Dreams of performing in the Rose Parade become a reality for hundreds of Southern California students – and a longtime band director on Wednesday, Jan. 1. And they made one heck of a big sound, maybe the biggest ever for the event.
With more than 500 students, the 605 All-Star Band was the largest band to perform in the parade, and made communities in the Southland proud on New Year’s Day.
Parade officials said the band was the largest group in the 2025 parade — and was among the largest ever.
The 605 All-Star Band represented three school districts, seven cities, and eight high schools – Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, John Glenn, Gahr, La Mirada, Mayfair and Norwalk. All of these schools are based along the 605 Freeway.
On New Year’s Day, 15 buses filled with 605 Band members, directors, and staff left Mayfair High at 6:05 a.m. heading to Pasadena.
After the pandemic downsized the music program of many individual high schools, the idea to combine the bands into one was the concept of Mayfair High’s longtime band director, Tom Philips. A goal of his was to perform in the Rose Parade before he retired in 2025.
“I’m just really proud of the fact that everyone could come together and it’s all about community,” Philips said.
The band auditioned back in late 2022, meaning some of those who helped secure the band’s spot in the parade won’t be marching. However, the band offered juniors and seniors from the audition a spot in the 2025 parade band.
Each school’s band rehearsed separately for musical practice and conditioning, with all schools finally coming together for the first time in a nearly four-mile practice parade on Dec. 1, along the streets of Bellflower and Lakewood.
Students said they were excited to be performing, and many said it was also their dream to perform at the Rose Parade.
“I’m very excited,” said William Bollas, a junior from Artesia High School playing a saxophone. “I’ve been to the Rose Parade before and it was a great experience and now I’m in it. I couldn’t believe it when we got accepted I was jumping in excitement, everyone was.”
Each practice the band has worked on specific things to get ready for the big day, Philips said.
Getting more than 500 band members to navigate the parade’s famous “T.V. corner” on Orange Grove Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard had to be practiced, and on Sunday, Dec. 22, the 605 band turned in the streets of Norwalk to pull it off.
“Getting from Orange Grove to Colorado Boulevard is huge,” Philips said.
Earlier, the band had opportunities to practice in their parade uniforms. Band members wore distinctive red, white, and blue regalia along with the green of a freeway sign. Drum majors wore gray to provide a “concrete” freeway color. Color guard uniforms reflected the palm trees of California, the golden sun and purple that shines against the San Gabriel Mountains at dusk.
“The uniforms are amazingly unique, because when you see the band, you see them in red and green, and then on the left side they’re completely blue,” Philips said. “People have been really impressed by what we look like when we’re together because it has three different looks completely.”
The 605 Band showed off their look and sound on the second day of Bandfest – an exclusive sneak preview of what the world will see and hear at the Rose Parade – on the football field at Pasadena City College.
They joined some of the 24 other bands, including Pasadena City College Herald Trumpets, Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band, the Lincoln-Way Marching Band, All Star Marching Band Mexico, Rancho Verde Crimson Regiment, Helsingør Pigegarde, and the University of Wyoming “Western Thunder” Marching Band.
On New Year’s Day, the 605 All-Star Band was No. 70 in the parade lineup, at the back of the parade along with the other four California bands. They performed “Life is a Highway,” by Rascal Flatts, “The Washington Post March” by John Philip Sousa, “California Girls” by the Beach Boys and pop star Chappel Roan’s hit song “Hot to Go!”
For the first 20 minutes of the parade, the band continuously played “Life is a Highway” as the more than 500 members worked around the “TV corner” and out of the broadcasting area. Then they added the other songs, Philips said.
“What a great experience for all of us,” Philips said. “An amazing day entertaining on the world stage.”
