FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — “Practice makes perfect.”

It’s the motto the Northern Arizona University marching band has lived by for months as they prepare for one of the most iconic performances of their lives.

Band member Samantha Fagan said the group has spent countless hours perfecting its routine.

“We’ve been doing our Macy’s practices within our regular rehearsals three times a week,” Fagan said. “We do it for about an hour or two each time. We repeat, repeat, repeat. We pay attention to all the details—it’s really fun.”

All of that hard work will soon pay off. This Thanksgiving, 253 members of the NAU marching band will travel to New York City to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—a national tradition watched by millions every year.

For many students, it’s an emotional and thr

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