Random Memories

[Robyn]

We all have those moments where we remember something inane, hilarious, solemn, or proud.

Some of my random memories (in no particular order):

Memory #1

Hollywood '97, squeezing our gloves out while we waited in the pouring rain to step off. An hour later and no more than a hundred yards after the cameras, the twisted ankle I'd been marching on since East LA hit a pothole wrong, something snapped, and I went down fast. Tore my Achilles tendon and almost broke my ankle. Ended up hobbling to a first aid station. To top it off, everyone left before the medic guys could drive me to the end of the parade (all because some 40-someodd-year-old Long Beach person herniated a disk.) I had no place to go, the Red Cross booth was closing up, so they dropped me off at the police station.

My first day marching with the Winds, and I ending up in jail!!!

I sat a few hours in a Hollywood police station waiting for my parents to come get me. The plus side to that, one of the cops told me an interesting story about the song "Taps." After a heart-wrenching tale, I played the song for the whole station, and one of the cops starting crying. Then I gave them an impromptu solo concert.

And yes, they gave me coffee and donuts!

Memory #2

Planning carpools to Indio. Maybe Mr. Ward saw something already, but he put Matt into my dad's car group. We weren't dating yet, but man did I think he was cute!!! And it gave my dad a chance to get to know Matt before he had to worry about him in his protective, fatherly way.

Memory #3

The first time I stepped inside Mr. Ward's home and he had to tell me to stop gawking.

Memory #4

That Sprung Monkey music video with the motorcyclist spewing smoke. I got a chance to talk to one of the professional actresses who played a princess on the float behind us. Interesting stories, she had. Also, they told us to move out of the way when the motorcyclist came up the ranks and act scared. I'll never forget the drum major's face!

Memory #5

The movie First Daughter, learning a college fight song and dance moves sans any music at all, then waiting around until 2 or 3 in the morning to do the shot. And in the movie, the camera stops right at my elbow. Figures! And watching Forrest Whittaker drive around UCLA on his bike.

Memory #6

Growing my hair for Locks-of-Love and Mr. Ward yelling at me that if my hair is too long to fit in the shako, cut it, the kids can wear a scarf (I know he didn't mean it).

Memory #7

How many guys really did run out to the strip bar in Seattle?

Memory #8

Not getting my age-out drink because the Banquet was 1 day before I turned 21. He made up for it the next year.

Memory #9

Sitting in the Bistro, and Mr. Ward introduced me to the glorious wonders of a martini. I will forever drink them as he did. Does anyone know what brands of gin and vermouth he used?

Memory #10

The most memorable of all, our protests of embarrassment as we marched in our underwear for Boston Public! Who can forget the costume department insisting some of the boys wear tighty-whities, and the girls screaming in protest that "we were told we could wear boxers!!!"

[remo]

Ha you've got some good ones there.  I never ended up in jail or marching in my underwear, those are probably good things!

I certainly don't remember which order any of them are.  My extreme hatred of clowns and mimes came from Winds parades.  I swear that clown in the yellow rain coat would stalk me at every parade we went to.  The mime that followed me through the 'Fresh fruit and vegetable convention' was pretty freaky as well.  Naturally none of my family believe these stories and think I am making up the psychotic clown stories.  Yeah like I could make up being chased down the streets of Big Bear by a clown while wearing a band uniform. 

I was technically 13 when I joined.  My first parades were 4th of July.  What a way to break someone in!  I ended up carrying one of the back banners.  This is when the clown harassment begun as they were right behind me in the first parade and were doing things to me the entire time.

The Disney related things were always fun.  I was there for Pigskin Classic 1 and 2.  Even though they piped music through the speakers and no one really heard us, the whole production and rehearsals were always entertaining.

We did the opening of the Richard Nixon Library.  That is the one and only time I've been there.  But I remeber going through the metal detectors and of course our instruments set everything off.  There were plenty of comments about what we could have been sneaking in and they would never know. 

The final months at the Annex, cleaning everything out, selling trophies since there was no place to put them.  I bought a 4th of July trophy (1st place of course) from my first parade weekend.  I have no idea where it is now.  It may be somewhere at my dad's house, but I really don't know.  Then the bouncing from location to location because we had no place to call home. 

How could anyone forget the miles we marched!  I knew how to march when I went joined the Marines in 95 though.  But now everytime I see a local parade I cringe.  No one can march at all.  I could just picture Mr. Ward running along side some of them shouting.  Personally I resist the urge (generally there is a clown or 2 wandering and I don't want to be spotted).  I doubt the firemen that do the color guard would appricitate it.  But they seriously need to get in step and align!!

The trips to Tecate where all of us that were underage would buy cheap tecate beer and drink and sneak it on the bus and then add it to our Mc Donald's Coke floats. 

All of the bus trips.  Who knew you could sleep in certain positions?  The smell of sweaty polyester.  And the songs that would be sung on the bus.  I'm sure those bus drivers thought we were all insane!

I'm sure there are more, but I'll stop now.  Today I'm buying my son his first instrument, a trumpet for his 6th grade band class.  He really didn't want to play the flute   I've only been back to CA a few times since 95.  I was hoping I would be able to see Mr Ward again, but unfortunately I never did.  It's nice to see this site.  I only have a few pictures from Winds stuff.  I do have some old tapes, but no clue what condition they are in since they have been in a trunk in a garage in the KS heat for over 10 years now.  I should dig them out and see if I can get them on the site to share with others.

[rickvs]

I remember marching on the beach for a Super Dave Osborne skit. (Yeesh! Felt like I was was trying to march in roller skates...)

I remember playing Disneyland any number of times, and boggling at how easy it was to get backstage, there.

I remember my best friend and I serenading our prom dates (sisters, and also Winds members) with our trumpets by standing outside their apartment window.

I remember there being a sort of Sharks and Jets standoff with the USC Trojan band while practicing for a Superbowl halftime show. One of their members kept nearly clipping ours with the bell of her trumpet as she marched. When one of our members pulled her horn away from his own face (and hers), she pulled it back so strongly she hit herself in the mouth. Cooler heads prevailed before any punches were thrown, at least.

I remember Mister Ward treating us respectfully, which is not the way all adults treated kids our age.

[gsampson]

I first saw the Winds playing a concert when I was 12yrs old. I was so impressed that I wanted to join even though the age requirement was 14. My mom spoke to Mr. Ward and he agreed to let me join and play with the band, I just couldn't play competition. I continued with the Winds until I graduated H.S. and moved to San Diego. Some of my best memories are from those times. I remember walking into the annex my first night and being so intimidated by all these "older" people playing music, but they accepted me and helped me along. There was Disneyland almost every other weekend - we even did a couple commercials for them...both playing and being tourists. I remember getting up before the sun to hop on the bus to pretty much all of Southern California - yellow school buses, not the nice ones I am seeing in the more recent pictures  There were the Hollywood Christmas parades, 4th of July's that started at the crack of dawn and didn't finish until after fireworks, fieldshows, standstills and practice, practice, practice. I remember traveling to Canada with the band and having my first beer with some guys from one of the corps. that we were playing with down in the basement of the school we stayed at. I think one of my best memories was the first time we beat Long Beach Junior Concert Band. We were always so close but they always beat us. I think it was in South Gate that we finally took them. And if I remember correctly, that was also the year that we took Sweepstakes in every competition we entered. I literally grew up in the Winds. And Mr. Ward(still have trouble calling him Bob) taught me respect, honor and a good work ethic. I am sad to hear he has left us, but he's left a legacy that will live on with so many for years to come. I am glad to see that the band has continued on to give others the chance to play good music and create new memories.
Glenn Sampson
1978-1983
Was in Costa Mesa
Now in Sad Diego