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Thanksgiving Day parade appearance high note for Green Valley band
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JESSICA EBELHAR/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
The Green Valley High School Marching Band's head drum major, Tiago Santana, is flanked by drum majors Samantha Ma, left, and Victoria Barnett as they wait to perform the national anthem Thursday at a banquet at the Henderson campus. » Buy this photo
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Green Valley High School Marching Band performs Thursday at the school. The band will perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. JESSICA EBELHAR/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL » Buy this photo
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Nov. 19, 2010 | 2:31 p.m.
For Howard Moore's family, it's not Thanksgiving without watching Bart Simpson and Snoopy float above the streets of New York City.
Turning on the television broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is "always the first thing we do before we start cooking dinner," said Moore, 17, a senior at Green Valley High School in Henderson.
Moore said he had "no idea" he would ever be marching in the parade himself, but the drummer will be keeping the beat for the Green Valley band when they take Manhattan this Thanksgiving.
"My mom is really happy for me. She's always wanted to go to New York and I'm the first one in my family to go," Moore said.
Band director Diane Koutsulis said Green Valley is the first marching band from Southern Nevada to participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is nearly three miles long and attracts about 3.5 million observers to the sidewalks of New York.
On Thanksgiving, the Green Valley Gators should be seen on TV about 11 a.m. PST, performing in front of the Macy's department store in Herald Square.
The band is keeping its music selection a secret at Macy's request, but Koutsulis said the tunes will obviously have a "Las Vegas vibe."
Koutsulis is taking 190 people to New York, including 15 chaperones. Some parents also have made independent travel arrangements.
Students had to pay for the trip themselves but were told about the parade 18 months in advance so they could save money and raise funds.
Green Valley's Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra will perform at Carnegie Hall on Nov. 28.
Members of the marching band also perform in the symphonic band and orchestra, but some string players from the orchestra are not in the marching band.
Koutsulis said Carnegie Hall officials invited them to perform. "We played there five years ago. They sent out a feeler: 'As long as you're here, maybe you would like to do a performance.' "
Green Valley students also plan to go to museums and see the Broadway musical "Memphis."
"I'm a theater person so I'm real excited about New York," said Samantha Ma, 16, a junior and drum major.
When the Green Valley party of 190 gathers at Carmine's, an Italian restaurant in Times Square, for their Thanksgiving feast, students said they will give thanks for all the opportunities the band program has given them.
"Not every Clark County band gets to do what I've done in the last four years," said senior Tiago Santana, 17, head drum major and a saxophonist in the symphonic band.
"I got to go to Rome my freshman year. Sophomore year, we went to the inauguration (of President Barack Obama). I thought that was a great experience," Santana said.
Ma said performing for the inauguration was excellent preparation for the Macy's parade.
Koutsulis said big trips are "a hallmark of our band program. Students know every three years or so we're going to do something really special."
In her 20 years at Green Valley, she has taken the band to "London three times, Edinburgh, Scotland, to Paris, Rome. We also participated in the Clinton inauguration."
She makes sure trips include some educational activities.
"When we went to the (Obama) inauguration, we stayed in Philadelphia for the first two days, did all the historical stuff. I'm a little bit of a history fiend."
So what's the next big trip?
"I have no idea," Koutsulis said. "I need to rest."
Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-374-7917.
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Mr. G - the trip is 5 days because the students arrive in NY on Wednesday to prepare for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the band marches in the parade on Thursday,the symphony performance is on Sunday, and the students fly home on Monday.
There are no "padded" days on this trip. The trip is pricey because it's NYC - Manhattan specifically.
I know, personally, the the orchestra teacher, Ms. Burger, has been extremely mindful of the financial burden the cost of this trip places on most families. To that end, GVHS has provided numerous fund-raising opportunities. Further, they have made sure that these kids get the most bang for their parents' buck...this trip is packed with activities that are very likely once-in-a-lifetime experiences for them (including a trip to Ground Zero to pay respect to those we lost on 9-11).
Try to be happy for them instead of finding something to complain about.
Happy Thanksgiving to you.
I played in the Las Vegas High School band 25 years ago when Diane Koutsulis first started there and she is AMAZING. She took us from being the laughing stock in the city to the top rank high school symphony in one year and took the marching band to San Diego to perform in the holiday bowl (which was the National Championship game) 3 year later. Hats off to you and these kids, and a very big THANK YOU from your former students for everything you did for us!!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
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My children have been actively involved in the Green Valley music programs. They look forward to these trips each year. But let's put a little perspective on this... The cost of the 5 day New York trip for each student... $2000. This price tag does not include most meals. How many time will the students perform during this trip? ONCE!!! twice if they are marching band. I love the fact our kids are getting these opportunities... but have the students play. Let's not merely subsidize a vacation for the teachers.
Wonderful! Congratulations to the Green Valley H.S. band and all of your accomplishments. It is too bad the rsorts are so cheap as to not really pay for your trip in its entirety. Good luck, have fun and do a great job in N.Y.