All Western Dreams

[Old Arcadian]

Hey there Fidave,
Just wondering who your brother was!! I was also a part of the class of 75 and in the All Western from 72-74. Any Hints!! Insrument he played?

Thanks,
Old Arcadian

[fidave]

Old Arcadian..., look for my PM.

[LBRSR]

Do they have any type of recordings from the All Western Band Review?? I remember back then, I would take my tape recorder and record the bands and their drum sections and all of their drum cadences. I did this over several years and had a ton of material recorded, but alas I have lost these tapes over the years or they were destroyed by the recorders during playback.

Glenn

[tackkjr]

Like others, I too miss the All-Western. I watched my brother compete in 1972-1974. I watched my sister compete in 1976-1978. I competed in 1980-1982. At Arcadia, we practiced on the Friday between Thanksgiving and the Saturday band review, and since it was a holiday weekend, many alumni returned to watch. Sometimes I think trying to impress the alumni was more difficult than the actual event.

My favorite memory is still the indoor "warm-up" area in 1981 with its concrete floors, ceiling, and walls. While it was certainly a controlled sort of chaos, having an entire division of 12-14 bands in an enclosed space was remarkable. As each band left to perform in the arena, the intensity of the remaining groups increased. With every musical release, each of the remaining bands received immediate feedback as the sound bounced off the nearest wall and came right back. Arcadia's actual performance was strong despite marching everyone and the coda at the end of Stars and Stripes was well-received by the spectators.

When Long Beach died, I thought that the band review might soon be a victim of cost-cutting by schools that had fewer dollars to spend on education. Today, I'm very happy that I was wrong.

________________

Wow, someone else other than me remembers the coda at the end of Stars and Stripes. I played trombone from 80-82 (graduated in June 83) at Arcadia and will never forget Long Beach and the year we played that march. The coda was awesome as the bass notes were so low and we had 11 tubas so it sounded so great. I wish I could find a video of that performance.

[Heyoo85]

yeah.... any word on that video on youtube yet?

[tackkjr]

yeah.... any word on that video on youtube yet?

I sent a message to the person who posted the other videos of the '82 and '83 performance. They replied that they believe they have more performances from '81, including Arcadia, and would work to put them on YouTube.

So, I guess we just need to wait to see when it gets posted.

[tooweird]

im too young to have witnessed the All-Western...only source is youtube...

it looks like a blast! i wish they could bring it back....i would definitely work on getting my former band there and my own colorguard

[OCDM]

All Western was probably the 1st band review I ever watched in HS. We always ended our season @ Santa Monica, so I never had the pleasure to march there. But I remember my junior year (fall 72) going to watch with our drum major, and bringing an 8mm camera. I still have those 8mm tapes...the entire 72 All Western...silent of course...
JCYS

I'd love to see the '72 movies. I marched in that parade; I've long since lost my own 8mm films. It would be a kick to see the band again . . . .

Other random memories: It rained in the 1970, and the review was held indoors. Ron Hoar used to tell the story (over and over again) at summer drum major camps that the military DM of the Arcadia band that year was more preoccupied with his routine than he was in leading the band. The DM dropped is baton in front of the reviewing stand (you can hear it on the record), and didn't recover well. Ron told the DM students that Arcadia didn't win Sweepstakes that year becasue the DM wasn't focusing on his real job -- leading the band -- and then didn't exactly pull through on his. Interesting story.

I also remember the year -- mid 1970s, I think -- when there wasn't an All-Western. The substitute was a march around Anaheim Stadium.

It is too bad that the event is no more.

[Kuxica]

Just so you know, someone posted the 1981 performance of Magnolia High School playing the Conqueror, from the bleachers- with sound too. I tried to get the embedding but it has been secured.

If you'd like to see it, search youtube under "Magnolia HS Band - 1981 All-Western Band Review" and it should pop up.

Kuxica

[vore]

Other random memories: It rained in the 1970, and the review was held indoors. Ron Hoar used to tell the story (over and over again) at summer drum major camps that the military DM of the Arcadia band that year was more preoccupied with his routine than he was in leading the band. The DM dropped is baton in front of the reviewing stand (you can hear it on the record), and didn't recover well. Ron told the DM students that Arcadia didn't win Sweepstakes that year becasue the DM wasn't focusing on his real job -- leading the band -- and then didn't exactly pull through on his. Interesting story.

Yours truly was sitting with Ron Hoar at the 1970 All-Western... Ron came up into the stands to sit with me and watch his band while wearing his all white band director uniform and hat. (Ron and I had been friends since 1964.)

When the DM of Arcadia dropped his baton, Ron turned to me and said.... (it's in the Book)... so you will have to wait until the book is published as I was the only person sitting with Ron when it happened!

vore

[fieldshowqueen]

Yours truly was sitting with Ron Hoar at the 1970 All-Western... Ron came up into the stands to sit with me and watch his band while wearing his all white band director uniform and hat. (Ron and I had been friends since 1964.) When the DM of Arcadia dropped his baton, Ron turned to me and said.... (it's in the Book)... so you will have to wait until the book is published as I was the only person sitting with Ron when it happened! vore

[PGOK]

Yours truly was sitting with Ron Hoar at the 1970 All-Western... Ron came up into the stands to sit with me and watch his band while wearing his all white band director uniform and hat. (Ron and I had been friends since 1964.) When the DM of Arcadia dropped his baton, Ron turned to me and said.... (it's in the Book)... so you will have to wait until the book is published as I was the only person sitting with Ron when it happened! vore

[wjs05]

Other random memories: It rained in the 1970, and the review was held indoors. Ron Hoar used to tell the story (over and over again) at summer drum major camps that the military DM of the Arcadia band that year was more preoccupied with his routine than he was in leading the band. The DM dropped is baton in front of the reviewing stand (you can hear it on the record), and didn't recover well. Ron told the DM students that Arcadia didn't win Sweepstakes that year becasue the DM wasn't focusing on his real job -- leading the band -- and then didn't exactly pull through on his. Interesting story.

Yours truly was sitting with Ron Hoar at the 1970 All-Western... Ron came up into the stands to sit with me and watch his band while wearing his all white band director uniform and hat. (Ron and I had been friends since 1964.)

When the DM of Arcadia dropped his baton, Ron turned to me and said.... (it's in the Book)... so you will have to wait until the book is published as I was the only person sitting with Ron when it happened!

vore

OK...I'll bite, WHEN can we expect the book? No more jokes or hi-jacked threads. Is there a REAL timeline for this project? I'm sincerely interested in buying it. Will it be through you? Publisher? Amazon? Ebay? Can you provide some sort of detail please?

[Ryan H. Turner]

The book will be ready when Vore FINALLY gets me in to proofread it AND write the "introduction" to the book...

RIGHT?!?!?!?

[wjs05]

The book will be ready when Vore FINALLY gets me in to proofread it AND write the "introduction" to the book...

RIGHT?!?!?!?

Sorry if I came off antagonistic, it's just that everytime we get a good discussion going, the almighty "Book" comes up and pretty much stops all momentum. I REALLY REALLY want to read it. Oh well, I guess good things come...