SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz High School band was invited to perform this weekend in the concert hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., for the John Philip Sousa Festival, held Thursday through Sunday.
“Being selected to perform at the Kennedy Center is an incredible honor for our students and our community,” said Santa Cruz High School Music Teacher Christy Latham. “This trip is not only about showcasing our talent but also about gaining a broader appreciation for our country’s heritage and the role music plays in bringing people together.”
The multi-day musical event highlights the life and legacy of American composer and conductor John Philip Sousa or the “March King” who is known for marches such as “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” which was composed in 1896 and is the official national march of the United States. Alongside commemorating the work of the iconic conductor, the festival features performances from three exceptional high school marching bands and one college band from around the United States.
The Santa Cruz High School band will be joined by students from Eden Prairie High School Wind Ensemble from Minnesota, Mineola High School Wind Ensemble from New York and the wind ensemble from Purdue University. Some of the works performed will be Sousa’s “The Last Days of Pompeii,” “For the President’s Own” by John Williams, “Illumination” by David Maslanka, among others.
Being one of only three high school bands invited to the festival is a prestigious honor for the students of Santa Cruz High School and its band director. Under the direction of Latham, who has been a music teacher for about three decades and the band director at Santa Cruz High School since 1999, the band has earned numerous awards for performances from the local to the state and national levels.
Alongside performing at the event Sunday, the Santa Cruz High School students will have an opportunity to explore landmarks and museums in the nation’s capital such as the Lincoln Memorial and Smithsonian Institute, and sites related to Sousa, including the Congressional Cemetery, where the iconic composer was buried. Students will also participate in a clinic led by T. André Feagin, director of bands and associate professor at Central Washington University.
The Santa Cruz High School Band’s participation in the festival was made possible by the support of local sponsors, fundraisers, parents and community members.