LITTLEROCK BAND SEEKING FOUR-PEAT.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

LITTLEROCK - Performing music from ``Carmen,'' the Littlerock High School Marching Band is rehearsing on the baseball field for the Field Show Tournament at Palmdale High School, a competition the band has won the past three years.

After lugging their equipment from the band room, out through the front doors of the school, and a short distance down to the ballfield, the students have discarded their sweaters and jackets in a large pile on the field and are following the instructions of a student drum major while awaiting director Gary Gregg.

Gregg is proud of the progress the band has made over his seven years in command.

``We've been doing very well this year,'' said Gregg, his speech interrupted by the staccato beat from drums in the background. ``In the last three years, we've won the grand championship award at the Palmdale field show and tournament, so we've been real proud of that. We hope, possibly, we'll be able to win it again this year. We don't know yet, but the band's doing very well.''

In fact the band took first place Nov. 16 at the Moorpark field show tournament. It also placed second in a Nov. 2 competition at Hart High School in Santa Clarita and in October the band took first place in parade and third place in field show competition in San Diego.

Individually, the band members are also doing well. Seven members of the band and three members of the color guard have been chosen to be part of the Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band and Colorguard.

``I think the most we've ever had before was four or five ... It's a lot of extra work, they spend their Sundays down there rehearsing, they have to audition, so it's a big deal for them,'' said Gregg. ``I have a wonderful staff that works for me and I think that's a major part of our program here. The students put in a lot of work. I put in a lot of work, our instructors put in a lot of work and it seems to pay off in the end. The students really get a rich musical experience from it.''

Assisting Gregg with band duties is Lorraine Kohagen, color guard adviser and instructor at the school for eight years; John Sanders, color guard instructor and choreographer and 2002 graduate from Littlerock; Sheryl Cannon, assistant conductor since 1997; Tre Balfour, percussion instructor, who just returned from a tour with singer Michael Bolton and has also performed with Color Me Badd, All 4 One and Ricky Martin; Ralph Velez, pit instructor since 2001; and Anita Prather Harvell, visual designer and instructor, who is the current band director at Indian River High School in New York.

Band member Jon Varela, 17, splits his time between color guard and the band where he plays tuba, baritone horn and trombone. Assistant captain for the color guard, he performs in the color guard on the field and in parades and with the band and the jazz band for theater performances.

``It's hard once in a while but it's worth it in the end,'' said Varela. ``It's disciplined you to be self-conscious of what you're doing, teaches you to just concentrate on one thing and to set aside when fun is and when you have to work.'

Band members rehearse at 6:30 a.m. for one hour before school starts, 2 1/2 hours after school one day a week and they also take a one-hour band class each day. Everyone competes in the 85-person marching band, but individual students also participate in a wind ensemble, symphonic band, freshman concert band, and the jazz band.

``We keep them very busy and they seem to enjoy it,'' Gregg said. ``We're a very well-rounded program and I think that's what the students are looking for.''

The students have to learn one song for parades, 15 different songs for football games, and four songs for field shows.

Freshman flutist Sarah Dick said she enjoys the high school band experience much more than she did the one in junior high.

``Well they treat me, not like a little kid, they treat me as I'm one of them and we get to do a lot more competitions and have a lot more trips going out,'' said Dick. ``Ever since I was little, I've wanted to play and since I'm playing I want to see how far I can go before getting out of high school.''

Band members consider each other to be family, said Tim Cruz, a senior drummer from Lake Los Angeles.

``The whole myth at this school is the band is nerds and the drum line's like the coolest thing but we're friends with everyone. We love everyone in the band. We don't consider each other apart from the band. Even though we are a drum line and we get judged differently, we're still with the band. Without them we wouldn't be able to do what we do now,'' said Cruz.

Currently, the band is raising funds to travel to Hawaii for a five-day trip during which they will compete in festivals and participate in a parade. The trip costs $1,100 per student and they have to raise the money themselves. So far they have sold candy and candles, held barbecues at Wal- Mart, washed cars and participated in a march-a-thon.

The kids are selling mistletoe and Littlerock Marching Lobos decals for vehicles (also available on their Web site) and on Dec. 15 they will hold a bake sale at the east Palmdale Wal-Mart at 47th Street East and Avenue S.

Gregg said he finds that the band gives the kids a sense of belonging and teaches them responsibility, respect and pride.

``It really gives them a sense of pride to be involved in an organization that does well competitively. It gives them a sense of pride to be able to create music with a group and they really learn a lot,'' said Gregg. ``I think they take that wherever they might go in the world and they learn that they have to have the grades, they learn that they are part of an organization,'' Gregg said. ``All those things are really important for them to learn in life and school which helps them in their other classes and everything that they're doing about their life.''

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The Littlerock High School Marching Band will be seeking its fourth win in a row in the Field Show Tournament.