SARASOTA - Three student bands from Sarasota High School will perform "An All-American Concert" at a special fundraising concert at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20, in the Police Athletic League (PAL) Sailor Circus Arena.
A suggested donation of $5 or more is requested to help fund a trip by the bands to Washington, D.C. in January for events related to the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
The Sarasota High School Wind Ensemble, the Admirals jazz band and the Mighty Sailor Marching Band will display their talents playing American music as diverse as John Philip Sousa marches, jazz from the Big Band era and Frank Ticheli's "American Elegy," a tribute to the victims of the 1999 Columbine High School tragedy in Colorado. The Mighty Sailor Band will also perform its signature piece, the U.S. Navy anthem "Anchors Aweigh."
Eighty students from the three bands and 20 adults, including SHS staff and parent chaperones, will make the trip to the nation's capital to perform on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Presidential Inaugural Heritage Festival at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
The Mighty Sailor Band also hopes to have the honor of performing in the inauguration day parade on Tuesday, Jan. 20 - including a march past the presidential reviewing stand in front of the White House. John Roseboom, SHS band director, submitted the application to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee and hopes to get a positive response by early December.
"We have letters of support from Senator Bill Nelson, Senator Mel Martinez and Congressman Vern Buchanan," said Roseboom, "as well as Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White. Only a relatively small number of high school and college bands from throughout the country are selected to march in the parade, but we've given it our best shot."
By Friday, Nov. 14, more than 400 applications had been received by the committee. That was the original deadline, but it has been extended to Tuesday, Nov. 18. In 2005, 47 civilian marching bands were selected from among 343 applicants. Still, Roseboom is optimistic that the Mighty Sailor Band will stand out to the committee, both for the video and audio samples of performances they submitted, and another key factor.
"To my knowledge," he said, "we are the only high school band in America that's allowed to wear official U.S. Navy uniforms. Of course, our students are also hard-working young musicians who really want to be a part of this special moment in American history."
If the Mighty Sailor Band is tapped to march in the inaugural parade, they will not play "Anchors Aweigh." That tune is reserved for the U.S. Navy Band in inaugural ceremonies. Instead, they will play "The Thunderer," a Sousa march.
Roseboom emphasizes that playing in the Presidential Inaugural Heritage Festival is worth the trip to D.C., even if the band is not selected for the parade.
The cost of the trip, for each person, is about $1,300. That brings the total to about $13,000 for the hundred-person group.
Anyone interested in supporting the SHS bands' trip to Washington who is unable to attend Thursday evening's concert, but who still wants to contribute to the travel costs, may mail a check made out to the SHS Mighty Sailor Band, to Mighty Sailor Band, 1000 S. School Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237 or contact the SHS administration office at 941-955-0181.
The PAL Sailor Circus Arena is located at 2075 Bahia Vista St., between U.S. 41 (S. Tamiami Trail) and School Avenue.
