The musical sounds echoing out of the canyon the nights of a Palisades High home football game have changed from last year: they’re stronger, more vibrant. Pure brass, perfectly tuned, strong percussion, flutes, clarinets and a lone piccolo echo above the shouts and referee whistles. “Three years ago the band barely had enough kids to form a P,” junior Divya Subrahmanyam said. “This year we have enough kids to make formations.” The school’s marching band has grown from a pep band that played at football games to full-fledged marching band. At halftime during a recent game between Venice and PaliHi, the bands from both schools took the field. The difference in sound left no doubt to which had the superior sound: unlike the football game, Palisades won hands down. In late September 2002, sophomore Ivaylo Getov, a drum major, was trying to get a marching band started. His honors biology teacher Brendhen Van Loo (who also teaches Advanced Placement biology) saw his student working with the band and they struck up a conversation. Ivaylo learned that Van Loo had been in marching band in high school in Greeley, Colorado, playing the alto saxophone. His school had a strong music program and the marching band placed high in state competition during his senior year. Van Loo also played in the USC marching band, “which is one of the best bands in the nation,” he said in a recent interview. “It was one of the highlights of college for me.” Ivaylo asked for Van Loo’s help. He taught them marching steps and turns. “Our goal three years ago was to march during the halftime at homecoming,” Van Loo said. Which they did,with their short, two-song show. Band membership increased to about 40 the following year, and last year the Booster Club bought new uniforms, new music and three new drums. The band marched at all the games and performed a nearly 12-minute halftime show. This year the band has grown to about 50 members. “Since many of the musicians already have experience, we can do more in a shorter amount of time,” Van Loo said. “They are like a college marching band because they learn new formations every week.” Palisades High approved special funding for the band, which enabled it to buy 17 new songs, three new snare drums, two new bass drums and a new pair of quads. The school also funded new uniforms for the drum majors and a new conducting platform. Will they try marching in the town’s Fourth of July parade? “It would be great to see them do this,” Van Loo said, “but it would require a teacher or someone else to be in town for the Fourth.” He does think the group has the commitment to march. “Most are highly motivated students.” “It’s still a thrill to get out there and see them perform, to help design the shows, and see the final product,” Van Loo said. “Working with the band is relaxing. It takes away the stress of teaching.” At last Friday’s homecoming game against Hamilton, the band performed a 12-minute show with four songs at halftime. There’s a final home game November 10 against Westchester, and the band will be entering a competition on December 10. (Additional reporting provided by Palisadian-Post intern Divya Subrahmanyam)
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