Every Rose Has its Horn

Marching down Colorado Blvd. in their white and cardinal band clothing, the Pasadena City College Marching Band held their heads high as they played proudly for about one million people, for the five and a half miles of the Rose Parade.

"There are so many people who come from everywhere for this parade." said Esteban DeLeon, who is in his fourth year on the drum line. "Once we got to PCC, we were home and it was the half way mark. We got a new burst of energy and had a great time."

In his second year on the marching band and first year as a herald trumpeter, Chris Polet said that the experience was "A lot of fun" and that "A lot of work was put into this event."

The marching band spent "countless hours" said Kyle Luck, Director of Bands, who is in his sixth year as Director. Luck is a former member of the Lancer band himself, having also been in the '83 and '84 Rose Parade's with the PCC Marching Band. "You have to have pretty exceptional experience to make it into the band" said Luck. "We auditioned five hundred high school students and out of that, only one hundred and forty six of those students made it in." Two hundred and twenty nine, both high school and PCC students, made it on the roster in the end.

The marching band spent two months preparing for the Rose Parade, doing a lot of long exercises and practices to prepare their bodies for what was to come. "As well as having your body ready, you need a never-give-up attitude." Said Kyla Sickles, Co-captain of the colorguard. "As a performer I, personally, feed off the energy of the crowd. So hearing them cheer for us, helps me keep going and not give up."

The PCC marching band is one of only four bands that receives an annual invitation to the Rose Parade, and is the official Tournament of Roses Honor Band. The other three bands are The United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band, The Salvation Army Band and The Los Angeles Unified School District Band.

"It was a great day" said Luck. "There is nothing like it. There is a sea of people for about six miles, and they are all cheering as you walk by. It was great."