1969 Loara High School Band Purple Carnival March All Western Band Review

[@dbjrsd]

I was actually there witnessing this phenomenal music organization when this awesome sound occurred on that warm Saturday afternoon after Thanksgiving, November of 1968 in Long Beach CA. Our band from El Cajon Valley High School actually received the highest musical score of the day playing the march Chicago Tribune. We were a scrappy group of about 80 members that worked ourselves to the bone five days a week for three months in hopes of somehow capturing the Long Beach All Western Mayor's Trophy as our school had accomplished back in 1957 - 1959 and 1962. However, when my buddy and I heard this great big huge bombastic sound from Loara High School playing the Purple Carnival march, we knew that we were very soundly defeated as well as every other band there on that day. Loara's sound and marching precision that day resembled more of the US Marine Corp Band's esprit de corps. What a great memory captured in this KZbin video, and thank you for posting this.

[@maggiekelly4055]

Classy comment, David, thank you! I was about 8-9 behind this band at Loara. Those are days I'll treasure forever... as I'm sure you will, too. We were fortunate to 'come of age' during that great era in high school music. Cheers!

[@anobesewalnut8yearsago994]

Nice

[@Cerl84]

All marching bands should return to this style. Great sound. Powerful Baritones and rich full trumpet section.

[@rommelanacanofficial]

I was in the Loara Band from 89-92 and I remember Mr. Schroeder telling the story of The Purple Carnival Band many times! It was awesome to be able to see footage from that famed band!

[@maggiekelly4055]

Mr. Marino would sometimes play it for us in the band room, as an example of what we should sound like. We BEGGED him to compare us to this band, as we had our share of victories, too. (1975-77) He teasingly (and wisely) kept us right on the edge of believing we were on par with this group. That was enough for us! But always we were taught to 'not rest on our laurels' and that other bands were dying to take a shot at us. So fun! I will think of him with a smile for the rest of my days. How blessed we were to be under his guidance and direction.

[@ajbtw6656]

He don’t teach anymore but he still tells us about it when he helps out

[@genballs6729]

Mr.schroeder teaches to this day! 😂

[@schroederjohn]

It was my brother, Bill Schroeder, who had the privilege of taking over the Loara Band program from Rick. He too retired a few years back and called yesterday to let me know Rick had passed away. Bill was a clarinet player in the "Purple Carnival Band" featured in the KZbin recording. He has an audio copy of the same performance and would play it for me every so often with a smile on his face remembering just how good they were. I doubt even our own father had as much of an impact on Bill's life as Rick did. Rick Marino's love of music and life were passed on to many young people and he will be greatly missed. My blessings to Theresa and Miles in this time of mourning.

[@maggiekelly4055]

Thank you, John. Your brother had some tough shoes to fill, but fill them he did... he kept the Loara standards and tradition at a top level for so many years. The demographics have changed somewhat, but not the passion for music and excellence. Rick Marino was truly inspiring and indeed had a profound impact on so many of us. ~~ Loara Band Member 1975-77 ; )

[@jovanosborne081999]

John Schroeder What college did he revive his Degree from ?

[@maggiekelly4055]

I've recently learned that Rick Marino, iconic band director for Loara for many years, is in declining health and is in hospice. Your prayers for his peace and comfort, and for that of his family are appreciated. Definitely a legend among legends in high school music.

[@101jmitch]

It is with great sadness to learn that Rick has passed away. This recording is the finest performance ever at the All Western...period. It was my honor to work around Benton Minor(All Western Sweepstakes 63), Larry Curtis, Gabe Bartold, Gordon Norman, Marvin Marker, Don Wilcox, and of course Rick Marino during those wonderful All Western years. Rick's unsolicited complement to me after the 75 All Western (we tied for music honors that day) will always be a treasure to me. He was truly a legend among legends. Blessings and peace to his family and friends at their painful loss. John Mitchell - Glendora 73-76

[@brichpmr]

It was so great back in the '60s playing in the Anaheim Youth Symphony under Rick Marino and H Robert Reynolds! We rehearsed at Loara High School, and both directors were inspirational and really cool, yet demanding. The great So Cal HS and college directors in that era are true legends: Marino, Reynolds, Wilcox, Curtis, Minor and more...a great time to be a young musician.

[@bryanmayen9937]

This 1969 Loara band is so incredible and inspirational. I currently am in the Loara Band, and noticed that this year(2019) marks 50 years ago when the band played at the All Western Band Review. A big respect to all players and Mr.Marino for this honorary achievement.

[@kentbesinque6354]

I was Arcadia class of 69, played Tenor Sax. We were honor band at Long Beach in 1968, having retired the trophy after winning sweepstakes previous 3 parades. So, I was able to watch Loara at this event. I was stunned. Awesome sound and showmanship, took my breath away, and I knew instantly that they would take sweepstakes.. To this day I get goose bumps watching this. Takes me back to those exciting exhilarating days of band competitions.

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

“Glory Days.” I was a member of the band, and Mr Marino was a real character. His stories (and he had lots of them) were fun, though most tended to be a little R-rated. It was a different world back then, and Loara was a much different school.

[@sozialdemo]

This was actually 1968 at the All Western Band Review in Long Beach, California. (I was there.) Loara won the Mayor's trophy that year. Thanks to whoever posted this. I thought it was lost forever.

[@rommelanacanofficial]

John Schroeder yours is the voice I hear when I think of the introduction to our band performances! And, you were the MC of the Spring Show in 92 where I sang a song, so I can still hear you introducing me as well! Hope all is well!

[@GayleWilson1]

This was the year after I graduated (I was in the band '66 to '68) but watching this video made me feel like I was right there, marching with them. Mr. Marino helped us be nearly flawless, didn't he? We almost always won competitions and we were great at halftime. I loved our uniforms...am I right in remember '66 as being the first year of the big shako hat?... Mr. Marino was very proud of us getting those. He was always proud of us too. That band was the highlight of my high school days!

[@ruebencarrillo1431]

1969 was my first year marching in Loara’s marching band…it was the best. Loara’s band was amazing! Thanks for great memories…

[@FIdave01]

Although I didn't know Mr. Marino personally, I can tell you that his bands were always prepared to compete and always left everything on the street or the field. To beat them on any given Saturday, you had to earn it. Old Arcadian (1980-82)

[@maggiekelly4055]

Thank you, Arcadia was always one of the toughest bands to try to beat. I believed we swapped victories during my Loara days (1975-77). Much respect to the Apaches!

[@acmarc46]

I am Loara class of 85. I remember in 82 or 83, Mr. Marino talking about this march in 69. Mr. Marino spoke of mothers throwing their babies in the air as the 1st note sounded. Almost 30 years later I finally hear it firsthand. And he was right. It is a shame we had to wait this long. It would have been inspiring to hear these great old recordings, and understand what legacy really we were carrying on. We had some great bands in the early 80s, but I dont remember sounding this good.

[@tonyajones6470]

I am very impressed with this recording video and audio for it to be so old and sound so good....I was an Armijo Superband member from 76-80....and if this is the same school I think it is, I am even more impressed. In the 70's, there was a school that competed against us, I think in Cupertino, called Loara "Saxon"...are they the same? What I remember of them, was that they were very large, like us (rare) and had a "big sound" (also rare).....

[@maggiekelly4055]

Yes, Tonya, this is the Loara Saxon Marching Band from Anaheim. I may have been there competing against you at Cupertino. I was class of '78; you? What city was your school located in? I sort of remember the name Armijo. What I remember most about Cupertino was staying overnight and sleeping on the gym floor in sleeping bags. Good times!

[@tuttilynn3791]

Rick was a great band director, educator, and colleague. Many children were blessed by his expertise in education. I'm so sad to hear of his passing. He was a great educator.

[@miarocks]

I was in Loara's band from '75-'78. Bassoon (concert season) and piccolo (marching). We won a few events during that time, most notably All Western. As successful as we were, we always BEGGED to be compared to the '69 Purple Carnival band, but Marino would never quite give us that distinction. It was fun to bug him about it anyway. Something to strive for, as that's what excellence sounded like for us. You don't see any flutes because Marino didn't believe in using them. He said you couldn'

[@ahey4]

I remember Loara very much as we always were trying to beat them in band marching competition. I was in Western High School Band Anaheim CA from 1970 to 1972 and still have a marching record from that time period still playable. I remember we did beat Loara once in the time I was in the band and was very surprised we did that.

[@BassClefFTW]

WOW!!!! this is my favorite march, and they played soooooooo great!!! the first few seconds of hearing it my jaw literally dropped!! it was SOOO AMAZING!! Amazing tone from the tubas!!! I'm just speechless and in awe!! :'D

[@meljeff96]

Wow. It was so good to revisit that. I was in that band, too! It was so much fun reliving all the stuff, from the TP of Mr. Marino's house, to the La Mesa band competition. I've so lost track of all the folks I knew in those years, but i've never forgotten the thrill of being a part of the Show Band of the West. Jeff Baxter

[@UnboundChaosControl]

Mr. Marino clinicians my high school's band every year hes one of the best clinicians we get hes a great clinician thanks to him and the movement he did to the band and the advice he gave us we got sweepstakes at our very first competition

[@miarocks]

NO ONE CAN EVEN COMPARE TO THIS SOUND!!! Show Band of the Western States! Go Saxons, the proud tradtion continues!

[@BassClefFTW]

I've watched this video SO many times, just listening to the music, that I didn't notice how flawless there marching is!

[@MrHah18]

The march, the band, the director ... all came together. Then came the tp job at Marino's house, the un-permitted parade and the Disneyland appearance, with Miles Marino screaming "Dad, the Drum Major's pants are falling down!" which was true. This video is the best of the tremendous and vivid memories of having been there. Thanks for posting it. And I cried, too.

[@maggiekelly4055]

@Hal Hurwitz, was this the year that you were Drum Major? Regardless, you must’ve been something to lead the Saxons, especially in their heyday.

[@EricBassTrombone]

I currently play in the Loara Band right now and this is just...wow! We need to bring this kind of playing back!

[@miarocks]

This still gives me chills every time I hear it! None better. Thanks, Mr. Marino for such a great experience. You are a band god!

[@bomberman479]

Loara's rendition of Purple Carnival never ceases to amaze me. If you could please post March Grandioso and Army of the Nile from the early 70s I would greatly appreciate it! For the field, the show with the 1812 finale please. Loara Bass Trombone 03-07

[@namelessrevisited]

@THE3FATGUYS That's right. That same night we toilet papered Marino's house and that clip at the end with the tree. We marched and played (without a permit no less) from Loara to his house on Sunday morning in our street cloths to clean up the mess.

[@bimborc]

I played The Purple Carnival at the All Western Band Review in Long Beach in 1976 with La Puente High School. Just seeing that parade route brings back instant memories. Los Altos High School Played the same march that year.

[@SpikefanTheTerrible]

Beautiful sound. Thanks for posting these long-lost films and digging up the vinyl recordings from the late, great Long beach parade. I feel like an old geezer telling people, "Once upon a time, there were band reviews with 80 bands!" and they look at me and say, "You mean those kids who play at halftime at the football games?"

[@phosgene2]

amazing recording. there is some noise of course but the dynamic range is greater than any other video of this march i have seen. those first few hits were awesome. this band was tight. i've played this many times but you seldom get to hear it like this when your're in the middle of the band on the street. donate this recording to loara. great stuff. i played this parade in the 80s but you can hear the echoes that i always remember from long beach all western. good times...

[@1912fld]

What a sound! All those days are gone - the So. Calif. bands back in the late 60s into the late 70s were amazing.

[@robotnik77]

Checking in: Loara Class of '65. Loara Orchestra member, 63-65. Yes, Marino was the best. His Loara Orchestra consistently took top honors, too. We owed it to Rick and his musical pals, who used to show up from time to time as guest experts, like the violinist, Giuseppe (Joe) Nardulli, and Robert (forgot his last name) from Long Beach State. Some of us even played in the pit orchestra at Melodyland Theater in the Round, across from Disneyland, in Anaheim, where Hollywood Stars would perform. Many L.A. Philharmonic musicians were in the Melodyland orchestra, and we teenagers were like apprentices, though we played the same music as the pros. Eventually, they banded together and created the Orange County Symphony, which morphed into the current Pacific Symphony. One of the teachers at Loara, Bob Neff, was an excellent violinist, and he and we would do shows off-campus, in hastily clabbered together volunteer orchestras to perform musical plays like Oklahoma, etc. My Grandfather was a band director through the first half of the last century, so it was like eating and breathing to me. Now music programs seem to be an afterthought.

[@maggiekelly4055]

It would be interesting to learn how many Saxons went on to perform in professional orchestras. I know that Rick Marino inspired many of his students to teach music at all levels. My fellow Saxon band member, Russell Dicey, currently plays the French horn in the Pacific Symphony (and has for many years). The Marino legacy...

[@miarocks]

You don't see any flutes because Marino didn't believe in using them. He felt you couldn't hear them and I'm assuming he liked the look of piccolos better too (marching instrument angle). He liked to feature them in marches like Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever. I was SO FORTUNATE to have had him as my band director!! So inspirational, passionate, motivational, ITALIAN, energetic. He even sang musical phrases in operatic tenor style. He was without a doubt the single BEST teacher I had i

[@lizbeachside]

I an more than proud to say I was a part of the group from 71 to 74 we were the lucky ones doing the 1812

[@boredinbearcity]

Heard a few stories about the 1812 at the stadium... lol! I was '80-'83- graduated the year Mr Marino retired. Both Marino and Schroeder made my years there something to remember..

[@ericdee8638]

As a member of the Pasadena High School Marching Band from 1967-1969, we marched early in this parade and went back to the competition area. Wow did Loara do a great job on this march! BTW Loara's band beat us by either 1/10th or 2/10ths of a point that year.

[@veemocam]

proud to be an alum of the loara band!

[@sozialdemo]

I was a senior class of 69 (not at Loara). Thanks again for putting this piece together.

[@miarocks]

. He was without a doubt the single BEST teacher I had in all my years of K12 education-- and I had MANY excellent teachers in Anaheim! Btw, I'm now in my 27th year as an educator in the Anaheim district :)

[@Music213]

I'm impressed! Very nice!!

[@indigogirl17]

A proud member of this band, playing bells

[@ugm0]

@GayleWilson1 yes. Rick became an SCSBOA judge after he retired from directing and was a master clinician to other bands as well.

[@namelessrevisited]

@mannytrumpet They all were playing the piccolos. Flutes weren't loud enough

[@namelessrevisited]

@sozialdemo Yes it was 1968 but I refer the 68-69 school year as the 1969 band.

[@twphilosopher]

@namelessrevisited jebus....

[@deadcoww]

@namelessrevisited Man, reading you and THE3FATGUYS talk about the fun times in your past really depresses me. It's amazing the kind of bonds marching band can create.

[@JusticeHails]

Just simply amazing

[@OboevsSaxophone]

The sound literary took my breath away!@$@$@$@$

[@Euphreak]

One day...I'll be able to play Baritone just like this.

[@anobesewalnut8yearsago994]

It’s been 8 years can you play this good?

[@trumpetchump]

Wow!! This is amazing and very cool!

[@altosax18]

@WORK949 my dad was a freshman and played trombone when you were at Arcadia!

[@theusdollar9042]

00:17 the good part.

[@anobesewalnut8yearsago994]

Who would dislike this

[@Timbobtim4]

with all of you out there from loara-Is there NOONE who has or can post any sound recordings of the band in 1969???? I mean Washington Grays on the street and Iight cavalry overture on the field!!!! I wish!

[@Noah.cod.m]

I am hear because mr Dominguez the loara band instructor told me to watch this and I am in marchingband

[@Synthetrix]

Legendary

[@slappy1234567]

Great!

[@unchartedNightmare]

glad to be a saxon

[@trimperronald7045]

best ever!!! wow!!

[@namelessrevisited]

@iPercussion1 Let me see, there were only 3 junior trombone players that year as I recall, Gary Klinglesmith, Don Ridenour, and Tim Hartley. Which one is your dad?

[@faithgarcia6875]

A masterpiece

[@anobesewalnut8yearsago994]

Yessir You and I are the only recent people lol

[@sozialdemo]

@namelessrevisited Corona High in Riverside County. We all thought Anaheim school's bands were awesome. Do you remember when Savanna used the confederate flag for their "tall flags"? (You are the third one on the right.)

[@namelessrevisited]

@sozialdemo What high school did you go to? My sister was in the class of 69 also. This was my sophomore year. See if you can pick us out. Shouldn't be to hard.

[@GayleWilson1]

@ugm0 Is this Mr. Marino the band teacher?

[@TheDm97]

under the direction of Rick Marino? If so very good director and music judge

[@1912fld]

Is the video from the 1969 All Western Band Review?

[@mannytrumpet]

@namelessrevisited Oh now i see,that makes sense

[@hoppyhoppy777]

wow really good

[@BassClefFTW]

@acmarc46 Mr. Marino clinicians my High School's band every year and 2 years ago he said that SAME exact thing! lol

[@ugm0]

Rick Marino.

[@mannytrumpet]

How come i dont see any flutes?

[@andrew.714]

Because flutes are for pansys

[@donitadesse4285]

Damn

[@joshiegreatmc4655]

2019

[@andre29174]

They dont play this march at tempo

[@bryannguyen8440]

+Andre Amalemba Really? We have our own tempo dude! We set it the way we want to set it so please don't ever comment about our school like this.

[@maggiekelly4055]

And thus it sounds better that way!! Every other version I hear sounds rushed. It takes a trained ear of someone like Rick Marino to know that those notes need to 'hang' in the air sometime, that phrases can't be hurried or they bump up against each other. Obviously the judges at the 1969 All Western Band Review didn't have a problem with it when they awarded the SWEEPSTAKES TROPHY and crowned Loara SHOW BAND OF THE WESTERN STATES.

[@andre29174]

Its called a march for a reason and last time I checked marches were not played that slow but you know it takes a trained ear to see how a song is meant to be played

[@maggiekelly4055]

Oh okay, I guess you can just ignore all the comments on here of how amazed people are by the sound! Including people who were in bands back in the golden age of HS music or have been involved in music for many years. But you must be an expert and know something they don't. Bet you've listened to it multiple times because once wasn't enough!

[@andre29174]

Its called being an alumni