Photo by Vic Diaz/Downey Register
The Warren High School Marching Band and Color Guard has hit the ground running in 2019. Warren hosted its Open House event on Thursday, in which band and guard students showcased their upcoming field show, “Worlds Apart.”
Director David Niemeyer explained his inspiration for this year’s show to parents and community members in attendance, stating that he got the idea from watching the Disney film, “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” According to Niemeyer, he was inspired by the film’s message of finding common ground with individuals with differing thoughts and ideas and coexisting in the same society.
As is the procedure every school year, Warren relies on partnerships from boosters, parents and community members to fund the band’s activities. Niemeyer quoted that more than $140,000 is spent to support the band and build on the band’s vision for the upcoming season. “That money can go to anything; it could be new instruments, new flags, or even the wraps on our trailers, which is an ongoing project for us right now,” Niemeyer said. Without the support of parents and community members, students would not have been able to participate in competitions, parades, and activity trips for the band and guard. Niemeyer described the Open House event as a way for parents to “see what they are supporting.”
Warren is coming off of a historic 2018 marching season, which concluded with Warren winning the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Division 5A championship for the first time in the school’s history, and for the first time since the band moved from division 4A to 5A during the 2007 season. SCSBOA divides its participating bands by the total amount of performers and musicians on the field; division 5A is reserved for bands with 121-150 performers.
Warren successfully kicked off the 2019 season on September 28 at West High School in Torrance, where the band swept all captions, which included Music, Music Effect, Visual, Visual Effect, Color Guard and Percussion, and earned an overall score of 78.35. With the West High tournament in their rear-view mirror, Warren is now preparing for their next tournament on October 5, where they’ll take home field and host bands at Justice Stadium. The 9th annual Warren Field Tournament will feature bands from across Southern California, including Downey High School, Bell Gardens High School, Kennedy High School and Chaffey High School. Warren will take the field at 8:30 pm.
For more information on the Warren High band program and the Warren Field Tournament, please visit the band’s website, warrenband.net.