Tournament of Roses Parade marching bands

For the Tournament of Roses Parade, top marching bands from all over the world are invited. Many of the nation's top high school marching bands participate, along with college and organizational marching bands.

The bands participating in the parade have also developed traditions. For example, Pasadena City College's Lancer Marching Band always marches in the Rose Parade, along with high school band and color guard students from all over Southern California, who are selected by audition the previous autumn. The Tournament of Roses Honor Band is a coveted position, and those selected are among the best student musicians in California. Nine of the high school trumpet players, selected by performance on their auditions, and the best snare drummer, are selected as the Herald Trumpets, who march directly before the Rose Queen's float and play fanfares.

University marching bands from the two schools participating in the Rose Bowl Game are invited to march in the parade. They typically accompany the floats that represent the conferences.

In 1891, the Monrovia Town Band was the first musical group to perform in the Rose Parade.

Bands that have a long-standing arrangement to be in the parade include:

In 1980, the Grambling Marching Band was the first HBCU band invited to the Rose Bowl Parade and the first HBCU band to lead the parade.

In 1998, the Washington Township High School Minutemen Marching Band from Sewell, New Jersey, became the first band in the history of the Rose Parade to decorate its entire ranks with live flowers, in keeping with the practice of decorating the parade floats. Designed by Todd Marcocci, this unique concept and design approach received tremendous support from all major media around the world. Since then, several bands have followed suit.

Also, most of the bands participate in Bandfest, which is sponsored by Remo, where bands perform their field shows at Pasadena City College's Mack and Jackie Robinson Stadium over two days. Bandfest consists of three shows (one in the first day and two on the second day). A percussion group from Remo leads a drum circle with the audience, who have received complementary Remo drumheads and sticks prior to the event. The Pasadena City College Honor Band and Herald Trumpets perform first, followed by other bands. All bands are invited to perform at Bandfest, but all do not necessarily perform (typically the university bands involved in the Rose Bowl Game). The band members are treated to lunch from In-N-Out Burger with on-site kitchen-trailers.

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