Photographer Meegan Reid and I ahd a fund day with the band as
they played tourist on the Santa Monica Pier.
The ocean was beautiful, and so was the weather. It was a little
disorienting to be walking around in T-shirts in December.
They ate dinner at a nice Italian restaurant near the pier,
joined by many parents, grandparents and others who are here for
the parade. It was disorienting yet again for me to see familiar
South Kitsap faces in the middle of Los Angeles.
Tonight the kids won’t be partying to welcome the New Year. With
an early start and a long march yet ahead of them, they’re supposed
to be asleep by 9:30 p.m.
Meegan and I have to hit the hay as well – hoping Ducks and
Bucks fans at the Safari Inn, where we’re staying, won’t be too
rowdy.
From the past two posts and a couple of phone calls I’ve had
with blogger/band groupie Kathryn Simpson, it’s apparent the band
is burning the candle at both ends. Glad to hear they’re hanging in
there and sounding brassy as ever.
Speaking of brass, anyone who’s ever played a brass instrument
knows that the process generates a considerable amount of spit.
Before the band left for L.A., I was chatting with drum major
Paulla Santos, and I asked her what brass players will do about
that during the parade. I know from watching my husband play French
horn that occasionally, when there’s a break in the music, he pulls
one of the little valve thingys off and dumps the built up saliva
out of the horn. But you can’t very well do that while marching
along. It just wouldn’t look dignified.
Paulla told me that marching band instruments have spit valves
for on-the-go dumping. The player just flips the valve and out it
goes. Which got me thinking, there are 23 bands in the parade, most
with 200+ members. Granted not all are brass players but, still
there’s got to be hundreds of little showers of spit raining down
on the streets of Pasadena every few minutes.
I asked my husband to estimate how much spit he thought would be
generated in over the four hours of the parade. He guessed 10
gallons. I wonder if the Tournament of Roses folks have that
statistic handy anywhere.
Oh, well, I’ve obviously had way too much time to think about
this parade.
Speaking of which, Paulla and I also discussed horse poop. The
band leaders got a Power Point from the Tournament of Roses folks
detailing protocol for all sorts of situations. The Rose Parade,
unlike other parades, doesn’t include stops (handy for scooping up
horse poop). Things just keep moving along without a lot of
opportunity to scoop, so if said poop falls in an inconvenient
place, bands just have to power on through it. I’m sure, if that
does happen, they’ll handle it with grace.
Chris Henry, reporter
P.S. Kitsap Sun photographer Meegan Reid and I are at the
airport ready to fly to L.A. and meet up with the band this
afternoon in Santa Monica.
So three days ago the band had our first visit to
Disneyland. We had the full day to roam around the park.
Yesterday we had a partial day in the park, and it was crowded! The
reason why we only got a half day in the park was that in the
evening the band got to open the holiday parade and march through
Disneyland. Everyone finally got the feeling that Mr. Grams had
been telling the band about. Then today we had Bandfest. The crowd
loved us. We blew them all away with our wall of sound. And
last but not least we had our dance with three other bands. It
sounds like that everyone had a great time. The DJ was an awsome
one. He is an old bandie and he even marched in the Rose
Parade.
Wednesday was a working day for the SKHS Marching
Band. They left the hotel at about 8:45 am and headed to the
Rose Bowl Stadium to have their pictures taken. Then off the
Pasadena City College for the Tournament of Roses
BandFest.
It was raining. There was a mix-up about their lunch. They
were tired. You would think that would be three strikes
towards disaster. But NOT for the SKHS Marching Band!
Mr. Grams gave them a rousing pep talk, they reached deep within to
their inner WOLVES, and they rose as a PACK to the challenge
to give it all they had and hold nothing back in their
performance.
To stay out of the rain, the bands warmed up in the covered
multi-level parking garage next to the Pasadena City College
Stadium. South Kitsap took their turn warming up extremely
seriously. They were here to represent South Kitsap well and
were determined to not let anything deter them from their
mission!
Some from the band were up until 1:00 am changing the ‘heads’ on
the drums. I wondered what that was all about. Why
would they go to all that trouble?? I didn’t realize until
the drummers pulled out their drums this morning why that was so
important. Don’t they look grand?
Wolf Pride!
Wolf Pride!
Wolf Pride!
Wolf Pride!
Wolf Pride!
The SKHS Marching Band circling the stadium after a superb
performance at BandFest!
The band marching past the cheering crowd at BandFest!
Dr. Bev Cheney (retired SKSD Superintendent) came to Pasadena
just to hear the band play in BandFest and at the Tournament
of Roses parade! Here she is (on the right) with
the three student leaders of the band, Simone, James, and
Paulla (left to right).
Sharp and attentive!
Intensity was the word of the day!
Today was a proud day for South Kitsap. Our kids
represented our community with distinction, Wolf Pride, and great
sound! It was an enormous pleasure to be in the stands today
and hear strangers talk about our band as very talented and
strong. One wondered how we could be so small and yet produce
the best and strongest sound. The only answer…
Excellence has not been considered optional for the South
Kitsap Wolves! It was a great day to be a Wolf!
I hope these photos and videos give you a glimpse at the
terrific performance of the SKHS Marching Band at Disneyland on
Tuesday. Unfortunately, my equipment and limited skills do
not do the band justice.
SKHS Marching Band performing at
Disneyland!
The band led the 5:10pm parade at Disneyland. The lights
of Disney during the Holidays were on in full glory and it was
magical. The maroon uniforms of the band and their stellar
appearance fit perfectly. Some of the kids later said it was
the highlight of their trip… so far. Those of us, from South
Kitsap, let out a big yell for them as they were announced and
introduced. We had staked out our spots on the parade route
almost two hours in advance.
The band in their “spotlight” Disney
performance.
The band members arrived at Disneyland about 11:00 on Tuesday
and had a few hours to enjoy Disney before meeting at 3:00 to get
ready for their performance. They were met at 3:00 by Team
Disney near Toon Town, where they were moved into the staging area
(very few ‘outsiders’ ever see the Disney staging areas) and the
band members were very impressed with how everything was
choreographed and prepared by Disney. While the band was
preparing, the groupies (Steph, most chaperones, many parents and
family, and I) went and staked out the best viewing spot along the
route. For us, it was right in front of “It’s a Small
World”, just past Cinderella’s Castle and right below the
monorail.
After the performance, the band had dinner at
Bubba Gump’s Restaurant. I heard it was a lot of fun, but
this blogger was too tired and went back to the hotel for a
nap!
My video skills are less than stellar, but I
am posting this so that you can hear the audio and see the band
members. They were awesome!
The band will play a field show at Bandfest,
the Tournament of Roses’ showcase of Rose Parade musicians.
Bandfest extends over two days, with three shows. South Kitsap is
scheduled to play at 2 p.m. today (Dec. 30) at Pasadena City
College.
South Kitsap will represent the Northwest region in the Rose
Parade. Also from the Northwest, the Oregon Marching Band is
included since the University of
Oregon Ducks will be playing in the Rose Bowl
Game.
Bands come from all over the country and from abroad. Some are
invited back year after year. The Salvation Army Tournament of
Roses Band, for example, has played in the parade for 90 years.
South Kitsap was among more than 60 bands competing for 16 audition
slots in the parade.
International bands in this year’s parade include one from
Japan, the Kansai Honor Green Band of Kyoto, and the Latin Band
Pedro Molina from Guatemala (see video at bottom of post).
As far as size goes, South Kitsap is, as drum major Paulla
Santos says, “a little fish in a big pond.” With 109 members, they
are less than half the size of most bands, which typically have 200
members or more. The largest, to the best of my knowledge, is the
Los Angeles Unified School District band, with 358 members.
The smallest band in the parade is the Ohio State School for the Blind Marching
Band with 68 members total, including 13 brass, 13 percussion,
11 woodwinds, 2 banner carriers, 29 marching assistants, sighted
individuals who march alongside band members. These marching
assistants range in age from junior high through grandparents ages.
All are volunteers.
The instrumental music program at the publicly funded school had
been dormant for 13 years, when Carol Agler, now music director,
joined the staff in 1998. She discovered the band instruments in
storage and petitioned to revive the program. Agler, who has been a
driving force behind creation of the band, is listed as assistant
director. Dan Kelley, a trumpet player who has been blind from
birth, is the band director.
Band members learn their music using a computer program called
SmartMusic that allows them to hear their parts individually or
with the band as slowly as they choose. Many of the band members
have “perfect pitch,” meaning they can identify any pitch they
hear. They work independently with SmartMusic to learn their music.
Others read enlarged music or Braille music as they use
SmartMusic.
Their entry information includes the following statement:
“The Rose Parade provides an opportunity to demonstrate to the
WORLD what incredible musicians blind and visually impaired
students can be, and to provide a model for other programs and
students. We hope to give visually impaired students the
imagination and tools to reach their full potential. We hope other
band directors will follow our lead and readily include visually
impaired students in their marching bands.”
Before they march in the Rose Parade, South Kitsap High School
Marching Band members will get a behind-the-scenes look at how the
elaborate floats for the parade are constructed.
Among this year’s entries is a contender for the world’s longest
float, featuring five snowboarding bulldogs, the entry representing
Natural Balance Pet Foods. The Guinness World Records folk will be
there today to certify, according to Daniel Bernstein of Bernstein
Entertainment, which designed the float. Check it out.
Rose Parade float building began simply enough. Throw a few
flowers on some horse drawn carriages (or what have you) and call
it good.
An Early Rose Parade
Entry
The flower theme has persisted over the years as the float have
gotten more complicated, with computerized movement and other fancy
twists.
The Road to Freedom Float,
2001
Float building today is a multi-million dollar business. The
Tournament of Roses has high standards for acceptance of entries.
Applications for floats are accepted usually more than a year in
advance, and float construction begins shortly after the previous
year’s parade ends.
Family Road Trip
According to the Tournament of Roses Web site, “The process
starts with a specially-built chassis, upon which is built a
framework of steel and chicken wire. In a process called
‘cocooning,’ the frame is sprayed with a polyvinyl material, which
is then painted in the colors of the flowers to be applied later.
Every inch of every float must be covered with flowers or other
natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark. Volunteer workers
swarm over the floats in the days after Christmas, their hands and
clothes covered with glue and petals. The most delicate flowers are
placed in individual vials of water, which are set into the float
one by one.”
Springtime
Treasures
Computerized animation has had an enormous impact on Rose Parade
floats. Recent Parade floats have featured King Kong stomping
through a floral jungle, a guitar-playing dinosaur, pigs dancing
the hula and a 60-foot-tall talking robot, all controlled by
computers. Hats Off in
Celebration
But through all the changes, the Rose Parade has remained true
to its floral beginnings, and each float is decorated with more
flowers than the average florist will use in five years.
Monday was a great day of fun for the SKHS Band at
Disneyland. The band practiced in the hotel’s overflow
parking lot between 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. and then loaded onto the
busses for the 25 minute ride south to Disneyland. Monday
was a beautiful day at Disneyland and the band members
were up to the challenge of maximizing their fun time!
Colin, Hailey, Ben, and
Jackie
Band members arrived at Disney about 11:00 am and stayed until
after the evening fireworks at 9:30 pm. We caught up with
several members of the band during the day and found them full of
energy and constantly smiling.
Rumor has it that there wasn’t a frown all day… well… except for
the two kids who lost their park-hopper passes. They had
frowns. Big reminder… NEVER lose your park-hopper Disney
Pass. When you do, you have to depend on the good grace of
Disney and a couple of honest looking chaperones to turn those
frowns upside down. Fortunately, Disney was gracious,
the chaperones looked honest, and no one even missed the 6:00 pm
mandatory check-in.
Premium Granny Smith apples
from Washington
As we were browsing the various Disney shops, I came across the
candy shoppe on Main Street that sells wonderful caramel
apples. As the candy maker was preparing the apples
for dipping, I noticed that Disney
uses premium Granny Smith apples from our home state of
Washington.
Band members enjoying Disney's
California Adventure
Several families of band members arrived today to enjoy the rest
of the week with the band and watch the parade in person on January
1st. The excitement is mounting. Tomorrow the band
performs at Disneyland. Wednesday is Bandfest. And,
Friday is the big day!
Monday’s Disneyland fun finished in great Disney style with the
9:30 pm Holiday fireworks display. This very tired blogger
was happy to see the fireworks and then head back to the hotel
at about 10:00pm!
Today, they take in
Disneyland. Tomorrow they play in the Disneyland
parade.
Disneyland's Magic
Castle
Here’s some stuff you may or may not know about the Magic Kingdom,
courtesy of a Disney-phile
named Karen who cites the following sources: “Disneyland – Your
Official Souvenir Guide” circa 1992, “Mouse Tales: A
behind-the-ears look at DISNEYLAND”, David Koenig, Bonaventure
Press, “Trivial Pursuit Featuring The Magic of Disney”, Selchow &
Righter.
On Main Street U.S.A., “Walt refused to allow sharp 90 degree
corners on Main Street sidewalks. He felt they would be too rigid
and threatening, and therefore all curbs have gentle, rounded
corners.” (No wonder visitors feel like they’re in a Disney
cartoon.)
In Adventureland, “Original plans for “The Jungle Cruise” called
for real wild animals, but zoologists warned Walt that the animals
would always be asleep during operating hours.” (Plus the fact they
were demanding overtime.)
In New Orleans Square:
* “Facial designs for the figures in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’
were modeled after staff members at Walt Disney Imagineering.”
* “The organ in the ‘Haunted Mansion’ is the same one used in the
movie ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.’”
* “The two rides that are actually haunted according to many of the
park’s employees are ‘The Haunted Mansion’ and ‘Mr. Toad’s Wild
Ride.'”
In Frontierland, “In the early years of the park, the Rivers of
America was stocked with catfish and fishing was allowed off the
docks of “Tom Sawyer Island.”
In Fantasyland, “Walt Disney’s family crest can be seen above
the archway at the entrance to “Sleeping Beauty Castle.”
In Tomorrowland, “In the early years of the ‘Submarine Voyage,’
‘real’ mermaids could be found atop the coral reef in the
lagoon.”
In General:
* “Wild cats are allowed to roam the entire park, coming out only
at night, to kill the rats which once infested much of the park.”
(This sounds like an urban myth. Band kids, check it out.)
* “One of comedian Steve Martin’s first jobs was as a clerk in
the old Merlin’s Magic Shop.”
* “Disneyland greeted its one-millionth guest after only seven
weeks of operation.”
Today has been a REALLY long day. Having not slept well the
night before and being at the school at 4 am, it’s been hard to
stay up this whole time. As usual, ourplane was delayed, but we
still ended up being on time. We played tourists by eating lunch at
the Farmer’s Market, and then touring Hollywood; the Sunset strip
and Ss.anta Monica Blvd being the main attractions. I do hope that
this trip does become a little better. Today was a really stressful
day, for it being long and people being irritable, things just got
crazy. But I do hope after a good nights sleep, everyone in the
morning will be a happier person.
Monday was a great day of fun for the SKHS Band at
Disneyland. The band practiced in the hotel’s overflow
parking lot between 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. and then loaded onto the
busses for the 25 minute ride south to Disneyland. Monday
was a beautiful day at Disneyland and the band members
were up to the challenge of maximizing their fun time! 
