The band marches to their competition zone amid frequent stops and starts. After complete stillness, the drum major salutes and proceeds to march, with music erupting from a plethora of instruments.

For the first time in campus history, a combination of high school and junior high students will march in the Veterans Day Parade in downtown Fresno on Nov. 11.

Sophomore Alexandrah Aleman, drum major, leads the band as they play ?Our Heritage? and a drum cadence at the televised parade on KSEE 24. According to www.freerepublic.com, over 10,000 TV stations are expected to televise clips of the parade nationwide.

“I feel honored to march in the Veterans Day Parade,” Aleman said. “My grandparents on my mother’s side were veterans. I hope to represent them and my school with honor.”

According to The Fresno Bee.com, the Fresno parade is “billed as the largest Veterans Day parade on the West Coast. It will feature more than 20 marching bands and hundreds of veterans in uniform.”

Director James Loomis combined junior high and high school bands, which now has 35 members.

?I tried to find an event that fits everyone?s skill level,? Loomis said. ?The Veterans Day Parade is more noncompetitive than other parades. The bands are not ranked, but adjudicators view the bands and offer suggestions or advice to help them improve.?

While the band is not as large as past years, student leaders have emerged and Aleman in particular shares her passion for music and wants to encourage the upcoming or new musicians.

?I love to be in a leadership position and help others develop good music skills,? Aleman said. ?I know that we have a better chance of succeeding with the junior high students.?

Harry McComb, ?12, tenor saxophone player in the marching band, views the high school students as mentors.

?I like playing with people who are better than me,? McComb said. ?It gives me motivation to keep practicing and improve my music skills.?

Since the high school and junior high meet separately to learn their music, the marching band joins practices on Tuesday nights from 7-8 P.M.

“It’s really hard having the bands practice at different times during the day,” Josh Smith, ’11, said. “Practically at the last minute, we have to put them together at evening practices and try to combine our sound.”

After marching at every home football game and participation at the Caruthers Fair Parade, Dana King, ?12, believes they are prepared for the Veterans Day Parade.

?I think (the Veterans Day parade) will be exciting and a good experience,? King said, ?we don?t normally go to parades.?

As the band season comes to a close, Loomis anticipates the band?s performance at the Veterans Day Parade.

?I look forward to the kids showcasing their hard work and dedication these past 12 weeks,? Loomis said. ?This is the culminating event of our marching season, making it a performance worth seeing.?

The parade will start at the corner of Tulare and ‘P’ Streets and musicians will march towards Fresno Street. The route then is as follows: left on Fresno and then left Van Ness, right on Tulare and finish near Chukchansi Park.

For more information on band, read Michelle Rose’s Oct. 12 article, New instructor recognizes musician dedication.