Strike up the school bands
While most of us will be waking up on New Year's Day with confetti still in our hair - a group of Inland Valley high school students will be marching down the streets of Pasadena during the Tournament of Roses Parade.
On Saturday, the students will be playing with the Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band, which is comprised of Lancer Band students at the college and auditioned high school band and color guard students in grades 9-12.
In total, there are 83 honor Pasadena City College band students, and of the 500 high school students who auditioned, 140 made it to the Roses Honor Band cut.
On Saturday, the students will be playing with the Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band, which is comprised of Lancer Band students at the college and auditioned high school band and color guard students in grades 9-12.
In total, there are 83 honor Pasadena City College band students, and of the 500 high school students who auditioned, 140 made it to the Roses Honor Band cut.
Thomas R. Cordova/Staff photographer
"I think that high school kids take this very seriously because they had to audition and a lot of them have never been in a 200 person band, so there's a lot of pressure," Kyle Luck, director of the PCC band. "So it's a band of all-stars, the best of the best."
Locally, students from Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Fontana, Pomona and Rancho Cucamonga will participate in the parade.
One high school member is coming as far as Santa Maria, which is almost four hours away, but most students are within a 45 minute radius of Pasadena, Luck said.
Students have been practicing during their winter break to prepare for the five-and-a-half mile Rose Parade.
"Physically it's going to be a challenge because in high school you're not used to that," said Alana Glenn, Los Osos High School senior and color guard member. "It's going to be non-stop."
Alana will be twirling a 6-feet tall pole with a flag attached to it, while Los Osos High junior Ramon Chanco will be carrying a 20 pound snare drum.
The group is expected to perform four selections of music - a patriotic melody, the national emblem, a jazz version of "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King and the college's theme song "Everything is Coming up Roses."
Ramon, 16, said the challenge will be playing with a group of good musicians.
"You have to step it up, you can't be the one to hold everyone back," he said.
But despite their fears, both students said they are excited and nervous about their adventure on Saturday.
"This is the best of the best coming together and everyone has a different mind set," Alana said. "Students are traveling three to four miles away just for a four hour practice so it shows you how dedicated everyone really is."
Students have to be in Pasadena by 4 p.m. for the 8 a.m. parade start.
There will also be a special tribute to Yla Aquino, a Chino Hills High student who died earlier this year of peanut allergy. Yla - who died in May at 17 years old from anaphylactic shock after accidently eating peanut butter the day before - played the bells and marched in the Rose Parade for three years.
"We're going to maintain her spot in the block in the parade so she can be there with us in spirit," Luck said. "She's a spiritual young lady and I know she's going to be with us that day." Rose Parade participants
Local students:
Locally, students from Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Fontana, Pomona and Rancho Cucamonga will participate in the parade.
One high school member is coming as far as Santa Maria, which is almost four hours away, but most students are within a 45 minute radius of Pasadena, Luck said.
Students have been practicing during their winter break to prepare for the five-and-a-half mile Rose Parade.
"Physically it's going to be a challenge because in high school you're not used to that," said Alana Glenn, Los Osos High School senior and color guard member. "It's going to be non-stop."
Alana will be twirling a 6-feet tall pole with a flag attached to it, while Los Osos High junior Ramon Chanco will be carrying a 20 pound snare drum.
The group is expected to perform four selections of music - a patriotic melody, the national emblem, a jazz version of "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King and the college's theme song "Everything is Coming up Roses."
Ramon, 16, said the challenge will be playing with a group of good musicians.
"You have to step it up, you can't be the one to hold everyone back," he said.
But despite their fears, both students said they are excited and nervous about their adventure on Saturday.
"This is the best of the best coming together and everyone has a different mind set," Alana said. "Students are traveling three to four miles away just for a four hour practice so it shows you how dedicated everyone really is."
Students have to be in Pasadena by 4 p.m. for the 8 a.m. parade start.
There will also be a special tribute to Yla Aquino, a Chino Hills High student who died earlier this year of peanut allergy. Yla - who died in May at 17 years old from anaphylactic shock after accidently eating peanut butter the day before - played the bells and marched in the Rose Parade for three years.
"We're going to maintain her spot in the block in the parade so she can be there with us in spirit," Luck said. "She's a spiritual young lady and I know she's going to be with us that day." Rose Parade participants
Local students:
Chino High School students
Gabriela Everett, senior, color guard
Kate Lopez, senior, color guard
Ruben S. Ayala High School
Alex Baiseri, senior, tenor-sax
Kayla Schultz, senior, french horn player
Claremont High School
Justin Fant, junior, trombone
Garey High School
Erik Villagrana, senior, piccolo
Bryan Romero, sophomore, trumpet
Alta Loma High School
Chris Campbell, senior, tener sax senior
Kyle Campbell, sophomore, tuba,
Grant Bailey, sophomore, trombone
Sierra Lowry-Shephard, junior, mallets
Diamond Ranch High School
Christian Hernandez, senior, trombone
Paul Verdugo, senior, trombone
Jared Lim, junior, clarinet
Michael Zavala, senior, tuba
Henry J. Kaiser High School
Salvador Rojas, junior, trombone
John Guevara, senior, tuba
Claudia Enriquez, junior, tall flag
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