By Khalida Sarwari
A group of Saratoga students are having a high school career some can only dream about. Two years ago, members of Saratoga High School’s marching band braved the cool fall wind of New York City to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Now, they’re preparing to do it all over again–this time at the 2016 Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
The music department was notified of its selection into yet another high-profile parade in mid-October, and the announcement was made shortly thereafter by representatives from the Tournament of Roses Committee to a crowd of students, parents and elected officials gathered to watch the junior varsity and varsity football games at Saratoga High on Oct. 17.
When Shiva Djabbari heard the news from the field, she couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear.
“In my mind I thought of the thousands of new memories I was going to make next year; it was breathtaking,” said Shiva, 16, a tuba player who was a freshman in the Macy’s Parade and will be a senior in the Rose Parade.
Shiva will be joined by more than 200 members of the marching band and color guard on this trip to Southern California to participate in a parade that’s watched in person by hundreds of thousands of spectators, and is broadcast on multiple television networks in the U.S. The nearly 125-year-old parade is seen by millions more on television worldwide in more than 100 international territories and countries.
Performing in the Rose Parade will be a first for the Saratoga High music department, although historically marching band students at Saratoga High have had the enviable opportunity of performing in some of the most prestigious concert halls across the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House and in several international festivals, most recently in Spain earlier this year.
“I think it’s an incredible testament to the dedication the community has in our kids,” said Michael Boitz, the school’s visual and performing arts chairman. “It’s a testament to the support the community gives to the kids and the school as a whole.”
This was the second time the school had applied to participate in the parade. The department’s associate director, Jonathan Pwu, applied for a second time this spring after their first try in 2013 was rejected. It is not unusual for schools to be rejected on their first attempt, according to Boitz and Pwu.
The application process involved gathering and sending a package comprised of write-ups on why the department is qualified to participate in the parade, a list of accolades, letters of recommendation from people in the field and clips of past performances.
Now the even harder part begins, and preparing for the parade will not be without its challenges. For one, at over five miles long the Rose Parade is twice the length of the Macy’s Parade, and secondly, it’s a multi-day event.
Between now and the end of next year, the department will not only have to work through the logistics of planning a trip of this magnitude but also raise enough money to buy new equipment, such as battery percussion, for the students.
“We want it to be a rich–educationally and musically–trip for them,” Pwu said. “It’s really for the city of Saratoga. Hopefully we’re a symbol for all the residents here.”
Next month, Boitz, along with Pwu and his fellow associate director Anthony Lanzino, will head down to Pasadena to shadow the bands that are participating in the 2015 parade. Though he’s been teaching at the school for 17 years, Boitz said he does not foresee himself growing tired of his job anytime soon.
“For me, the whole thing is a dream,” he said.
For Katie McLaughlin, 16, her excitement about participating in the Rose Parade goes beyond school pride. Sixteen years ago, her dad was at the Rose Bowl watching his college team, the Michigan Wolverines, defeat the Washington State Cougars when he got a call from his wife with news that she was pregnant. So when Katie, who’s a drum major, told him she’d be performing in the 2016 parade, he was predictably elated.
“He called up his whole family,” she said. “He was just really excited. He’s usually a pretty mellow guy, but he couldn’t contain his excitement.”
Aakash Thumaty, who plays the trumpet, said he is more excited about the chance to perform in the Rose Parade than he was about the Macy’s Parade, but never dreamed he’d experience both over the course of his high school career.
Like Shiva and Katie, Aakash extolled the benefits of being a part of the music community at their school. The three of them, along with other members of the marching band, typically put in at least 20 hours a week into rehearsal.
“A lot of people call it a cult, but I call it a lifestyle,” said Aakash, 16. “You spend more time with people in band than the people at home.”
