The Point Loma High School (PLHS) band Vanguard punctuated an incredible rise to prominence over the past four years with an appearance in the annual Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) championships in Long Beach earlier this month.
“I’m very excited about it. It is a groundbreaking, history-making experience that we can get our name known in Southern California as a topnotch music program and marching band,” said director John W. Dally.
SCSBOA is a nonprofit association that sponsors marching band tournaments.
Vanguard’s rise began when Dally arrived four years ago and put together the marching band and increased the overall number of members in the band from under 30 members to the current size of 92 (77 musicians, 15 auxiliary or color guard menbers).
Vanguard has also performed at a number of local events that include football games, the Ocean Beach parade, the Pacific Beach parade and the Cabrillo Portuguese Festa. In 2005, Dally won the Schuchman Award for outstanding secondary instrumental teacher of the year from the San Diego Unified School District. Dally is a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University and is a band representative in the California Music Education Association of the Southern Border Section and co-manager of the SDUSD High School Honor Band.
PLHS was one of ten bands that qualified in the Class 3-A Division. The divisions are based on the amount of members in the band. Vanguard tied for seventh in the competition but placed eighth due to a tie-breaking procedure determined by musical complexity. Bands qualified for the SCSBOA through invitation and are based on their performances at autumn marching competitions.
Vanguard performed a George Gershwin program at SCSBOA called “Traveling in Gershwin” that also included excerpts from “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Cuban Overture” and “An American in Paris.” Jordan Jellison, Kim Mendez, Robert Ross, Silvio Sales and Joel Williams were the solo performers for the band at the championships.
Senior drum major Brandon Zedaker was a major reason for the band’s success this year. “Brandon was a great standout for us,” Dally said. “His attitude of hard work and commitment was something that reigned throughout the entire band.”
Zedaker appears proud of his achievement.
“The drum major is essentially the quarterback or on-the-field leader of the band,” Zedaker said. “When we are in parades, my job is to spin the mace and conduct the band as it marches down the street and to make sure everyone is in the right spot. It is a leadership position.”
Zedaker has been a member of the band for all four years and has participated in school music programs since the 4th grade. He attended elementary school at Sunset View and Correia Junior High School. Because of his experience with Vanguard, Zedaker plans to go to college and on to a career in music education.
“Mr. Dally has been a huge influence in my high school career. Because of him, I considered going into music education. The energy he brings to the band is inspiring and the way he can motivate kids that ordinarily wouldn’t be motivated,” Zedaker said.