The Anaheim Union High School District Band and
Pageantry Spectacular will be held on Wednesday, November 15 at Glover
Stadium in Anaheim. The show starts at 7:00 PM, and features all 8 of
the district's high school bands, as well as the All-District Jr. High
Band and the High School All-District Band. Tickets are available from
band members and also at the gate; $3.00 adult general admission and $2
children 12 & under.
The show was postponed in 2003 from its original late October date due
to a number of fires affecting air quality in the area. The directors
and audience seemed to prefer seeing finished shows in November, so the
later date has been retained.
AUHSD's 43rd Band and Pageantry Show is
Spectacular
Anaheim, CA – About 5,000 community members attended the 43rd annual
Band and Pageantry Spectacular at Glover Stadium, one of the longest
running, field-show exhibitions in the country.
The show begins with a performance by the All District Junior High Band
of more than 100 students, followed by field shows by each of the high
schools. It closes with the district Honor Band, featuring a select
group of more than 150 high school musicians.
“The Band Spectacular showcases the excellence of our music program and
helps the progression of young musicians from the junior high through
the high school band programs,” said Supt. Joseph Farley. “This musical
celebration reflects the level of support for the instrumental music
programs in our district.”
It also helps student musicians build self-confidence, and more,
according to Becky Franco, whose daughter, Janessa Rosa, plays
percussion and the xylophone in Kennedy’s 292-member band.
“They learn not only music, but life lessons, such as respect for each
other,” Franco said. “My daughter got more of a foundation in school,
she participated more in her classes, she’s more talkative and
outgoing, and that has a lot to do with Mr. Anthony and Kennedy’s
band.”
Director Bob Anthony -- a finalist for Orange County Teacher of the
Year -- led his group through a series of Sinatra standards. Meanwhile,
to highlight just a few groups, Western performed the exotic "The River
Nile," while Cypress High's Centurion Imperial Brigade did selections
from "The Wizard of Oz," accompanied by dazzling costumes, especially
the Tin Man.
Supporting the Imperial Brigade and sophomore bass clarinetist Raelyn
Lay was the entire Lay clan -- mom, dad, sister, grandparents. Shari
Lay can't remember a time when he daughter wasn't playing music -- in
elementary school, at Orangeview in the Honor Band. Raelyn plays three
other instruments -- bassoon, baritone sax and clarinet.
"Band is a safe place to make friends," Mrs. Lay says. "It's given her
a lot of confidence in her life, a lot of discipline. She likes the
feeling of belonging to a small core group." Mrs. Lay thinks Raelyn
will always play in a band of some sort -- when she's not practicing
medicine, her other passion.
15-year-olds Viviana Abarca and Tamara Hartman came as a show of
support for Savanna's Mighty Marching Rebel Band and Color Guard --
especially the Color Guard. "We promised a friend we would come.
Pageantry works just as hard as band and it's a good thing to support
them," Abarca said.
The show isn’t billed as a competition; it's a chance for schools to
get reacquainted musically since many do not perform at the same levels
in the same competitions. About 4,000 AUHSD students participate in
instrumental music programs. Because of the high interest, having three
students to an instrument is not uncommon, with students alternating
nights for home practice. A full-time repair technician keeps the
instruments in the hands of students.
Click here for map to
Glover Stadium.
Click here
for 2006 Pictures.
Click here
for 2005 Pictures.
Click here
for 2004 Pictures.
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