The music lineup for the 125th Rose Parade was announced on Wednesday by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. It includes bands from the westernmost states—Alaska and Hawaii—as well as entries from the South, Midwest, East, and Panama and Japan.
In a move designed to allow more time and space for Rose Parade floats, Tournament of Roses President R. Scott Jenkins cut the number of bands for the 2014 Rose Parade from 23 to 20, and wants the units to rein in the number of members, avoiding bands with more than 300. He recalled a couple bands in the past years that topped 500.
“We give a lot of thought to the length of the parade, how much the bands consume,” Jenkins told Examiner in an interview on Wednesday. Though he said he had received criticism from band lovers for lowering the number of entries, he sees it as a sign that fans are “really fond of the parade.”
Most of the bands should not feel the pinch too much. In the 2013 Rose Parade, only four bands were over 300 in size, and one was the Big Ten Conference team, University of Wisconsin. Jenkins told Examiner that “250 to 300 is a decent size, I’m comfortable with that.”
There is not a minimum size, but Jenkins said that with so many people on the parade route, the sound of smaller bands can be soaked up. He was enthusiastic about the band from Palmer, Alaska, which has only 35 members. “But they must increase their numbers,” he said. Palmer, about 40 miles north of Anchorage, has a population of less than 6,000 and is one of the few high schools in Alaska to have a marching band, Jenkins said.
Of the 20 slots, eight are designated to specific units every year. Two are reserved for the universities that play in the Rose Bowl Game, and one each for the winners of the Bands of America competition and the Los Angeles County Fair competition. Four are reserved for Rose Parade staples. Numbers in parentheses are the participants in 2013.
- Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band, which includes some high school students from Pasadena (225)
- Los Angeles Unified School District All District High School Honor Band (358)
- The Salvation Army, which is the longest-appearing band in the parade (180)
- U.S. Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band (134).
Jenkins was also excited about Glendora High School Tartan Band & Pageantry, the winner of the L.A. County Fair contest, which marches in kilts and glengarries and has a drum and bagpipe unit. The 2014 parade will be the ninth appearance for the group, and marks the 50th anniversary of their first Rose Parade.
The remaining 12 entries are chosen from 14 regions around the world and are selected based on a variety of criteria including musicianship, marching ability and entertainment or special interest value. In addition to marching in the 5 1/2 mile long Rose Parade on New Year’s Day, bands perform field shows in one of three Bandfest events scheduled for Dec. 29 and 30, 2013 at Pasadena City College.
The Tournament of Roses is currently accepting applications for the 2015 Rose Parade. The applications must include photos, video, and letters of recommendation. Bands are required to raise all necessary funds for travel and accommodations.
The bands marching in the 2014 Rose Parade are
- Banda de Música Herberto López Colegio José Daniel Crespo, Herrera, Panama
- Carmel High School “Marching Greyhounds,” Carmel, Ind.
- Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School Marching Band, San Antonio, Texas
- Colony High School Knights Marching Band “THEE Northern Sound,” Palmer, Alaska
- Dobyns-Bennett High School Marching Indian Band, Kingsport, Tenn.
- Glendora Tartan Band and Pageantry, Glendora, Calif.
- Hawaii All State Marching Band “Na Koa Ali'i,” Kaneohe, Hawaii
- Homewood Patriot Band, Homewood, Ala.
- Liberty High School Grenadier Band, Bethlehem, Pa.
- Los Angeles Unified School District All District High School Honor Band, Los Angeles, Calif.
- McQueen High School “Lancer Band,” Reno, Nev.
- Nagoya Minami High School Green Band, Nagoya, Japan
- Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band & Herald Trumpets, Pasadena, Calif.
- Rosemount High School Marching Band, Rosemount, Minn.
- St. Augustine High School Marching “100,” New Orleans, La.
- The Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band, Los Angeles, Calif.
- United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band
- Westfield High School Marching Bulldogs, Chantilly, Va.
- Rose Bowl Game University bands
The theme of the 125th Rose Parade and 100th Rose Bowl Game is “Dreams Come True” The Tournament of Roses is a celebration that lasts several weeks in the fall and winter, with the high points being the Rose Parade presented by Honda and the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. Keep following your Tournament of Roses Examiner for the latest news and for upcoming announcements.
Like this story?
Like All Things Rose Parade on Facebook or subscribe to Tournament of Roses Examiner by clicking the "Subscribe" link. Read more articles about the Pasadena area at Altadena Headlines Examiner and San Gabriel Foothills Examiner. If you have a question or would like a reply to your comment, please email me at lbmonteros@yahoo.com
Comments