2004 Tournament Of Roses Bands Selected

Topics and polls that cover the overall marching band activity

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IWatchCharmed
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Post by IWatchCharmed » Wed Jul 09, 2003 3:33 pm

altogirl06 wrote:NO, HOW DOES YOUR BAND GET INTO THE PARADE?
http://tournamentofroses.com/corp/bandapp.htm

That explains how a band gets into the parade.

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Post by altogirl06 » Wed Jul 09, 2003 9:37 pm

than you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Nothing is impossible with God!

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LAUSD Rose Parade Band

Post by nellsonic » Sat Jul 19, 2003 11:42 pm

I agree that the LAUSD band is a great accomplishment. Logistically, visually, and musically, it really is a matter of making something grand from mostly a bunch of nothing. It's real value is the opportunity it gives to LAUSD students who often are pretty isolated from the rest of the region musically, and thus miss out on many opportunities others may take for granted.

Whether all this justifies a spot each and every year as opposed to a rotation is a fair point of debate. I worry that it gives administrators a feather in their cap that they hope hides the bald spot of the reality of music education in the district. There are a few programs with great stuff happening, but by and large LAUSD students are very poorly served in their bands.

My big complaint about this group is the lack of woodwinds. EVERYBODY ELSE in the band world (brass, drums, auxillaries) has an opportunity to present their skills, why not the woodwinds? There can't be any good reason, because no matter how you look at it, this is anti-educational. The message sent to these students is that they don't count. This is not the same as drum corps. This BAND is supposed to represent the entire district. Other opinions???

(Now shutting mouth and stepping off of soapbox)

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Post by mellofluter4life » Thu Jul 31, 2003 8:57 pm

Hi. I just joined the site basically so I could reply to this message. My name is Sammie and I am a member of the Los Angeles All City Band. I can understand where all of you are coming from. I started out as a flute player until I heard of all city. I then learned mellophone so I could go march with this amazing group. The reason Mr. White (our director) does not include woodwinds is for "maximum sound projection". He says if we allow woodwinds the brass would not be able to use their full potential. We are a performance only band. Mostly parades and once in a blue moon we perform our field show. We need sound projection. Every year we are loved because of our sound and talent. We are a high stepping band that works extremely hard and we are pushed past our limits so we can represent Los Angeles the best way possible. We practice every saturday (starting in october after the band is picked, after auditions and such) and then about 2 weeks straight during our own winter break all day, everyday. We give up our break do march and train. We represent the level of talent that Los Angeles really has that is not really seen. We do deserve a spot in the Rose Parade, every year. Why does Pasadena City College get to march it every year? The same reason. We are tradition. We work hard and gain lots of fans every year. I am not bragging I am just standing up for what is right. If a woodwind player wanted to march with us bad enough they could master a brass instrument. I know its not easy, believe me. But I wanted it. Anyway, I hope I've cleared a few things up. Feel free to email me or IM me with any further questions about us. I look forward to talking with some of you in the future.
Sammie

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nellsonic
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LAUSD Rose Parade Band

Post by nellsonic » Fri Aug 01, 2003 8:55 am

"The reason Mr. White (our director) does not include woodwinds is for "maximum sound projection". He says if we allow woodwinds the brass would not be able to use their full potential."

I'm sorry to hear this. You have every right to be proud to the accomplishments of this otherwise fine group, but you have been mislead. I hope you get a chance to see and hear Rancho Bernardo, Etiwanda, Logan, Chino or some of the other very fine large bands who use all of the palletes of the BAND (which prominently include woodwinds) for real "full potential." These bands put on shows and parades that really show what BANDs can do with all the subtlety, beauty, and yes PROJECTION that one could ask for. Brass is a wonderful sound, but being a "performance only band" must mean something different than being equally educational for all students. Just as I feared.

Enjoy your band experience and be proud of it, but don't be mislead. I look forward to cheering your next Rose Parade performance, but I will still be wondering who and what the group is really designed to represent.

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Post by mellofluter4life » Fri Aug 01, 2003 11:08 am

I again can understand where you are coming from, but I don't make the rules, I follow them. We do have other honor bands that woodwinds can participate in such as the 1st Chair Honor Band and the Dodger Honor Band. And yes, I have seen Chino and Etiwanda but we are a block of sound. Thats how we are. It's been this way for going on 31 years now. :)
Sammie

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Post by dudewheresmycar » Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:32 pm

mellofluter4life wrote:I am not bragging I am just standing up for what is right.
I am not attacking you, but who are you to say what is right? You mention that you guys deserve to march in the rose parade every year, but what about the other bands who consistently perform and push their limits in field show and parade every year. You also mention that you guys give up each Saturday through rain, but other bands have this discipline as well. In my opinion it is unfair that you get to say that the LA Unified School District deserves to march in it every year. What about school districts from Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and so forth? Don't they deserve to march as well? Maybe they should mix it up every year and offer the privilege to a different school district every time. I'd honestly love to see the Poway District in the rose parade (Mt. Carmel, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Westview). For being such a prestigious parade, the priviliege shouldn't just be limited to one district every year.

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Post by Bandmaster » Fri Aug 01, 2003 11:23 pm

mellofluter4life wrote:The reason Mr. White (our director) does not include woodwinds is for "maximum sound projection". He says if we allow woodwinds the brass would not be able to use their full potential.
As a former band director, all I can say is that excuse, as it is worded, is such a crock!! Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the LA All-City Band every year at the Rose Parade. I get to hear them live. from atop the press tower right at the turn in the TV area. I am happy to see them in the parade every year. I just hate the idea that woodwind players would "hold back" the brass section just by their presence. A director should know better than feed his kids an excuse like that. :?
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Post by mellofluter4life » Sat Aug 02, 2003 4:30 pm

Ok everyone. We have all heard everyone's opinions on why All City shouldn't be allowed to go every year. AND YES I AGREE that woodwinds should be allowed. Mr. White never said that woodwinds would hold us back. He said that the brass would not be able to play out all the time. He is the best director I have EVER seen or had. Now can we all just accept that we are going to march the rose parade every year representing Los Angeles and woodwinds will most likely still not be allowed. There is not anything you can do about it. Just accept it. Why do you all want to change something that has been so great? It's kind of....hurtful and makes me think.....is jealousy a main factor here or are other band directors/musicians trying to change something that they have no control over? Please don't take me across as rude, I am just offended that so many are against what we do. :cry:
Sammie

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Post by Cadetsnare » Sat Aug 02, 2003 6:42 pm

Bands suck! Drum Corps are the only viable idiom!! Woodwinds are useless! Bring on the volume!!!! :wink:
Seriously....are you kidding? Check out ANY serious band....woodwinds are as much a part of the whole as any other section!! Spare us the "We are a block of sound" junk... :roll: As an adult, this is quite a laughable statement for me to hear!
On a personal note......this will probably hack some people off, but that's their problem....I have found that the guys who are 100% gung-ho on the "no-woodwinds" kick are the drum corps-wannabes who have either never experienced DCI from a personal experience standpoint, or are the kind of guys who are so musically ignorant that they think that drum corps voicings are the best choice for evey musical situation.
One of the FINEST arrangers in the band/DCI activity today is Michael Klesch. Period. If you've ever heard Cadets, Phantom, Colts, Carolina Crown, Boston, Rancho Bernardo, Mt. Carmel, then you've heard his stuff. If he could, he would use every color available to him, if appropriate. In MB, this includes woodwinds!! In DC, he does not have that luxury, so he has to create the ambiance through brass colors. Whether you like it or not, those are the limitations to the activity. If you are so clouded to think that the brass voice is the most appropriate choice for every outdoor situation, then please PM me, and I'll be glad to forward you his home #. He's a close personal friend of mine, and I WILL direct him to this site to check this out....I hope he responds.
Please, kid....know that any excuse not to use woodwinds is totally a BS and ignorant excuse for musical ignorance (a condition that runs rampant in the 28 and under crowd). You can march parades all you want...it's not that anyone's jealous...I certainly hope that you can understand that my main issue is with the non-usage of woodwinds in a BAND situation. If this was a drum corps, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Please feel free to PM me...I'll give you my contact info, and we can discuss this at length.
My heart goes out to you and your musical education.... :?

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Post by mellofluter4life » Sat Aug 02, 2003 7:53 pm

No, I'll pass on contacting you personally. And I will also pass on commenting on my response to your last statement. I am going to leave the board. You wont have to worry about my pointless comments anymore as they were only said from my heart. You can think what you want of me however I know what kind of a musician I am. I'd like to wish luck to all of the musicians and directors on this board on the upcoming season and say farwell and apologize for any problems or people I may have offended.
Sammie

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Post by MCclarinetdude » Sat Aug 02, 2003 8:22 pm

Bandtastic musician wrote:What are you guys talking about? What is a rose parade? Our band marches in up state Maine parade every year, and that is what I consider the biggest parade in the Universe! Who cares about some parade made out of roses or whatever, you all got nothing on me and my up state east side Maine parade.
Have you not heard of the Tournament of Roses parade? :shock: You poor, poor child. I feel sorry for you. THIS IS THE BIGGEST PARADE EVER!!! It's a great honor to march in this parade.

To mellofluter4life:

There is no need to leave these forums. We are all on here because we love band and music. We may disagree on issues, and we may debate, but please don't take anything to offense. That is the whole point of a forum; to hear the other opinions of people on issues like this. I hope you stay and continue to share your opinions on this board...
Mt. Carmel c/o 2004

The Sun Never Sets...

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I'm New

Post by Bones1987 » Tue Aug 05, 2003 6:33 pm

Hey everyone, I just joined. Now I can discuss Band things with my fellow Band people! So, let me tell you some stuff about me. I'm Jeffrey, almost 16 years old. I'm in the Carson High School Marching Blue Thunder and in the Los Angeles All-City Band. I play trombone in both bands(when I'm not doing drum major crap in my high school band). I see there's some controversy against All-City, I'll see what's up with that later, though. lol. I'm going to go for now, I'll be back later.

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Jazzed

Post by CT » Sun Sep 14, 2003 9:59 pm

I'm pretty excited about this parade. This is my 5th run at RCC but it's my first trip to the Rose Parade. We normally do the Hollywood Christmas Parade so addign another major parade will be exciting.
-CT-
RCC - 92,93,97,98,03

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