The Cupertino Courier

Photograph by Dane Andrew

Kelsey Christian, left, and another Homestead student congratulate trumpet player Jessica Tibbot, center, after the field show.

With A Bang

Homestead High takes Þrst place in Tournament of Bands

By Katherine Petersen and Natasha Collins

The Homestead High School Band marched to first place in the annual Tournament of Bands, held Oct. 4 in Cupertino.

"I am really proud that they did so well early in the season," said John Burn, Homestead's band director. "I think this shows this will be one of our most successful years."

Homestead's performance was judged to be just a hair behind the Sweepstakes winner, Mountain View High School, in the overall category. Mountain View scored a 92.15, just hundredths of a point ahead of Homestead's 92.

Preparing for the competition was a lot of work, but the payoff was worth it, Burn said.

"Band started two weeks before the beginning of school, and they had to spend three days and two nights at band camp," he added.

As Homestead lined up for the morning parade down Stevens Creek Boulevard, there was no need for the director to motivate them--the 130 members were already psyched up. With their black pants neatly pressed and their forest-green cadet jackets on, the band prepared to march.

The color guards, dressed in 1940s dresses, and the drum majors, in military uniforms, joined the band as they made the 1.5-mile trek with 18 other Bay Area bands from Cupertino's Town Center to Cupertino High School.

The competition was broken down into a number of categories, including showmanship, color guard, percussion, file unit, marching and parade. Each school was judged in the categories and the scores were totaled to find out which band would be the best in the Bay Area.

Lynbrook High School came in third overall, and Monta Vista High School placed fifth. Cupertino High School did not compete because it hosted the competition.

"We usually score well, but this is one of the best performances we have done this early into the school year," Burn said. "Usually it takes us awhile to get our act together, and we do better later on in the season."

Monta Vista band director John Gali was proud of his school's standing in the competition and said his team was at a disadvantage when it came to scoring.

"Our main focus here at Monta Vista is like [that of] a college band. Our music is fast-tempoed with no ballads, no Beethoven and no drama," he said. "We don't have the props or sideline instruments which are needed to win. We just try to entertain."

After completing the march down Stevens Creek Boulevard, bands hastily prepared for the field competition. Band members barely had enough time to get back to school, practice their routines and get a bite to eat before they were scheduled to perform in front of the judges. The field performance is where bands can really become creative, Burn said.

Homestead High School began its routine with the song "Johnny Comes Marching Home." To continue the World War II theme, the band re-enacted the homecoming of a sailor in uniform hugging his wife after the war. To complete the first half, the wife jumped into the arms of the sailor just as the song ended.

Forties swing music got the crowd and the band really moving in the second half of the performance, Burn said.

"The kids really like playing the music, and the audience really gets into it," he said. "Everyone was yelling and screaming and clapping their hands."

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