WHITESBURG, Ky. (WYMT) - A high school marching band from eastern Kentucky was selected to perform at an event much of the country will be watching.

The Letcher County Central marching band wes chosen out of more than 2,800 applicants to participate in the 57th Presidential Inauguration Parade.

President Obama on January 21 will be sworn in for a second term.

"It's pretty cool," band member Joel Murtaugh said. "I mean, it's the president of the United States and we get to see him. Not a lot of people get to say they've done that."

Another band member, Presley Lloyd, said, "It's exciting. I never would have thought in all my years of being in marching band or school that I would be marching for the president."

The band will be accompanied by the school's ROTC Cadet Honor Guard.

"It's pretty exciting," batallion chief Jacob Humkey said. "I know everybody else is pretty excited about it. I am, too. I'm happy that we're getting to go."

Letcher schools superintendent Anna Craft said, "We've had a lot of proud moments, but this one is the top of the mountain for me. Our band program is one of my main projects. Music is the soul of the child."

The band and ROTC have one month to practice before the parade. During that time, members will focus on preparing to march in much colder weather than they are accustomed to.

"We'll have some extended practices over Christmas break," said Dr. Jason Griffith, the band director. "We're going to have a couple long ones and then obviously when we get back into school here after the new year we're going to have regular practices. We would not normally march in ten-degree weather, so we're going to have to get used to that."