Every year, on January 1st (though on January 2nd, when the 1st lands on a Sunday) California kicks off the new year with the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. This parade is a New Years tradition, and happens in advance of the Rose Bowl, the college football championship game.  It is a tournament of Roses. Thousands of spectators go to watch the parade, as well as millions who watch it on TV. Band directors join the parade to march and play instruments. This year they decided to have the  combination of a band and float entry, making it the first time they’ve had this entry. The entry was put together by the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation.

To be able to march in the parade you have to apply for your spot and discuss what you have done on your own and with your band program. You also have to select the instruments that you are able to play. This year Ms. Quart, who is our band director here at SM, applied for a spot and was chosen to go march at the parade with about 300 other band directors. Ms. Quart said, “I requested to play the sousaphone so that I can be a visual representation of the opposite of the stereotype. ”

Ms. Quart also mentioned how she was surprised by how they chose her over other band directors. “I was definitely in shock and couldn’t believe that I was chosen compared to all these other amazing, talented, and unique teachers.” Ms. Quart has been a band director for six years, and all those six years she has been here at SM. She got this job right after she left college. Since, she’s been instrumental in helping expand the music program on campus.  When asked about the expansion of the band program, Ms. Quart stated, “in the six years I’ve been here, we have more than doubled our numbers. We had only 45 members when I first got here, but our largest number was almost 120. Due to COVID our numbers did drop down but we’re about where we were just before COVID. Our jazz program has also grown; my first year we had about 14 members and now, despite not having it as a class since COVID, we have almost 30 students that meet outside school hours to participate.”

Suffice it to say, under Ms. Quart’s guidance, our music program has grown consistently.  She also shows her dedication to her craft by performing outside of school in events like the 2022 Rose Parade.