After a
“drought” of several years, Live Oak’s Emerald Regime Marching
Band will once again take a “Trip of a Lifetime” as they travel to
Southeast Asia this spring as entertainers, ambassadors and
students of culture.
After a “drought” of several years, Live Oak’s Emerald Regime Marching Band will once again take a “Trip of a Lifetime” as they travel to Southeast Asia this spring as entertainers, ambassadors and students of culture.
The group – 42 students and 24 adult chaperones – will be traveling to Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok, leaving March 24 and returning April 2.
“This is the first trip for the Emerald Regime in several year,” Director Greg Bergantz said Friday. “Last year’s seniors graduated without going on a ‘Trip of a Lifetime,’ and that’s a shame. They had a cruise, but not one of the big trips like they’ve taken in the past.”
Bergantz, who joined the Emerald Regime as director before the beginning of the school year, said the events of 9/11 and the war in Iraq grounded the group. Now, he said, there is added enthusiasm and excitement among the students.
“They are excited, and they are also real curious,” he said. “This is a part of the world that most of them don’t know very much about. Of course, they’ve heard things about Singapore, the strict laws there, and we’ve told them, ‘Don’t chew gum there.’”
The band will be performing during the trip, as a concert band and a jazz band.
“In concert formation, we’ll be performing the original music written by Mike Rubino that we played in our show this year and competed with,” said Bergantz. “We also have a jazz band, some of our members are doing that, and they’ll be playing some swing tunes, a little bit of jazz.”
The trip is an expensive one, at $1,810 per student. Students have “accounts” with the band booster club, which raises money for the band by holding weekly bingo games. Students can volunteer to help with bingo and other events during the year, earning points for their account.
“There are several seniors who are not paying a penny out of pocket for the trip because they have enough points in their account as a result of their volunteer work,” Bergantz said. “Some of the freshmen are having to pay quite a bit because they haven’t had the opportunity to build up as many points. But they don’t want to miss this trip.”
The band will hold its annual Crab Feed, 6:30pm at the Buddhist Temple, 16450 Murphy Ave. There will be food, wine, frivolity, and music, Bergantz said. Both the AM and the PM Live Oak Jazz Ensembles will be performing standards, swing and Latin jazz favorites. All proceeds from this event help support the Live Oak HS music programs. Please contact Mary Carson for tickets. 782-6346 or email: ma***********@ve*****.net.
If anyone is interested in making a donation to the band, Bergantz said, they should contact him at Live Oak High, 201-6100.
The Emerald Regime is hosting its annual Winter Guard competition today in the Live Oak High gym, 3:30-9:45pm.
Thirty-four units from throughout Northern California, including current world champion Logan High School of Union City will take part.
The Emerald Regime is again sponsoring The Emerald Guard, a unit comprised of 13 students from Britton and Martin Murphy Middle schools. The Guard will perform a show entitled, Ivers – An Irish Violin Extravaganza.
The Emerald Guard competes at 4:12pm and the Emerald Regime competes at 6:36pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Details: 201-6100.
