Hard Work and Dreams: Commitment Pays Off for Thousand Oaks Band

As I sat high in the bleachers in Pasadena on New Year’s Day, with tears streaming down my face, watching the Thousand Oaks High School Lancer Band and Color Guard march in the Tournament of Roses parade, I was remembering an afternoon a little more than five years ago.

My daughter, then a fourth-grade student at Weathersfield Elementary School, brought home a flier announcing the beginning band program.

“Do you think I could?” she asked.

Why not?

We rented a flute because she liked the sound, and she began a program that eventually led her to this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I would like to thank Janine Delwarte, her elementary school music teacher, who had the students playing music by the holidays. I thought it was miraculous, playing Christmas carols in six weeks.

Ms. Delwarte introduced my daughter to the joy of playing music. Carol Alexander instilled discipline in her students during the two years she was my daughter’s music director at Los Cerritos Intermediate School. The children played in concerts and she introduced them to marching for the Conejo Valley Days parade. My daughter began to take her music seriously for Mrs. Alexander.

The high school band experience started in earnest last August, when my daughter arrived at band camp. After several intensive weeks of constant rehearsals and drills, the students performed the beginnings of their new field show, “Cleopatra,” for parents. I was overwhelmed.

Band Director Bill Hoehne combined the joy of music with the discipline, then added the challenge of achievement. The band has practiced eight hours during a school week and every school holiday plus weekends during competitions. He encourages them to work harder and achieve more than they thought possible. Mr. Hoehne provides a total musical experience: parade marching, field competitions and concert performance.

My daughter was apprehensive that as an incoming freshman she needed to meet the very high expectations of this program. I think all the incoming freshmen met those expectations Jan. 1 as they marched down Colorado Boulevard next to the upperclassmen and students who graduated last year and returned from college to march in the parade.

Thank you to the Conejo Valley Unified School District for providing such a fine music program with exceptional instructors.