Redlands musical trio practices for Rose Parade

REDLANDS - They have marched for miles and missed some sleep, but the hard work is more than worth it for three local high school instrumentalists who will perform with the Pasadena City College Honor Band in the 124th Tournament of Roses Parade on Tuesday morning in Pasadena.

"The best part has been getting to know all the other band members," said Phillip Lucero, 17, a senior saxophone player at Redlands East Valley High School. "We're all so focused on what we're doing, and it's easy to bond over the music we're making."

Phillip and fellow Honor Band members Tyler Neill, 17, a senior, and Hector Lange, 16, a sophomore, both trumpet players from Redlands High School, have been carpooling to and from Pasadena for weeks of

intense musical rehearsals, marching practices and pre-parade appearances.

They performed at Disneyland on Friday and look forward to two BandFest gatherings before the parade itself.

The three also have other musical obligations - when you rehearse and perform in Redlands until late at night and have to get up with the sun to carpool to Pasadena, "it's kind of inevitable that you're going to lose some sleep," Phillip said. "But we don't mind."

This is Phillip's second time to march in the Rose Parade, and Tyler's fourth. Hector is participating for the first time. All three boys are experienced musicians and members of many regional honors ensembles.

The Rose Parade is special, though.

"I would have missed out on a lot if I hadn't been part of this," Tyler said. "The friends I've met, and instructors I learned a lot from and like."

Four years with the Honor Band have also solidified Tyler's ambition to go into music education.

Hector, the newbie of the group, said the experience has been tiring but satisfying. He has several concerts to play in the days following the parade, he said, but he will make it.

"I'll have time to sleep before school starts back up," he said.

This time next year, Hector will be performing in Europe with the Riverside Community College band, the Marching Tigers, so he will miss the Tournament of Roses.

He said he'll probably audition again in his senior year.

The Honor Band rehearses every Sunday in November and December and almost every day during the winter break to prepare for the 6-mile trek down Colorado Boulevard. The students march more than 25 miles in rehearsal before they step off on the parade route.

Each year's Honor Band starts with a core group of Pasadena City College band members, and 200-plus Southern California high school band members are added. Some 600 high school students audition for places in the Honor Band, the official host band of the Tournament of Roses.

The theme of this year's parade is "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" The Honor Band's music includes "From Maine to Oregon," "Everything's Coming up Roses," "Defying Gravity" and a Beatles medley.

Band members memorize the music, which takes some effort but also aids in unifying sound and marching moves, Phillip said.

Source: http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/ci_22281793/redlands-musical-trio-practices-rose-parade?source=rss_viewed

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