YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Xavier Hileman has been drumming for most of his life.

"I've had a drum set since I was four-years-old but really practicing rudimental drumming for about four years now," Hileman said.

All the practice and hard work is about to pay off. The Howland junior was selected to be in the Macy's Great American Marching Band and will march on Thanksgiving Day in the Macy's Day Parade.

"It's an honor to be there and have that many people just looking at this one mass event of happiness, looking forward to the rest of the holiday season," Hileman said. "I'm reallly grateful for it, it's an honor to be with the band."

The band is comprised of select students from across the country. Xavier sent in a video audition and was one of 30 picked out of more than 200 applications for the drum line.

"I'm going in optimistic, I just want to enjoy it," Hileman said.

He'll arrive in New York this weekend and practice from 7 a.m. until Noon each day from Sunday to Wednesday.

On Thanksgiving, they start at 1 a.m. to get ready for the parade. Xavier is hopeful this is just the start of something great.

"I'm not really going to just be like oh yeah, I made it here," Hileman said. "It's not just the end game, this is definitely just the beginning of my music ventures I guess you could say."

What's interesting is that Xavier plays snare drum. He auditioned for snare drum but was assigned bass drum, something he's never played.

Bass drum is the one they hold upright and he says he'll have the smallest one. Come Thanksiving Day, just look for that small drum and you'll see Xavier.