Category Archives: Education

Seminole High students appear in 2025 Rose Parade, led by Director of Bands Gerard Madrinan

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The Seminole High School Warhawk Marching Band made their third appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade today. Photo credit: Seminole High School

I always enjoy watching the Tournament of Roses Parade on the first day of the New Year, and this year was no exception. While watching today’s parade, I was genuinely impressed with the stellar high school bands that appeared in the event. One of these was the Seminole High School Warhawk Marching Band from Seminole, Florida. The 120-member group appeared under the leadership of Director of Bands Gerard Madrinan. This was their third appearance in the Rose Parade. The others were in 2005 and 2013.

The Warhawks are no strangers to honors. These stellar student-musicians appeared in the Disney Christmas Day Parade in 2007 and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2010. They were named the Virginia Beach National Marching Band Festival Grand Champions in 1978, multiple Grand Championships at the Tarpon Springs Outdoor Music Festival and Largo Golden Invitational, and more than 37 years of superior ratings at the Florida Bandmasters Association Marching Festivals. In addition, the Warhawk Band has won Bands of America Regional Finalists a whopping 25 times. They were also named Atlanta Regional Grand Champions twice, a Grand National Semi-Finalists seven times, and Grand Nationals Finalists twice. In 1996, the Warhawk Band was the National AA-Division Champion at the WGI Friendship Cup Championships held in St. Louis, MO.

Director of Bands Gerard Madrinan led the student-musicians of Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida, in their appearance in the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade. Photo credit: Seminole High School

Gerard has been the Director of Bands at Seminole High School since 2013. His position as Band Director is the realization of a childhood dream. He says he was only ten years old when he decided to become a high school band director. “I always wanted to be a high school band director, and to do it right here at Seminole High,” he reveals. In addition, he serves as the Department Chair for Visual and Performing Arts, where he oversees the marching band, concert bands, jazz band, the winter guard, indoor percussion ensemble, and chamber ensembles.

Before his employment at Seminole High, Gerard served as a music teacher at Clearwater Intermediate School, the band director at Dunedin Highland Middle School, and as an itinerate music teacher at a several schools in Pinellas County. In all, his career as a music educator spans 25 years.

After his graduation from Seminole High in 1999, Gerard earned both his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and his Master’s degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of South Florida, From 2005-2008, Gerard was an instructor with the University of South Florida Marching Band.

Additionally, Gerard is a member of the Florida Music Educators National Conference, the Florida Bandmasters Association, and the Pinellas County Music Educators Association. In 2024, he was named Teacher of the Year by Pinellas County Schools.

Music educator Honglac Hathuc to lead Crimson Regiment in 2025 Rose Parade

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The Rancho Verde Crimson Regiment from Moreno Valley, California, will appear in the 136th Tournament of Roses of Parade in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1, 2025. Photo credit: Tournament of Roses

The Rancho Verde Crimson Regiment from Moreno Valley, California, is scheduled to appear in the 136th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2025. The group will march under the capable leadership of Director of Bands Honglac Hathuc. This is the second appearance of the 190-member group in the annual parade. Their first appearance was in 2020.

Rancho Verde High School is located near March Air Reserve Base in Riverside. This marching band that is one of the larger competitive field bands in the Inland Empire. These student musicians are diverse; in fact, they are native speakers of at least eight different languages other than English.  “There’s no bigger stage in the world for us to be on, so the kids are just really excited about getting out there and doing our thing,” declares Honglac.

The Crimson Regiment was a Grand Champion finalist of the Western Band Association Grand five times, and they qualified for the last five association state championships. They were also the 2017 World Association of Marching Show Bands World Champion, beating adult bands from around the world.

Director of Bands Honglac Hathuc will lead the Rancho Verde Crimson Regiment in this year’s Tournament of Roses Parade. Photo credit:

Honglac earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Permance at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). After UCLA he attended The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Master’s degree in Music Performance. There he was a member of the Baroque Ensemble and the Guitar Ensemble. In addition, Honglac earned both a California Single Subject Teaching Credential and an Administrative Credential. In a career that spans 25 years, Honglac has taught at Rancho Verde for the past 22 years.

IL music educator Dr. Bert Johnson to lead Lincoln-Way Marching Band in 2025 Rose Parade

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Members of the Lincoln Way High School Marching Band from Frankfort, Illinois, will appear in the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena on Jan. 1. Photo credit: Lincoln Way High School

Several excellent music educators will lead their student musicians in the 136th Rose Parade to be held on Jan. 1, 2025, in Pasadena, California. One of these is Dr. Bert Johnson, the Director of Bands at Lincoln Way High School in Frankfort, Illinois. This is the group’s fourth appearance at the Tournament of Roses Parade. The 200-member band previously appeared in Pasadena in 1982 and again in 2000, with their most recent appearance in 2019.

The Lincoln-Way Marching Band is composed of the students from three Lincoln-Way High Schools across 105 square miles in the Lincoln Way Community High School District located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. These excellent student musicians performed at the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and was selected as a 2022 Bands of America Grand Nationals Semi-finalist. In addition, the Lincoln-Way Marching Band competed three times in the 2023 season were named the Grand Champion at all three events.

Music educator Dr. Bert Johnson will lead his 200-group marching band in this year’s Rose Parade.  Photo credit: Lincoln Way High School

Bert Johnson earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Anderson University in 1999. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Michigan in 2007. In 2015, he completed his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy at Loyola University, Chicago. In addition, he also holds both a principal’s and superintendent’s licenses for the state of Illinois.

This accomplished music educator is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAFME), the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), the Jazz Educators Network (JEN), and the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA). He has served as Jazz Division Chair for the ILMEA District 1 schools and is member of the Advisory Council for the Music Educators Development Division (MEDD) for ILMEA. In addition, Bert is a regular presenter for ILMEA. He was selected as a Golden Apple Nominee twice, and in 2007 he received the Illinois Jaycees award for the the “Top Ten Outstanding Young People of Illinois.”

CA Music Educator John Burn to lead student musicians in Rose Parade

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Music Educator John Burn will lead the Homestead High School Mighty Mustang Marching Band and Color Guard of Cupertino, California, in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2025. Photo credit: Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

There are several excellent music educators who will lead their student musicians in the 136th Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2025. One of these is John Burn, the Director of Bands at Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. This is the second Rose Parade appearance for the 200-member group. Their first appearance was in 2018.

John has been the Director of Bands at Homestead High School since 1991. He also serves as the Chair of the Music Department there. He is, himself, a high school graduate of the school where he now teaches. In high school, John played trumpet in the Marching Band and was the Drum Major his senior year. After high school he played with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum Corps.

Music educator John Burn of Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. Photo credit:  National Association for Music Education

John earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at UCLA, and his Master’s degree in Music Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

This remarkable educator is a Past-President of the California Music Educators Association, the California Band Directors Association, the California Music Educators Association Bay Section, the Santa Clara County Band Directors Association, and the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival Board of Directors. In addition, John is a contributing author for the book Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra, Volume 4, GIA Publications, 2021, and has presented sessions at state and local conferences in California and Alaska.

For his work with young people, John has received numerous accolades. He was named the 2023 Outstanding Music Educator for the National Federation of High School Associations Region 7 (California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada & Hawaii). He was also recognized as a 2019 Grammy Music Educator Award Semi-finalist; he earned the 2015 CBDA Distinguished Service Award; he was named the 2010 CMEA California Band Director of the Year; he was honored as the 2009-2010 Homestead High School Teacher of the Year; and he is a 2009 Inductee to the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Legion of Honor.

Visiting the Statue of Liberty and sharing the experience with students

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Educators are well aware that travel is one of the most meaningful experiential learning opportunities available for both themselves and for their students. And Winter Break is a great time for travel. Earlier this month, my husband Hal and I traveled to New York City, where we visited the Statue of Liberty. We spent several hours there, wandering among the exhibits and taking in the views. An exploration of this place offers an excellent opportunity to incorporate a history lesson about this important place into the classroom curriculum.

Author Terry Lee Marzell and her husband, Hal, visited the Statue of Liberty in December, 2024. The visit prompts ideas about how to share this experience with students. Photo credit: Hal Marzell

“The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World” was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886. Since then, the statue has become a universal symbol of freedom and democracy throughout the world. Liberty Enlightening the World was designated a National Monument in 1924, and has been operated under the auspices of the National Park Service since 1933.

Hal and I took the Statue City Cruise (the official ferry, and the only one that lands on the islands) from the Battery to Liberty Island. There we self-toured the pedestal area, a full ten stories up. The views from up there, at the feet of Lady Liberty, are amazing. We were unable to climb to the crown because tickets for that part of the statue sell out four months in advance. Keep that in mind if you plan to escort your students there. After touring the pedestal, we entered the museum and learned all about the creation of the monument.

After touring Liberty Island, we re-boarded the ferry, which carried us to Ellis Island. Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the country. During the years from 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 million immigrants arrived on American shores and were admitted to the country there. Ellis Island became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965. I was surprised to find a research center providing information about immigrants who were processed at this processing station. We were thrilled to find information about Hal’s maternal grandfather that we hadn’t known before! We also viewed displays of fascinating artifacts brought into the country by various groups of immigrants, and some displays of the costumes they wore in their native countries.

All in all, our visit to the Statue of Liberty spanned an entire day, for it was well after dark by the time we returned to the Battery. But we were well-satisfied with our visit there. If you are not able to visit the site in person with your students, you can direct them to the resources available at the Statue of Liberty website. You could also share this very nice virtual tour and explanatory video about the monument on YouTube: