Flags will twirl, symbols will clang, and hundreds of drums will beat in unison — it’s officially Rose Parade season. and for the LAUSD All Honor District Marching Band the countdown to showtime is on.
On Jan. 1 the band will partake in its 51st march down Colorado Avenue as part of the 135th Rose Parade. It is one of three bands that receives an automatic bid to join the parade.
If their performance is anything like their Dec. 21 rehearsal, the show will run like clockwork with each member performing in perfect time. But despite their seamless presentation, participating is anything but effortless.
“Being part of the Rose Parade takes commitment, it takes kids wanting to show up and go outside of their comfort zone,” said Tony White, director of the All District Marching Band. “It’s a whole body and whole mind commitment.”
To be part of the band students must partake in a competitive audition process and then undertake a rigorous training and rehearsal regimen, he said.
They dedicate six Saturdays during the fall semester and the entirety of their winter break to practicing. Students not only need to memorize many sheets of music, but also ensure that they are fit enough to perform for 2.5 hours along a 5.5 mile course — no small feat if you are toting a 30-pound tuba.
“I think the hardest part for me as a person with asthma is the physical capacity that it takes,” said Angel Santos, a drum major preparing for his second parade. “It is also the mentality that you need to sustain throughout the entire season, because at one point you will start getting tired, but that’s when we need to push and keep going and come in to help others.”
Santos and his fellow drum majors play an essential role by keeping time and directing the band through the route. If they make a mistake they risk leading the rest of the members astray.
Despite the pressure, drum major Sebastien Garcia said it’s all worth it for the feeling of turning the…
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