Preparing for Pasadena: Homewood band to march in its 5th Tournament of Roses Parade

The Homewood High School band is getting ready to make another trip to Pasadena.

For the fifth time in school history, the Homewood Patriot Band will make its way to California to participate in the 133rd Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, preceding the annual Rose Bowl college football game.

“We typically look to Homewood as an example of America’s best,” Parade Director Bob Miller said. “This is what band education is all about.”

Miller said Homewood has an “incredible” school district and said he has noticed how the community and band rally around each other.

Band Director Chris Cooper said the band’s motto is “we teach music; we teach life,” and said after not being able to march last year as previously scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year is special.

“It broke our heart that seniors couldn’t go last year, but the Tournament of Roses did a virtual salute,” Cooper said.

Homewood was the first band featured in that salute, Cooper said. Being able to actually travel to Pasadena this year and represent Homewood is “really what makes us get up in the morning,” Cooper said. “There’s a lot of excitement when that call comes.”

Senior and head drum major Kate Boone said marching in the parade is a really big deal. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Boone said.

Preparing for the parade takes a lot of time, focus, practice hours and sweat, she said.

Boone said it’s important to have student leadership, and while she is sad for the seniors who could not go last year, the band has dedicated this year’s performance to them.

The parade itself, broadcast on national television, is as big as the game, with 650,000 to 700,000 people expected to attend and between 30 and 40 million people viewing around the country, Miller said. “This is a moment of hometown pride that’s hard to put into words,” he said.

While those viewers may not realize it while watching from the comfort of their sofas, the parade travels roughly 6 to 6.5 miles, Miller said.

“We have to work kids twice a week to get prepared,” Cooper said. “We’ll go to the stadium a lot, the parking lot, track, etc.”

The band will even march down to Daxko on Lakeshore Drive, Cooper said. The band also has to learn how to do a 110-degree turn, which is difficult.

“They will be prepared,” Cooper said.

Preparing for the parade also takes money because the trip isn’t cheap. Cooper said fundraising is going very well, with Snap Raise, a digital fundraising campaign, raising $100,000 in 28 days, and a gala held in late August raising what Cooper guessed was more than $20,000.

“That’s when you realize what a special place you live in,” Cooper said.

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Miller said there has been a “great deal of deliberation and study” ahead of approving the parade to be performed in person.

Because of the availability of vaccines and the state of California seeing the negative effects of an economic shutdown — Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom faced a recall election – there is “very little chance” the parade will be canceled for a second year in a row. That is helped by a 94% vaccination rate in Pasadena, Miller said.

Being the school’s fifth appearance in the parade, Homewood students learn at an early age that appearing in the Tournament of Roses parade is the goal of every band member, Cooper said. “When a kid joins the band in sixth grade, their hope is to march in the Rose Parade and the Macy’s Parade.”