2008 Woodie Awards
SectionsMarching Band plays as Honor Band in Rose Bowl Parade
Pride traveled to Pasadena for New Years
Jack Dimond
Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Features
Missouri State's Pride Marching Band played in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1, directed by Jerry Hoover and Belva Prather.
Every band in attendance had to apply years in advance to perform at the Rose Bowl, but Missouri State's Pride Band was asked to go this past spring without even applying.
"That is the first time that has ever happened," Liz Stafford, a freshman flutist, said. "We were the honor band, so we got to play first in the five and a half-mile long parade. That's pretty special."
The Pride Band played an arrangement of "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
The drum line, as well as a few horns, had the privilege to play in the Rose Bowl's opening ceremony. These band members had to get up at 1 a.m. to practice, and the rest of the band had to wake at 3 a.m.
To get to California, the band took a charter bus, which is approximately a 36-hour drive both ways, along with paying a substantial set of fees.
"We had to pay a sum at the beginning of the year of around $300, which was included in our initial band fees," Stafford said. "This was actually a very small amount. The band staff did a lot of fundraising to make the band members' cost as little as possible."
There were also several $1,000 donors, along with the university's support of about half of the trip's cost.
While in California, the band also visited Disneyland and played in services at the Crystal Cathedral, as well as visited Universal City Walk.
Every band in attendance had to apply years in advance to perform at the Rose Bowl, but Missouri State's Pride Band was asked to go this past spring without even applying.
"That is the first time that has ever happened," Liz Stafford, a freshman flutist, said. "We were the honor band, so we got to play first in the five and a half-mile long parade. That's pretty special."
The Pride Band played an arrangement of "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
The drum line, as well as a few horns, had the privilege to play in the Rose Bowl's opening ceremony. These band members had to get up at 1 a.m. to practice, and the rest of the band had to wake at 3 a.m.
To get to California, the band took a charter bus, which is approximately a 36-hour drive both ways, along with paying a substantial set of fees.
"We had to pay a sum at the beginning of the year of around $300, which was included in our initial band fees," Stafford said. "This was actually a very small amount. The band staff did a lot of fundraising to make the band members' cost as little as possible."
There were also several $1,000 donors, along with the university's support of about half of the trip's cost.
While in California, the band also visited Disneyland and played in services at the Crystal Cathedral, as well as visited Universal City Walk.
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