Anaheim, California — The vibrant heartbeat of staccato snares, thumping sousaphones and tramping shoes moving in unison filled the gray morning air recently in the parking lot outside Angel Stadium. At one end of the cracked asphalt, stacks of travel-worn cardboard boxes and new instrument cases pile up, and scores of young musicians march in tight formation, circling the vast space. , danced and played.
It was a few days before the Rose Parade, and one of the last times the Kyoto Tachibana High School Green Band had to practice the eight-song medley and accompanying choreography.
Yuika Okai (left) and Karin Yamamoto enjoy a light moment during a break from rehearsals for the upcoming Rose Parade.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Japanese School, one of 24 bands scheduled to perform at the Pasadena procession, will be performing for the third time on New Year’s Day. They will join international bands from Mexico, Panama and Denmark.
The Japanese band’s whirlwind visit to Southern California began on Christmas Day, when performers and instruments began arriving at Los Angeles International Airport. For most, it was their first visit to the United States.
They practiced Thursday and Friday and returned to a nearby hotel, making long charter bus trips back and forth while local volunteers transported the instruments in Penske mobile trucks.
The Kyoto Tachibana High School Green Band rehearses for the Rose Parade in the Angel Stadium parking lot in Anaheim.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
When asked about their first impressions, many of the young band members talked about how friendly the Americans they met were. Several people also raved about the food, especially the hotel’s bacon and eggs (a rare breakfast in Japan).
“Everything is huge. There are lots of cars and highways,” 18-year-old saxophonist Kokoro Kumagai said through an interpreter. “I went to the supermarket, and all the products were huge and the colors were very bright. They all looked delicious.”
This group is considered the best and most innovative high school marching band in Japan. The band was made up of all girls until just a few years ago, when the school started admitting boys. This year, 109 enrolled students and 82 recent graduates traveled to California.
The Kyoto Tachibana High School Green Band is considered the best and most innovative high school marching band in Japan. The band was made up of all girls until just a few years ago, when the school started admitting boys.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Over the weekend, band members scattered throughout Southern California, staying with families from Seal Beach to Ontario. Many said they were excited to experience normal American life and might see tourist attractions or go shopping in between appointments. He has a busy schedule, including a charity concert at John F. Kennedy High School on La Palma Island on Sunday, a Rose Parade Bandfest event at Pasadena City College on Monday, and a performance at the Disneyland parade in the new year. He was doing the following. Eve.
Bob Kunihiro said he invited two band members to his family home in Anaheim Hills in 2018 and decided to do the same this year. He takes them to area restaurants and outlets, which he said is a popular option, especially since American clothing is usually more expensive in Japan due to the current weak yen.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s really fun, and the kids are really kind,” Kunihiro said. “Many of the children don’t speak much English, so I feel very anxious. I speak a little Japanese, but I also use Google Translate, which helps.”
That anxiety is felt the moment they raise their instruments in the air, wearing their signature yellow and black collared tops and orange skirts (or, in the case of a few male players, black pants). It disappears. The band is a coordinated burst of energy and is much more active than your average marching band, with members skipping, high kicking, and sassing as they play their songs.
Kyoto Tachibana principal Fumihiko Yasuda said, “About 200 high school students and graduates are scheduled to put on a wonderful performance that combines dance and music.”
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Kyoto Tachibana Principal Fumihiko Yasuda, who watched Friday’s practice, said, “I’m sure the approximately 200 high school students and graduates will perform a very impressive performance that combines dance and music.” “They perform eight songs with very deft steps and very beautiful sounds.”
The band leaders have performed everything from Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” and Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” to the Beach Boys classic “Surfin’ USA” and the jazz standard “Sing Sing.” He said he chose songs that American audiences of all ages would enjoy. Thing” was made famous by Benny Goodman.
For the band members, Rose Parade day begins a few hours before dawn, with plans to arrive near the parade route around 3 a.m. The actual performance lasts about two hours, during which they play an eight-song medley on repeat. It loops through the streets of Pasadena and ends at midnight.
Kyoto Tachibana High School Green Band listens to the music director during rehearsal.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
The next day, the high school students return to Japan to study for the exam. The graduates will spend an additional day in the United States and visit another location: Disneyland.
“We want to put on a very good performance. We want to have fun, and we want everyone watching to have fun too,” Kumagai said. “It’s a kind of harmony. Through our music and marching performance, we want the American people to know peace and harmony.”
