who was or is the best middle school?

[guardthepiccolo]

I know Sullivan did very well for a very long time. I believe they were undefeated for somewhere between 10 and 20 years if I'm not mistaken, minus the few years Roxanna Macheel was at Solano Middle. Can anyone verify that?

[Kuxica]

Besides North Park MS, from back in the days (I'd say between mid to late 90's), was probably Hidden Valley MS out of Escondido, CA. I remember in the mid 90's, the band performed "The Gallant Seventh" at the Chino Invitational, did well with it, scoring I think only behind North Park but they had a killer auxiliary, winning overall Auxiliary Sweepstakes that year....I want to say it was somewhere between 1995 and 1997.



This is just for SoCal. Maybe I'll add on to this list when I see the 10 MS bands perform tomorrow at the Santa Cruz Band Review.

I remember Hidden Valley doing very good on the street. Who was their director during this time?

The middle School/ Junior High Bands that i recall doing really well around that same time were Kranz Intermediate, Montgomery Junior High with Spencer Caldwell ( what ever Happened to Spencer ?)
And was there ever a year when Foothills Middle School took the Small schools division at Maytime?

[Hostrauser]

I know Sullivan did very well for a very long time. I believe they were undefeated for somewhere between 10 and 20 years if I'm not mistaken, minus the few years Roxanna Macheel was at Solano Middle. Can anyone verify that?

They always announced that they were undefeated for 15 years or whatever, but it simply wasn't true. As you said, when Macheel was at Solano, they got the best of Sullivan several times, and Benicia MS beat them a few times over the years, too.

Still, when Steve Taylor was at Sullivan MS, they won parade sweepstakes at at least 9 out 10 band reviews they entered over the course of two decades. Not too shabby, at all.

[twinmomma]

No NCBA penalty for no banner/ID unit.

I do recall from my So Cal days Foothills and Dana very well...very good groups.

[jcviera13]

what middle school has march in the history of the rose prade twice.?????

Answer:
North Park.....

[bandfan88]

what middle school has march in the history of the rose prade twice.?????

Answer:
North Park.....

Ok, North Park is great, but people here are simply recognizing the accomplishments of other jr. high bands of the past. North Park is now part of these ranks and everyone knows their accomplishments very well, so you don't really need to keep touting its horn.

[fieldshowqueen]

Ball Jr. High ... 1971 "The Standard of St. George" ... 1st place Jr. High Division at Long Beach. And yes South was good competition back then.

Me thinks you meant the Seal Beach JHS Band Review...

vore

Yes me thinks you are correct. Dang my forgetfulness. LOL. Thanks vore.

[Heyoo85]

I was always told that Dana Jr. High (Arcadia) under the direction of Art Farr was a force to be reckon with back in the day...

looks like it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBiQSf2jLAc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wbzyJ9a7j8

[peapod]

I was always told that Dana Jr. High (Arcadia) under the direction of Art Farr was a force to be reckon with back in the day...

Art Farr did a terrific job at Dana JHS. Dana's orchestra at the time was also very good. He held his students to a very high standard.

[cymtech]

Besides North Park MS, from back in the days (I'd say between mid to late 90's), was probably Hidden Valley MS out of Escondido, CA. I remember in the mid 90's, the band performed "The Gallant Seventh" at the Chino Invitational, did well with it, scoring I think only behind North Park but they had a killer auxiliary, winning overall Auxiliary Sweepstakes that year....I want to say it was somewhere between 1995 and 1997.

Nowadays, the bands that I consider to be top MS bands are:

Oaks (Ontario)
Oak Avenue (Temple City)
Bernardo Yorba (Placentia)
Tetzlaff (Cerritos)

This is just for SoCal. Maybe I'll add on to this list when I see the 10 MS bands perform tomorrow at the Santa Cruz Band Review.

as an alumni and current instructor, i am proud to see us listed.

[PGOK]

I remember Hidden Valley doing very good on the street. Who was their director during this time?

Jon Riksford was at Hidden Valley from the late 70s to the late 90s

[dr]

Jon Riksford was at Hidden Valley from the late 70s to the late 90s

Thanks! I was drawing a blank. Darn senility!

[Jobie1957]

I'm proud to say that I was first chair tuba/Sousaphone in the previously mentioned South Jr High School bands of 1972 and 1973. When JCYS mentions "Standard of St George", that was us. At the National City Review we won the music award. Yeah, all 100 of us over Glendora, Loara, etc. One of the judges wrote on the scorecard, taking up two lines "GREAT BASS PLAYING!!" Nice to know people still remember.