Marching Band prepares to spread holiday cheer in Los Gatos

For the first time in years, the Saratoga High marching band and Color Guard will be performing with Redwood Middle School in the Los Gatos Christmas Parade on Dec. 7. 

Drum major and senior Anup Kar believes that the parade will strengthen the bonds between Saratoga High and Redwood.

“We want to get more involved in having a really strong high school to middle school program,” Kar said. “We want to get the middle school students to get used to the high school experience and have fun with some high schoolers.”

Kar and band director Jonathan Pwu both hope that this will become a tradition between Saratoga and Redwood. 

“Letting the younger guard members meet the upper guard members, and same with the percussionists and the wind players,” Pwu said. “It’s really, really exciting for a middle schooler to stand side by side with a senior but then play the same music and do the same march.”

For some of the high school students, marching in a parade will be a new experience.  Unlike field performances, marching in a parade is closer to the audience and requires marching in a tight block and performing every second.

“[Since] it’s a parade we have to march very differently.  It’s not all over the field; it’ll be in a straight line,” said Color Guard member Jennifer McAfee.

McAfee has been in guard since sixth grade, so she remembers performing in similar parades in middle school.

“It will be a huge blast to the past, back to the middle school days,” McAfee said.

McAfee and Kar believe that it will be a little more relaxed than field competitions.

“We’ll be marching down the street, just for fun,” Kar said.