduation doubts, he realized his passion was in teaching.
“I’ve always had that desire to teach, and so, I have to admit that I was a little nervous my last year of college when I went out into student teaching after spending years in the academic realm,” Treadway said. “I thought, is this really for me, and I had such a positive student teaching experience that I thought, yeah, this is my calling.”
Treadway is looking forward to seeing familiar faces, including the band director of the Rose Parade and Bowling Green State University, John Waters.
Assistant Principal at Jefferson Elementary Cindy Oxender expressed excitement about Treadway’s invitation to march in the Tournament of Roses. She said Treadway’s impact on students and curriculum makes him the perfect candidate for this honor.
“Each and every year Mr. Treadway offers exciting new opportunities for our students in the realm of music,” Oxender said. “He looks at interdisciplinary ways to include other parts of the curriculum into his music opportunities within his classroom. We couldn’t be more tickled for Mr. Treadway as an Ohio State Alumni to be able to represent this local community in the Parade of Roses.”
Treadway spends his spare time practicing and memorizing the five songs the band will perform in the parade. He says making sure he is in top physical shape for the five and a half mile parade is his second priority to getting the songs down perfectly.
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