GSW Band Director to Represent Illinois at 2026 Rose Parade
When the Rose Parade steps off on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, this New Year’s Day, Gardner-South Wilmington’s Band Director Michael Leone will be among those marching.
Leone has been recognized as one of 300 outstanding band directors from across the United States by the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, which honors educators dedicated to advancing school and community music programs. As part of the celebration, the foundation is inviting honorees to Pasadena to participate in the 2026 Tournament of Roses Parade, featuring a spectacular $300,000 animated float honoring music educators nationwide.
This is Leone’s third selection by the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation. It will be his second time performing in the Rose Parade, having previously marched in 2022, and in 2023, he was also chosen to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
The foundation was established to continue the work of the late Michael Sewell, who devoted more than 38 years to music education in Pickerington and the Central Ohio area.
As part of the honor, recipients will receive three nights of lodging, transportation to all events, a banquet, performances at Band Fest and Float Fest, a tour of the float-building facility, and a commemorative parade blazer.
Leone, who has led the Gardner-South Wilmington (GSW) music program for twelve years, said he was “obviously excited” when he received the news. However, he kept it quiet until now.
While he is humbled by the recognition, Leone prefers to talk about his students rather than himself. A native of Spring Valley, Leone has been involved in music since fifth grade, when he first picked up the trumpet.
It took some time, he says, to discover his place in music education. While teaching at V.I.T. in Table Grove, he began to focus on giving students meaningful performance experiences — including appearances at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando. “That’s when the kids began to understand the power of music,” he said.
At GSW, Leone’s passion and persistence have transformed the band program. When he arrived, there were only about a dozen students. Today, the GSW Area Band includes between 130 and 140 students ranging from fourth grade to high school seniors from Gardner-South Wilmington High School, Gardner Grade School, Braceville Elementary School, and South Wilmington Grade School.
Leone attributes the success to his teaching philosophy, which rewards effort and talent over age or grade level. “I don’t say, ‘You’re in sixth grade, you shouldn’t know how to play this,’” he explained. “If they believe they can do it, they can get there.”
That approach has earned admiration from administrators and the community alike. “My kids have no fear, and that’s the thing I like about these students,” Leone said. “The kids go into every competition believing they are going to win.”
The community, too, rallies behind the band, often sending several hundred supporters to cheer them on at competitions and help with fundraising.
Under Leone’s leadership, the GSW Area Band has performed at University of Illinois Band Day, Peoria Rivermen hockey games, Harvest Days and Corn Fest Parades, Northern Illinois University Band Day, Mount Rushmore, the Nashville Christmas Parade, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Spoleto Arts Festival in Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and this year, New Orleans, Louisiana.
When asked what it means to be selected for the Rose Parade, Leone pauses and once again points to his students.
“I wouldn’t be able to accomplish this if it wasn’t for the kids and how hard they work,” he said.
“It’s not about me. I’m going to the Rose Parade because of them.”
