CALIFORNIA MARCHING YOUTH BANDS FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S

Topics and polls that cover the overall marching band activity

Moderators: Trumpet Man 05, malletphreak, Hostrauser, instrumental director

ValleyGirl
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 1:38 pm

Re: CALIFORNIA MARCHING YOUTH BANDS FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S

Post by ValleyGirl » Tue Dec 14, 2010 2:40 pm

trombonik wrote:Hey Socal band dudes+dudettes from the 60's,70's+80's!
Wow-time warp time, great to see familiar band names here in print. I was a proud member of the San Fernando Valley Youth Band (previously the Sepulveda Youth Band, Claude Lakey directing) from 1959-1966. Ended up 1st bone and right guide in 1st row-cool gig! Someone mentioned our dancing tubas-tune was a western square dance, not the can-can (watch those meds!) What a time-played in the Hollywood Bowl+ Shrine Auditorium (Massed bands with conductors like Meredith Wilson, Ferde Grofe, John Scott Trotter,+Henry Mancini) LA Coleseum (Rams and USC halftimes) Dodger and Charger Games, 1st USA/USSR track and field meet, and the 1960 Democratic National Convention (JFK nominated). Alway had lots of competition with the Robin Hood Band, Whittier Elks, West Valley Youth Band, South Gate Youth Band, Los Cabelleros, James E. Son's Long Beach Band and several others.
Don't think this kind of experience will happen again-just something else! Anybody from these bands - please reply and jog my memory some more (need all the help I can get now!)

OMB again - I stumbled on this site this afternoon and am having good happy flashbacks reading this thread. I was in Claudehoppers starting in 1963, then moved up to SFVYB. The last thing I did with SFVYB was the HellDorado Days Parade in Las Vegas in 1970. I played bells, vibes, xylophone, and once in a while was trusted with a tambourine !!

I hadn't thought about the tuba players square dancing in years. I won't say the name (although I do remember who it was) but if you were there you may also know. It was halftime at a pre-season LA Rams/Dallas Cowboys football game at the LA Coliseum - do you remember when one of the tuba players lost the bell off his horn when he did the square dance bow? Then on the second bow, he bent over and picked up the bell again? A picture of that was on the first page of the LA Times Sports Section the next day or two later.

Did you also know that Claude Lakey Mouthpieces is owned by a former co-SFVYB member? Google the company and read all about it.

Valley Girl

User avatar
ovhs_sousaman
New Recruit
New Recruit
Posts: 82
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:19 am
Location: Long Beach, California

Re: CALIFORNIA MARCHING YOUTH BANDS FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S

Post by ovhs_sousaman » Tue Dec 14, 2010 8:45 pm

I was -24 to -5 years old in the 70s/80s
Sean Yeutter

I've marched a bit. 4 years at Ocean View High School, three on tuba, a season with Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps.

trombonik
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 6:23 pm

Re: CALIFORNIA MARCHING YOUTH BANDS FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S

Post by trombonik » Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:52 am

ValleyGirl wrote:
trombonik wrote:Hey Socal band dudes+dudettes from the 60's,70's+80's!
Wow-time warp time, great to see familiar band names here in print. I was a proud member of the San Fernando Valley Youth Band (previously the Sepulveda Youth Band, Claude Lakey directing) from 1959-1966. Ended up 1st bone and right guide in 1st row-cool gig! Someone mentioned our dancing tubas-tune was a western square dance, not the can-can (watch those meds!) What a time-played in the Hollywood Bowl+ Shrine Auditorium (Massed bands with conductors like Meredith Wilson, Ferde Grofe, John Scott Trotter,+Henry Mancini) LA Coleseum (Rams and USC halftimes) Dodger and Charger Games, 1st USA/USSR track and field meet, and the 1960 Democratic National Convention (JFK nominated). Alway had lots of competition with the Robin Hood Band, Whittier Elks, West Valley Youth Band, South Gate Youth Band, Los Cabelleros, James E. Son's Long Beach Band and several others.
Don't think this kind of experience will happen again-just something else! Anybody from these bands - please reply and jog my memory some more (need all the help I can get now!)

OMB again - I stumbled on this site this afternoon and am having good happy flashbacks reading this thread. I was in Claudehoppers starting in 1963, then moved up to SFVYB. The last thing I did with SFVYB was the HellDorado Days Parade in Las Vegas in 1970. I played bells, vibes, xylophone, and once in a while was trusted with a tambourine !!

I hadn't thought about the tuba players square dancing in years. I won't say the name (although I do remember who it was) but if you were there you may also know. It was halftime at a pre-season LA Rams/Dallas Cowboys football game at the LA Coliseum - do you remember when one of the tuba players lost the bell off his horn when he did the square dance bow? Then on the second bow, he bent over and picked up the bell again? A picture of that was on the first page of the LA Times Sports Section the next day or two later.

Did you also know that Claude Lakey Mouthpieces is owned by a former co-SFVYB member? Google the company and read all about it.

Valley Girl
ValleyGirl wrote:
trombonik wrote:Hey Socal band dudes+dudettes from the 60's,70's+80's!
Wow-time warp time, great to see familiar band names here in print. I was a proud member of the San Fernando Valley Youth Band (previously the Sepulveda Youth Band, Claude Lakey directing) from 1959-1966. Ended up 1st bone and right guide in 1st row-cool gig! Someone mentioned our dancing tubas-tune was a western square dance, not the can-can (watch those meds!) What a time-played in the Hollywood Bowl+ Shrine Auditorium (Massed bands with conductors like Meredith Wilson, Ferde Grofe, John Scott Trotter,+Henry Mancini) LA Coleseum (Rams and USC halftimes) Dodger and Charger Games, 1st USA/USSR track and field meet, and the 1960 Democratic National Convention (JFK nominated). Alway had lots of competition with the Robin Hood Band, Whittier Elks, West Valley Youth Band, South Gate Youth Band, Los Cabelleros, James E. Son's Long Beach Band and several others.
Don't think this kind of experience will happen again-just something else! Anybody from these bands - please reply and jog my memory some more (need all the help I can get now!)

OMB again - I stumbled on this site this afternoon and am having good happy flashbacks reading this thread. I was in Claudehoppers starting in 1963, then moved up to SFVYB. The last thing I did with SFVYB was the HellDorado Days Parade in Las Vegas in 1970. I played bells, vibes, xylophone, and once in a while was trusted with a tambourine !!

I hadn't thought about the tuba players square dancing in years. I won't say the name (although I do remember who it was) but if you were there you may also know. It was halftime at a pre-season LA Rams/Dallas Cowboys football game at the LA Coliseum - do you remember when one of the tuba players lost the bell off his horn when he did the square dance bow? Then on the second bow, he bent over and picked up the bell again? A picture of that was on the first page of the LA Times Sports Section the next day or two later.

Did you also know that Claude Lakey Mouthpieces is owned by a former co-SFVYB member? Google the company and read all about it.

Valley Girl

Wow-another SFVYB member-too cool! I don't remember the tuba bell thing (I went off to college in "66, or might have been in front of the tubas and didn't see) There's another SFVYB tuba story tho' (Lakey musta have had a thing about tubas!) At another Ram's game (earlier?) we wore "western" summer band uniforms (blue shirts/levis/bandana) and Claude rode out on a horse! While we were playing a song, one of the tubas began chasing a pom pom lady around the field (kinda like on the bus!) Claude ran out onto the field, pulled out his trusty six shooter and blasted the unfortunate tuba dude, who went down hard with his junk tuba! We then finished out the show and marched off the field with the carcass still out there. A stretcher crew ran out, threw the guy on, and carried him off, where he stood up and got quite a bit of applause! I do now about Nick taking over Lakey mouthpieces-he provided some to the sax players in the HS band I direct. They are dizzy for a while until they learn how to move enough air to get the Lakey sound!

User avatar
Teever
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2002 10:43 pm
Location: Cypress, CA

Re: CALIFORNIA MARCHING YOUTH BANDS FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S

Post by Teever » Fri Dec 24, 2010 12:47 am

Dave, that's a great chunk of video! I think though, that it's Stan Freese (another Disney great) who is conducting the massed bands.

GalaxyGoddess
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2013 2:23 pm

Re: CALIFORNIA MARCHING YOUTH BANDS FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S

Post by GalaxyGoddess » Sat Sep 21, 2013 2:38 pm

Make that 3 of us.

I was in both Claudehoppers and SFVYB for years. I was the only female trumpet player for years then Marty came along then there were two of us. :)

I left SFVYB and went to the Royal Cavaliers for a couple years... remember them? But they never did get me to play, I was in the Flag Corps.

... and I know where there is another long time member of the band. :)

De

Nonny-mus
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2015 5:34 pm

Re: CALIFORNIA MARCHING YOUTH BANDS FROM THE 70'S AND 80'S

Post by Nonny-mus » Fri Feb 27, 2015 5:44 pm

Just found this but it looks like it hasn't been used for a while.

I was in three different Youth Bands Downey, Whittier Cavaliers and South Gate but it was in the South Gate Youth band the longest. Our cross-town rival was Huntington Park. I really don't have a lot to say except it was a great experience and I wouldn't trade the experiences for anything.

I checked and South Gate still seems to be there and performing. I'm glad.

Thanks for giving me a smile. There are some great memories in these few words.

Zoheret
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2019 4:24 pm

Re: CALIFORNIA MARCHING YOUTH BANDS FROM THE 70'S AND 80'

Post by Zoheret » Mon Jul 29, 2019 4:32 pm

I too was in Cabbies. I was in the color guard then became guard captain. This was when Steve Issacs was the director. I miss those days. The bus driver (Gardena) could never find the gear he wanted and was always grinding them. He would also stop the bus so I could steal a No Parking sign from each city we marched in. :yeah:

I was a tenor drummer at Phineas Banning High. Whaling was my specialty. Loved the Hendrix and Lucy cadences.

Merry Barr

Post Reply