Go Band!
My love for music started at abour 4 years old. My first memory of performing was in preschool at my graduation ceremony. For kindergarten, I went to a private catholic school where our music class was centered around singing. I was in the children’s choir, and eventually got recruited to be in the adult choir as well. I couldn’t read music, but I could look at the notes and generally know to go higher or lower. This love for music drove me to join band in middle school. From there, my love for music revolved around wind band. I hope you enjoy experiencing my band timeline, including real photos and videos of those memories.
Nobel Middle School
My first experience with band was Nobel Middle School, with director Anthony Espinoza. He is another mentor of mine that should definitely run for president. I had broken my arm at the beginning of the school year playing soccer, so when selecting an instrument, I wanted to play the trumpet, since you only needed one arm. However, all of the trumpet spots were taken. I thought about how my dad played saxophone in high school and decided I wanted to play that. I had a cast almost up to my shoulder, but it ended up being the perfect position for my left arm to play saxophone.
When we started doing marching band, it quickly became a passion of mine. We wore the same green uniforms with white hats that the Cavaliers drum corps wore. Putting on the uniform made me feel like I was transforming into a character. Performing gave me a rush that I didn’t get with other types of performance. Being part of such an interlocked web of students, making shapes on the field while playing music, and working on the coordination of marching and playing at the same time was invigorating. I was excited for this new challenge and knew right away that I would continue for years to come.
The band became my group of friends, my chosen family, and the people I didn’t know would impact me for life. My first kiss was another band member in seventh grade, and all of the people I hung out with during breaks were band members. I also ended up performing on bass drum and cymbals with the indoor drumline , which made me realize for the first time that I could play multiple instruments. That became a passion for me going into high school as well as well.
Chatsworth
For high school, I wanted to go to Granada High School. Nobel generally fed into that school, and they had an amazing band. They also wore kilts and I was dying to experience in that. My friends all went to Granada except for a select few of us who were zoned for Chatsworth based on where we lived. Chatsworth ended up being a great choice for me, because I don’t think I would have gotten as close to the band director at Granada as I did at Chatsworth.
The director was Larry O. Williams, a southern black man with a heart of gold. He cared about us like we were his own grandkids. Like I said in my “3 People Who Should Run For President” post, he always knew what shenanigans were going on, even if we thought he didn’t. Despite knowing our shenanigans, he respected us as musicians and people. He challenged us in areas we didn’t know were possible. He acted like he was sitting back and letting the students run the band. Knowing what I know now about band directing, he put in a lot of work to be able to have the student leaders run the rehearsals. He single-handedly built that culture.
The band had very different shows each year, and each one holds a special place in my heart. We played Mask of Zorro, Earth Wind & Fire, Incredibles, and Chicago. We won trophies at competitions despite being a small band. We all loved it and bought in. The band also had the opportunity to be in a CocaCola commercial with celebrities. On the side, the more dedicated players also played in Allcity, the LAUSD honors marching band that performs in the rose parade.
Allcity
At Allcity, we would have full day rehearsals with breaks in between for a few weeks leading up to January 1st. I did this three years in a row, playing bass drum. The band was brass and percussion only. You had to audition for the drumline, but not for brass. When I first auditioned, many people said that it is very difficult to get bass drum on your first try because there were only 6 spots, so it was very competitive. However, I practiced extensively and nailed my audition. The first year I got 3rd bass, then 2nd, then 1st. I was so honored to have been accepted. It felt validating in thinking that I might actually be pretty darn good. The parade was 7 miles long and I had to tape my asthma inhaler to my drum so I could use it multiple times throughout the route. At the end, we got free In n Out and got to meet members of other bands from across the country. We would switch pins, jackets, patches, whatever we could find to give them in exchange for something of theirs to keep. It was an absolutely thrilling and amazing experience every year.
SDSU
After graduating high school, I went to college for my Bachelors in Music Education at San Diego State. I participated in several ensembles, including marching band, concert band, pep band, choir, opera, and an all female a cappella group. I spent most of my down time practicing or taking naps in the practice rooms. All of my closest friends were marching band people. I even lived with marching band people multiple times. As a music education major, I was most excited about performing and learning to play all of the different instruments. I lived in the dorms, so my whole life was school. Being in the bands kept my spirits up when times were challenging.
During my second semester at SDSU, I was asked to join their indoor drumline, playing synthesizer. At first I declined because I was barely getting a B in piano class and didn’t see how I would be able to learn and memorize piano music. The members saw me constantly carrying around other instruments and ended up convincing me that I could learn the synthesizer. It was also going to be half the price to join, so I said yes. This was the beginning of my “I can do anything I set my mind to” phase of life, which I am still currently in. We practiced for hours, and performed around Southern California. I could tell it was the start of something bigger in my life. I even won the award for most improved musician.
Blue Devils B
The people who led the SDSU Indoor Drumline saw something in me. They were also the pit techs for the Blue Devils B Corps. At the end of season banquet for the drumline, they asked me to play synthesizer for BDB. When they said that, I laughed because that sounded like an opportunity of a lifetime that had to be to good to be true. I had friends who dreamed of being in that group, but didn’t think they were good enough to even audition. However, they were serious, and despite my parents and many people saying it wasn’t a good idea, I said yes. It entailed moving to northern California for the summer, and staying with people I had never met, with no money. I was merely 18 years old, but I am so glad I accepted the opportunity.
The Blue Devils organization changed my life. There are people who start as kids and go through C corps, B corps, and A corps. Even though I was only it in for a year, I gained years’ worth of experience traveling the country doing what I love. It was physically challenging, practicing for hours on end in the heat, and having hospital level asthma and allergy issues in the midwest, where the climate was too different for my body to handle. The mental challenge was a thrill, learning how to play the music on my own, struggling to memorize the music, and thriving under pressure, because all of the kids around me were so talented and inspirational. I will always remember the people I performed with as well as the people who taught us and got us through those grueling days. They pushed us past the limits we thought we had, but intensely supported us all the way through.
Post-School Band
After college, I got my first Band and Choir Director job at Montgomery Middle School and High School. The band passion continued until I move to LA and was at a school that was not a good fit for me. After I resigned, COVID hit, so I decided that a career change would be better for me than staying in a field that was only going to get more difficult. I had multiple different jobs, and kept music education in my life by teaching private music lessons on the side. Fast forward to now, and I have a part time job at Torrance Arts Academy teaching private lessons and a choir. I am hoping to always have music education in my life in one way or another.
Another music priority of mine is to always keep performance a significant part of my life. Once college was done, I didn’t know that there was any other opportunity to play in an ensemble as an adult, until I discovered the Long Beach Community Band, which I played in for a while. After moving to the South Bay of Los Angeles, I joined the Palos Verdes Symphonic Band (video above). That has been a great outlet for me, especially as I have gotten more involved in the logistical side of it as well. A member of the band has introduced me to Klezmer music as well, which has become a fun opportunity to perform at bar mitzvahs and farmers markets. I play with South Bay Klezmer Jam (video below) and the Klezmer Institute of Los Angeles. It is so fun, and the low pressure atmosphere of performing klezmer music makes me feel super comfortable on stage.
Once a Musician, Always a Musician
Spending time in the Palos Verdes community means I have spent quite of bit of time around people who are retired. The passion that they have for music is inspiring, and it makes me feel less crazy for wanting to participate in music ensembles whether I am paid for it or not. I love being around people who match my energy. I will always continue music in some shape or form throughout my life. It is the one thing I do that doesn’t feel like responsibility. Music feels like home.
