Getting ready for a half time show. I'm trying to tell the tenor drummer to keep the beat a little steadier. That paper in my mouth is the half time show formation.The band would meet at 7 am for a zero period. Regular school started at 7:45 am. We would rehearse the march or half-time music for that fridays football game. We we had an away game, we would have the pep band play. That usually consisted of the best players in the band (40-50), or one bus load. We would never take the whole band to an away game.
Schurr did not have a lighted field, so we were bussed to Montebello High School, a couple of blocks away to play our football games...a real pain.
We would meet in the band room at 5 pm on Friday night, rehearse for an hour and load up the busses. After the game, come back to the school debrief the half-time show and talk about tomorrow's parade. A LOT OF WORK.
Getting ready. Adjusting shakos, seeing that your shoes are covered with plastic bags, your hair tucked under your shako, pants all the same length are all a part of being responsible. Imagine going to a big parade, something you've worked on all week, and forgetting your shoes back at the band room...40 miles away. It's happened. Some have even forgotten their instrument!
Usually, a parade followed the morning after a half-time show the night before. Students didn't get much sleep so you might be able to understand why they did some of the things they did. But, at the time, I didn't. I had just as much sleep as they did, so they didn't have any excuses as far as I was concerned...har, har.
Azusa parade 1972. Students celebrate another Sweepstakes. They can't believe it. We always had pretty good luck at this parade. There was a cash prize and just about the only cash prize parade we went to. We needed the money. There were always fund raisers to buy band equipment and food for the kids after the parade. The band boosters provided the people power and some stayed up the night before making sandwiches and other goodies. Some kids lose 5-10 lbs. after marching 2 miles in 80-90 degree heat cooking in a 100 degree uniform.
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