PRESS BRIEFS ARCHIVE
2005-2006 Season
Future Performances
Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade
Nov. 26, 2006
Contacts
Barbara Heninger
Publicity Volunteer
barbheninger@barbwired.com
Elaine Bernard
Mountain View Music Parents' Association President
elainebernard@yahoo.com
Robin Kramer
Mountain View High School Music Director
robin.kramer@mvla.net
 Ray Giron and Phil Nobel build coffins as props for the Halloween- themed show |
 Janet Trabucco shows off a past costume for the "Stargate" show: an elaborate Egyptian robe. |
(For more photos and full-size originals, please go to the gallery) |
Halloween Comes Early for Band Volunteers
It's only September, but Janet Trabucco has a lot of sewing to do get ready for October: eight blue nightgowns, 16 six-by-ten foot flags, plus 24 smaller flags. Fortunately, she's almost finished the orange and black lamé batwings.
Halloween? Yes, but Halloween on a grander scale than most of us manage. Trabucco is costuming the 15 members of the Mountain View High School Color Guard, who will perform with the 170-member Marching Band in competitions throughout October. This year's show is called "Midnight in Transylvania," and features, among other things, seven full-sized coffins and color guard members wearing batwings. The band members march in the shape of a bat, pit percussion players wear black capes, and drum majors Isaac Giron, Karin Fujii and Jordan Haedtler will dress as vampires. But original plans to outfit the entire marching band in full-length black vampire capes have been put aside.
"It would have looked great," admits Linda Dotson, a volunteer who fits, mends, and organizes band uniforms, "but we didn't know about it in time." Besides, the hoods wouldn't have fit over the player's plumed hats. Meanwhile, volunteers Ray Giron, Vince Leone, Phil Levy, and Phil Nobel are building coffins that they can haul on and off the field, but that won't fall apart if students dance on them. And it all has to be ready by October 1, when the band unveils the field show during its Community Thank You event at the school.
Working out such logistics is an annual exercise at Mountain View High, where the band has won high honors at competitions for more than 20 years. The band has frequently earned the biggest honor in local competitions, the Perpetual Grand Sweepstakes or "Lady of Lodi" at the Grape Bowl Classic in Lodi, California. After a winning streak in 2001 through 2003, the group lost the trophy by a few points in 2004, and the students are determined to win the Lady back this year.
That determination is matched by the dedication of volunteers like Trabucco, whom Mountain View Band Director Robin Kramer calls "an amazing lady." Trabucco has costumed the color guard for 10 years, since her daughter's days in the group in 1995. "What else would you do in September if you didn't do color guard?" Trabucco asks.
An experienced costumer who has also worked in local theater groups, Trabucco can design to order or make it up herself. She remembers a past band director, Rich Alipaz, used to tell her, "Just listen to the music and come up with what you think it sounds like." She once created a full-length, jewel-bedecked golden pharaoh's robe for a show based on the movie "Stargate." Another year she had to whip together forty international flags in a week; they were so successful that the flags still hang from the ceiling in the school commons. Now she works with Color Guard Director Leslee Derahian to design "Transylvanian" costumes that will be both spooky and colorful.
Navigating through her garage filled with costume racks, material, flags to be pinned, and a row of sewing machines, Trabucco ponders why she still does it. After all, it's been six years since her daughter graduated from high school. The answer is simple: "It's fun," she says. "They're good kids doing good things, and you just support them." The many other volunteers who support the band agree, and look forward to another successful marching season.
The band will celebrate that support at its free Community Thank You event, 4:00 pm at the Spartan Stadium at 3535 Truman Ave., Mountain View. Band and color guard members will perform "Midnight in Translyvania" in full costume. Friends, family, and the community are invited to attend and help kick off the 2005 marching band season.
The band's first competition of the season takes place Oct. 8 at the Cupertino Tournament of Bands. A free parade down the south side of Stevens Creek Blvd. between Torres Ave. and Wolfe Rd.takes place approximately 11 a.m. The field show competition begins at 4:30 p.m at Cupertino High School.
For more information, contact:
Barbara Heninger, Band Publicity Volunteer, barbheninger@barbwired.com
Elaine Bernard, MV Music Parents Association President, elainebernard@yahoo.com
Robin Kramer, MVHS Music Director, robin.kramer@mvla.net