The Boulder Creek High School Jaguar Pride marching band, under the direction of Mr. James O’Halloran, has announced their selection to perform at this year’s Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California on December 27. Typically, an invitation to perform at a bowl game would require a lengthy audition process, however, the Jaguar Pride band had the special honor of being selected directly based on their performance history and reputation.
The bowl performance and their 2016 marching season features their show entitled “Schizophrenic Serenade,” which centers around the music of film composer Danny Elfman. Elfman is known for creating the musical scores for many of the Tim Burton movies, including The Dark Knight, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Elfman also created the theme music for the television show The Simpsons and was also the lead singer for the band Oingo Boingo for nearly 20 years. Schizophrenic Serenade marks Elfman’s first effort to tie his various pieces into a continuous musical composition.
The Jaguars’ performance consists of several movements, each of which features melodies from Elman’s popular works. Show preparation began nearly three months ago in July and continues throughout the semester with students logging 10 – 15 hours of weekly practice, 5 hours of in-class commitment and time for personal practice. Along with memorizing and mastering the music, each band member must also learn their movements in a large choreography which consists of multiple marching steps, transitions, sets, instrument positions and visuals. The production is the basis of the Jag’s marching season which consists of eight football game performances, five band competitions and will culminate with the performance at the Holiday Bowl in December.
Also key to the band’s success is the band booster club. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, it is instrumental in collecting donations and hosting fundraising events to help offset the large costs involved in competitions and sending the band to a major bowl game. Upcoming fundraising events will include a car wash, promotions with local restaurants and tickets for an early movie showing.
The band performs “Schizophrenic Serenade” every Friday at the BCHS football games in Anthem and neighboring Deer Valley high schools. Most Saturdays they participate in band competitions around the Phoenix area. If you would like to see a performance, donate or learn more about the Jaguar Pride Marching Band, additional information can be found at bit.ly/BCHS_Band.
