Rose Parade - Look for Pao

This year the Cardinal Regime is going to the Rose Bowl parade.

The local band from Golden Valley High School was choosen to represent California Bands at the annual Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade. Its a great honor. It is an amazing experience for a huge amount of students that don't usually get out of our own community. Our community has many families that can only be described at impoverished. For the band to raise money and organize the trip to the Rose Bowl is pretty phenomenal especially considering the economic conditions. The Rose Bowl committee has chosen fewer bands to participate this year. They want the whole thing to conclude within the allotted time.
They are also trying to make sure that all the entrants have a good chance to be highlighted on their time in the sun.

One of my students, Pao (pronounced Pow) is a trumpet player in the band. This band has the most beautiful tone. The band leader, Geg Christiansen is a horn man himself. Pao is a freshman hmong student. He was born in the United States. My freshman students were born in 1994. This is pretty hard to understand because I think of 1994 as just a little while ago. This is most certainly an artifact of old age.. Ha!
Pao's extended family got together and at graduation (from Junior High) got him a really nice trumpet. He represents the pride of many members of his family. All dressed up in red and gold with white pants he represents the pride of this community. This community has really put out to get his band down there to participate.

Greg the band director has only once before had the honor to take a Merced Band to Pasadena. It was in late 80's. I had a student in that band too. He was not such a good player so he was held in backup in case a student fell ill marching down the street in competition. The band was from the one and only school at that time from Merced. It was nick named the Merced Marching 100. We used to laugh at that designation. The reality it is more like the Marching 260. They were marching on the street about 160. They also had backups in every category. When they went to the Rose Parade, they pulled in from their ranks alumni from a couple of years back to inflate their appearance. I do not believe that this will happen this year.

The individual fund raising for each member to go to this event was over 700 dollars. That is too much cash to bring in stand ins in alumni and dress them to participate.

So as you watch the Rose Bowl Parade look for the short Hmong trumpet player from Golden Valley. It just may be my student Pao!

Have a safe New Year's Eve tonight

Love
Pat