The Saratoga High School band will march its way through the 2016 Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1.
More than 200 students have been practicing for weeks and will carpool in buses to Pasadena for the televised performance.
"We couldn’t be prouder of what our students are doing," said Jonathan Pwu, Associate Band Director and Saratoga High School band alumni.
The band was selected after a two-year application process. Administrators were asked to submit video of the band in previous parade and field show performances, plus solicit letters of recommendation from state officials and college educator.
This is the first band in Saratoga High School history to perform at the Rose Bowl parade. Yet, some of the senior students already have experience performing on television.
"Our freshman year we went to the Macy’s parade so for us and the entire graduating class it’s like full circle being on TV and marching in these really awesome parades," said Ellie Lee, a senior.
Saratoga is the only high school band from the Bay Area performing at the 2016 Rose Bowl parade. To represent Northern California, the band will play "Don’t Stop Believin'" by Journey, a rock band formed in San Francisco in the 1970s.
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"What a great Bay Area band, and I think everyone loves Steve Perry and that music," said Michael Boitz, Performing Arts Department Chair. "We wanted something that was really going to identify the Bay Area and hopefully get the crowd excited and get our television audience excited."
Each high school student fundraised $1,200 to travel to the Rose Bowl. While in Southern California the band will also perform at Disneyland with students from another Saratoga school, Redwood Middle.
The band travels to Pasadena on Dec. 28. They are set to be the 65th performance during the live broadcast on New Year’s Day.
Stanford University’s marching band will also perform during the Rose Bowl parade, as the university’s football team will compete against University of Iowa at the Rose Bowl game.
