Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Rose Parade is in Sight

My youngest son, Jordan (a.k.a. Jordie), is in Los Angeles, California with the high school band.  They will be marching in the Rose Parade on New Year's Day, so make sure you watch.  Jordie will be in the middle of the tuba line with the Albertville High School Aggie Band.  There's a funny story about that.  Jordan actually plays bass guitar in the band, but he started out his band career playing alto saxophone, just like his older brother, Justin.  The band directors took a liking to him and asked him if he would like to learn to play the bass guitar because they needed another player.  So he plays bass guitar AND alto saxophone.  He even plays the upright bass during concert season.

Since there is not much cause for a bass guitar in a parade, they asked Jordan to march tuba because they needed the tuba line to stretch all the way across the street in the Rose Parade.  At first I thought that he was just going to carry the tuba, but then I saw some tuba sheet music lying on the table.  I asked him if he was going to actually play it, and he said that he figured he might as well, that it would just be another instrument that he could play.  I was so proud of him.  He has complained a little about his shoulders hurting when he would come in after "conditioning" marching.  You see, the Rose Parade is SIX MILES LONG!!!!!  And that's just from the starting line.  They will be lined up about half-way back.  The band directors have been preparing the band member for the 6-mile trek.  They should be on TV about 11:30 CST. 

They flew out from Atlanta on Monday morning.  They have visited the Santa Monica Pier, Knott's Berry Farm, and Disneyland.  Tomorrow they will be performing their half-time show at Bandfest, to be held at one of the local colleges in Pasadena with 8 of the other bands in the parade.  It is offered via streaming webcast, so I will get to watch them as they perform.  It won't be the same as being there, but it will be close.  Friday they are going to Universal Studios.  Saturday is the big parade.  And, Sunday night they should be home around midnight. 

So I leave you now with a video of their half-time show from this past football season.  Enjoy!

1 comment:

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

What an honor to be in the Rose Parade. So cool!!! :) Thanks so much for the visit!! :) Hope to see you again soon.