Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

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Zpull
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Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by Zpull » Fri Oct 12, 2007 4:13 pm

On the field in Northern California nearly 30 years ago it was all about The Live Oak Emerald Regime from Morgan Hill directed by Mike Rubino, The Independence 76th Cavalry Band from San Jose directed by Dan Smith and Bob Russell and the Lincoln High School Monarch Band from San Jose directed by Ramiro Barrera.

All had powerful programs with Mike Rubino's legendary- Live Oak Emerald Regime leading the way in the early 1970's . His Emerald Regime went on to capture 2 Marching Bands of America National Championships held in Whitewater Wisconsin. They took the title in 1976 and again in 1978.

Dan Smith assisted by Bob Russell directed the Independence 76th Cavalry Band from San Jose founded in 1976. They built a strong marching program in a very short time compiling national appearances from the Orange Bowl Parade & National Field Championship in Miami Florida to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York as well as the Fiesta Bowl Parade/National Pageant of bands in Arizona . They also appeared in the Pasadena Rose Parade . To top it off Independence went on to capture a Marching Bands of America summer National Title of there own in 1981 in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

The fall of 1981 was a banner season for the Lincoln High School Monarch Band also from San Jose coming within 1 tenth of a point of the newly crowned Summer National Champion Independence at an early competition. Lincoln then went on to capture the Music Bowl *pre WSMBC (WBA) Western Regional Championship that season. This was Barrera's first Championship as a director as he directed Lincoln to one more Northern California West Coast WSMBC title in 1983. Under Ramiro Barrera's direction the Lincoln Monarch Band had National exposure from appearing in the 1982 Orange Bowl Parade & National Field Championship in Miami Florida to participating in the Fiesta Bowl Parade/National Pageant of bands in Arizona in 1983 .
Ramiro Barrera was the director at Lincoln High School from 1976 through the spring of 1984 prior to moving on to Clovis West in Fresno.


Here's a 10 year span of *(WBA) Northern California History (prior to the Southern and Northern California combine of the WBA today) These Field Champions are from 1976 through 1986 prior to the eventual emergence and thus domination of Clovis West in the late 80's and 90's and the now current Logan H.S. this decade of the 2000's. Both under the direction of Ramiro Barrera who it's safe to say learned a great deal from his early competitive years as director at Lincoln.

Pre Music Bowl 1976- Live Oak High School(Morgan Hill)
Pre Music Bowl 1977- Live Oak High School(Morgan Hill)
Music Bowl 1, 1978 - Independence H.S. (San Jose)
Music Bowl 2, 1979- Silver Creek H.S. San Jose
Music Bowl 3, 1980- Independence H.S.(San Jose)
Music Bowl 4, 1981- Lincoln H.S.,(San Jose)
Music Bowl 5, 1982- Independence H.S.(San Jose)
WSMBC 1 ---- 1983- Lincoln H.S.(San Jose)
WSMBC 2----- 1984- Live Oak H.S. (Morgan Hill)
WSMBC 3----- 1985 - Live Oak H.S.(Morgan Hill)
WSMBC 4----- 1986- Live Oak H.S.(Morgan Hill)
Last edited by Zpull on Fri Dec 12, 2014 7:26 pm, edited 5 times in total.

Music Education
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Post by Music Education » Fri Oct 12, 2007 4:54 pm

Thank you for sharing this information!

Live Oak is still a fine program. Though they do not have the numbers that they did prior to 2000, they still let everyone know that the Emerald Regime has not lost a beat! Continuing to entertain us with outstanding musical performances and visual aesthetics with such a small group!

Independence has also risen back into the scene! Capturing a WBA Class Championship last year!

It is amazing what Ramiro was able to do at his programs--and what he continues to do with Logan. Clovis West was starting to rebound and come back from when Ramiro left--and now they are having to rebuild yet again.

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Post by supermutant » Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:10 pm

Please don't forget Fresno's McLane High Band on the street during these years. Larry Huck produced some remarkable music scores during those years. Most people figured a second place to Mclane on the street during those years was a win. :)

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Post by DigitalRonin » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:08 pm

Thanks for posting this up.

We work hard every year to live up to the heritage our program has. The performers truly respect the activity and those that came before them.

As an aside. Best wishes to everyone this season as it starts cranking up.

Can't wait to see what everyone has in store!
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Post by MalletQueen » Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:42 pm

I was marching during the Live Oak/Lincoln era. We went head to head with them at many parades. We were the Mighty 100, THE Marching 100 of the Michael K. Selleck years.

I remember when Live Oak before the school split due to the new high school. Wow! You just brought those memories flooding back...

Those were a couple of Powerhouse Bands.

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Re: Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by BDguardsman » Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:11 pm

Zpull wrote: Here's a brief bit of Northern California History (prior to WBA) of Field Champions from 1976 through 1986 prior to the eventual emergence and thus domination of Clovis West in the late 80's and 90's and the now current Logan H.S. this decade. Both under the direction of Ramiro Barerra who it's safe to say learned a great deal from his early competitve years as director at Lincoln.

Pre Music Bowl 1976- Live Oak High School
Pre Music Bowl 1977- Live Oak High School
Music Bowl 1, 1978 - Independence H.S. (San Jose)
Music Bowl 2, 1979- Silver Creek H.S. (San Jose)
Music Bowl 3, 1980- Independence H.S.
Music Bowl 4, 1981- LINCOLN H.S.,(San Jose)
Music Bowl 5, 1982- Independence H.S.
WSMBC 1 ---- 1983- LINCOLN H.S.
WSMBC 2----- 1984- Live Oak H.S. (Morgan Hill)
WSMBC 3----- 1985 - Live Oak H.S.
WSMBC 4----- 1986- Live Oak H.S.
Hey, does anyone have the full placement results for these shows. It is almost impossible to find!

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Re: Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by Chaporch » Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:23 pm

Cavalry

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Re: Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by malletphreak » Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:58 pm

wow once upon a time.. Silver Creek... thats a name I have not seen associated with music... in like forever...
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Re: Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by ScrapHappy » Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:06 pm

I had the privilege of competing against Silver Creek, Independence and Live Oak from 1979 to 1982. They were the bands to beat on field "back in the day." I still have a 33 rpm record (in mono, not even in stereo!) recorded at the competition in Clovis in the fall of 1980. The shows at that competition were recorded and the top 4 bands were put on a record they made available for sale. I know Independence, Foothill-Pleasanton and Arvin high school were on the LP and I'm almost positive the 4th band was Lincoln from San Jose. I haven't listened to that record in years but when I get home from my business trip this weekend I think I'll haul it out of storage and give it a listen!
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Re: Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by Wildabeast » Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:12 pm

Live Oak won MBA crown #2 in 1978.

Clovis High School was pretty good in the 80's too.
-Stop global whining.

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Re: Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by Wildabeast » Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:14 pm

ScrapHappy wrote: I know Independence, Foothill-Pleasanton and Arvin high school were on the LP and I'm almost positive the 4th band was Lincoln from San Jose.
For those who are geographically challenged, Arvin is a farming town just southeast of Bakersfield.
-Stop global whining.

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Re: Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by bighud1 » Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:12 pm

supermutant wrote:Please don't forget Fresno's McLane High Band on the street during these years. Larry Huck produced some remarkable music scores during those years. Most people figured a second place to Mclane on the street during those years was a win. :)
This is a field discussion. They were not forgotten but just have no place in this discussion. It's nice to see some field talk here.

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Re: Nor Cal Field legends: Live Oak, Independence and Lincoln

Post by Rayotani » Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:09 am

Lincoln indeed is the 4th band on the LP!

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