The University of Washington Marching Band, which includes Centralia High School Class of 2022 graduate Lucy Nowicki, will fly out to Houston, Texas, on Saturday, Jan. 6, ahead of Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship game between the Washington Huskies and the Michigan Wolverines.
This year marks Nowicki’s second as a piccolo player for UW’s marching band. Band members attend all home football games and can volunteer to play for paid gigs, including events on campus at UW as well as weddings or retirement parties.
“Last year, I got to go to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, where we beat Texas. We also all got bused over to Pullman for the Apple Cup last year, too,” Nowicki said in an email to The Chronicle.
This year, Nowicki traveled with the UW Marching Band to Oregon for the Oregon State game and to New Orleans, Louisiana, for the Sugar Bowl, where the Huskies defeated Texas for a trip to the national championship.
“My skills as a piccolo player have gotten so much better, as we practice almost daily for the entire autumn quarter, and I have to learn while performing choreography and marching,” Nowicki said. “Despite coming in with almost no marching experience, the band taught me everything I needed to know about marching before the first game. The opportunities presented to me now are amazing, and all thanks to this amazing program that is willing to accept and train anyone who can play an instrument.”
Kickoff for the highly-anticipated National Championship game between the Washington Huskies and the Michigan Wolverines is Monday at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
