Marching Band Contest Swan Song for Seniors

Sarah Walshe of Ventura had 3,720 musicians and performers from 25 high school marching bands next door Saturday, but she didn’t miss a beat.

She has lived near Larabee Stadium at Ventura High School for 19 years.

“Ventura High School band practices every morning,” Walshe said. “They wake me up with drums. But it’s fine.”

On Saturday, despite chilly weather and rain, the eighth annual Royal Classic Field Tournament, featuring marching bands from all over Southern California, blared on as scheduled at the stadium.

The participants and their gear--from tubas, snare drums and batons to amplifiers and portable synthesizers--filled 67 buses.

“It’s a logistical nightmare,” said Royal High School band Director Robert Aguilar, “but it’s a heck of an event.”

The event, a fund-raiser sponsored by boosters for Simi Valley’s Royal High band, is a field competition in which bands perform as they would at a football game, Aguilar said.

The marching units are judged on musicianship, showmanship, instrumentation and pageantry by members of the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Assn.

Other Ventura County bands participating were from Newbury Park, Oxnard, Westlake and Buena high schools. As the host, the Royal High School band did not compete, but gave an exhibition performance.

The 130-member Thousand Oaks High School Lancer band, however, was at the Tournament of Champions competition in Santa Ana. It was the only group from Ventura County selected to participate in the prestigious contest.

The competitions are “a culminating event for the marching band season,” Aguilar said. “For some seniors, it will be the last time they’ll put on their high school uniforms.”

Royal High School clarinetist Linda Graham, who was participating in her third Royal Classic, plans to attend Cal State Northridge next year. She had mixed feelings about putting on her band uniform for the last time.

“I’m going to miss band because I have good memories,” Linda said, “but it’s really tiring, so it’s a relief.”

Newbury Park High School band member Dawn Cartmel, who will attend University of Nevada at Las Vegas next year, plays the soprano saxophone.

“I’m going to miss everyone,” Dawn said. “I’m kind of down since I won’t be seeing anybody.”

Band boosters manned the ticket, program and food booths Saturday, but the crowd was sparse as the bands went through their paces.

One band played a medley of tunes from television detective shows. Many of them had arrangements of “New World Symphony,” and two performed “I Can See for Miles.”

They could also be heard for miles.

“We think it’s great,” said Brian Meyer, as he listened to the music outside his home on Fairview Drive. “It’s wholesome, healthy stuff. The music is good, and there’s not enough traffic congestion to worry about.”

Another neighbor, Steve Martin, and his 4-year-old son, Alex, were returning home with a Christmas tree Saturday and agreed that the music was something special.

“I enjoy the band competition,” the elder Martin said. “Some of them are quite spectacular.”

William Knapp, a neighborhood resident for 23 years, said the band practice at Ventura High is a little noisy first thing in the morning. But what was really disconcerting, he said, was the cannon that the Ventura College football team used to fire when they scored.

“When they practice at 7 in the morning, it’s not too (bad)--as long as they don’t fire that cannon.”