Memorable Highschool Band Moments

[CJ Krause]

a very long time ago San Antonio had a semi pro football team called the Toros, i think, in the late 60's.

they came to Donna Tx and played a game and we had to do 3 different shows for that game. Pregame, full 15 min halftime show and then a small 5 minute show at the very end of the game. it was the longest 2 weeks of my high school band time but great fun.

our band trips every 2 years that lasted 6 days were awesome and always ended up at 6 Flags in Arlington or 10th grade ended up at an Astros baseball game where they set a record for most double plays in one game. it was a double header. the next day we went to Astroworld the next day.

my senior year we were 2nd in the state in Marching and Concert in 3A. Richard Gibby was a great band director.

[TubaRay]

Junior year- I was asked to get my drum major instructor a glass of water. While she wasn't looking I took a drink, swished it around, and spat it back into the cup. She drink the whole thing.

Wow! And, Wow! Now that must be SOME memory. Life just doesn't get any better than that. Does it?

[LoyalTubist]

There was once a situation where my band was in a parade which would be televised nationally. I think it was a Christmas parade in Downtown Los Angeles (maybe it was in Chinatown). Anyway, we were told to be there at a certain time. When we got there, they told us we were supposed to have been there two hours before (we later found out ALL the bands were told the same thing!) We had 15 minutes to be ready. The band director told us to change into our uniforms IMMEDIATELY. We changed from our street clothes into uniforms right on the buses (we were a large band). This was in the early 1970s, when girls didn't wear nearly as much in the way of undergarments--some of the guys didn't either, but they didn't interest me. You can see why I forgot about the parade! Changing back into street clothes was done in the same location, though much more leisurely. This left an impression that lasted many years.

[tubatooter1940]

I hit a huge clam at band practice. My band director asked, "You play all those tough runs, how can you miss that?"
I replied, "It was easy".
He just shook his head.

[tubaguy9]

I remember back in Jr. High...before one of the concerts, I forgot my music...

Everyone remembers graduation, right? One year during band rehearsal, (you play it so much, you could play it with your eyes closed) and I decided that at the end of the song I'd make a big loud orgasmic sound... THAT was funny...The band director said that he could actually see me doing that at graduation and having one of the administrators come talk to him about it...

Then there was a time we went to this District Music Contest...So, we originally were supposed to be there the whole day...but due to the school days, we had to go back early. So, for lunch, I went to a place called Ming's (Awesome, Cheap Chinese food...what more would a high schooler want?) and had lunch...from there, I went back to the school...but I decided to skip the last period of the day.
I didn't get in trouble for it, either!

[TubaRay]

I decided to skip the last period of the day.
I didn't get in trouble for it, either!

Until now, that is.

[tubaguy9]

I decided to skip the last period of the day.
I didn't get in trouble for it, either!

Until now, that is.

No, that's been almost a year ago, now!

[tubeast]

Joined Elkhart Central Blazer Brigade as a foreign exchange student in 1988. (Yes, that´s Elkhart, IN)
Precious memories: getting to know marching band in the first place. It was way after band camp, everybody seemed to know what they were doing. Somebody had to show me how to mark time, and I still had to learn what "Band- - - About Face!!" meant in German.
Going on a field trip to Midland, Michigan, including a tour of DOW Chemicals. Staying with really nice host parents.
Playing a band concert with Buddy De Franco being a guest artist.

Coming back three years later and spontaneously meeting quite a few of my band mates.

[tubeast]

Since somehow I can´t edit my post right now, here are some add-ons:
-That nice host family in Midland was the Taylor´s.
- during marching season, there was this song with x-rated text that used to be popular among bandpeople. To the staff´s dismay, it was sung on the bus, too. Its melody consisted of exactly three notes that fit the three pitches of our tritoms exactly. So one day our percussion section starts playing that song when we marched from the bus to a warm-up area, and our band director turns around and just knowingly GRINS...

[Naptown Tuba]

One vivid memory of H.S. Band...........Marching down the main street of a neighboring town during a parade, leading the band in my all-white drum major uniform - which, before the parade, my girl friend accidently spilled red-pop soda down my front

[Dylan King]

I marched with my custom Mirafone 187 CC tuba at my first game ever as a tenth grader (L.A. freshman) because I didn't want to play on the crappy school conversion tubas. I put the biggest dent I have gotten to date in the bottom bow of that horn, along with getting damage in my linkages after slipping in the bleachers.

Unfortunately someobody had left a banana peel in the top corner of the bleachers where the tubas sit, and...

CRUNCH!

This took place in the fall of 1989, and a few pictures from that day actually got in the yearbook. They are a bit grainy, but I was able to digitize them.


Far right.


Top right.


Top right.

I have no idea what I was thinking trying to march with that thing. I had rigged up a homemade strap from my mother's old luggage in the garage, and remember that I only strapped in to the bottom bow, so I could move the horn back and forth. I had rope-burn on my neck, and it hurt for weeks.

The next week I played baritone, and somebody took a picture of that and put it in the yearbook too.


Yes, our band uniforms were tuxedos with green ties and cumberbuns. It worked out well, because the school bought tuxes for all the students, and we used them for all of our other concerts throughout the year, without the green of course.



It was the only time I ever played baritone or euphonium in my life. I remember telling my friends I thought playing a little weinie tuba looked gay.

The third week of that first year in high school marching band I switched to trombone and never went back. It was great that my band instructors were so patient with me, and let me feel the waters for a marching instrument at the time. There was only one other tuba playerin a band of 300, and they could very well have forced me to play tuba. I remember asking them if I could try the bassoon, but they wouldn't go that far.

Many people may know of these two teachers. David Sears and Sid LaSaine of the Hamilton High School Academy of Music in Los Angeles. David Sears (trombonist for The Temptations) is now an executive at NARAS and tours the country with the "Grammy's in the Schools" program, and Sid LaSaine is now retired, but one of the most respected jazz educators and trumpet players in Los Angeles jazz history, and was good friend of Tommy Johnson. They were both great teachers, and even better guys.

The funniest thing about that band at Hamilton was that these two guys didn't want to spend time on marching, as they were teaching other music classes all day long. So we basically marched onto the field and played a stationary halftime show, with the girls dancing around us (which was nice) and then marched back to the sidelines. Playing that upright tuba could have almost worked. Almost.

We were the biggest high school band in L.A. by far, with around 300 members. Most of the other schools were lucky to have a rag-tag band of twenty or so. We literally blew them all away.

Ah the good old days. 1989. Ha ha ha.

I'm getting so old.

[KevinMadden]

...Yes, our band uniforms were tuxedos with green ties and cumberbuns. It worked out well, because the school bought tuxes for all the students, and we used them for all of our other concerts throughout the year, without the green of course...

funny thing about that, at my High School (whose colors were also Green and White) we had Marching Blouses with half capes and Shakos and all that, and then for Concert Season we had a separate set of Tuxedo Tops in White with green cummerbunds and lapels and green bow ties. not too bad, until our band director would get up on stage in black and white tails.. with one of our green ties...ewww.....