Henry County marching band raising money to take music to France for D-Day Memorial Parade

While many Georgia high school bands are preparing for football season, Woodland High School's award-winning Wolfpack Marching Band is looking ahead to an experience overseas.

The Wolfpack has the steps, the rhythm, and the tunes. Now they're looking to take their skills across the pond to experience a history lesson up close.

The band has been picked to march in the 2027 D-Day Memorial Parade in Normandy, France.

An award-winning sound in Henry County

They say practice makes perfect.

And not even a hot summer day can slow down Woodland High School's award-winning marching band.

It's a program that's decorated with awards, grand championships and pride.

Back in 2022, the Wolfpack had 36 members. Now the ensemble has grown to 100.

"We are very dedicated to our craft, and this is where we do our music," junior Rylan Kleckley said. "This is where the magic happens."

Kleckley plays clarinet and also leads the band as drum major.

"No matter what, everybody's going to show up and do their part to make sure everything happens in the band," he said. "Everybody's pretty confident in what they do, and everybody takes pride in what they do."

Piccolo player Sydney Warren agrees.

"We have a lot of fun here. We grow a lot. We grew a lot with each other," Warren said. "We enjoy each other's presence, and most of all, we just grow as musicians and as better people."

All this practice is marching them toward a big opportunity.

The band is no stranger to the international stage. Last year, the Wolfpack performed in Italy in front of the pope.

"I think it's an awesome opportunity to provide for the younger generation so they get to see outside of the country and all those opportunities that are outside of just in the United States and things like that," Kleckley said.

But getting there won't be cheap.

Raising money for a major performance

"We're trying to do everything that we can to raise money to help mitigate that cost," said Desmond Tarplin, Woodland High School's director of bands.

He said this isn't just about the travel costs of about $5,000 per student. It's about providing an experience you can't get at home.

"Being able to take high school students and get them excited about music and being able to perform in places that you may see in your history books and your history classes," Tarplin said. "Being able to connect that back to the learning and what they're doing is just something that it's really, it's the driving force behind what we do here."

The band is turning to support from family, alumni, friends, and the community.

They're holding fundraisers and performances to help cover the cost of the trip to France, where they'll not only play tunes, but learn about a pivotal moment that changed the course of World War II.

"Experiencing the French culture and getting to learn, you know, other things outside of Atlanta, Georgia," Kleckley said.

"We're constantly growing. And I want to continue to keep growing. I also want to just show people that we're here and that we are growing," Warren said. "We're a good band."

So as you're watching the Wolfpack perform this fall ... remember this:

"The opportunity to support a group of kids who are just wanting to play their instruments and be positive and be an influence and a great representation of their community, their school, their families, for an opportunity to go and represent the United States in an area like this is something that we really don't want to pass up," Tarplin said.

One band. One mission. One moment in history.