La Cumbre Junior High Band Director Marches in Rose Parade

Ever marched more than five miles in a day while playing a professional instrument — in uniform — in the rain?

Welcome to the Rose Parade, where La Cumbre Junior High Band Director Charles Ortega rang in the New Year one music-laden step at a time.

Ortega was one of a select group of music educators from across the country chosen to perform with the Saluting America’s Band Directors (SABD) ensemble during the internationally televised New Year’s Day tradition in Pasadena. The honor recognizes band directors for their commitment to students and excellence in music education … and it placed Ortega on one of the most visible stages in the country.

“It was an empowering experience to be a part of such a distinguished and dedicated group of music educators,” Ortega said. “There were band members in their twenties marching alongside members in their eighties and everything in between. It was like a five-day educator conference in motion. Every player is an established musician and band director for a program — 360 programs represented.”

For Ortega, the parade was a full-circle moment. While it was his first time marching with the band directors’ ensemble, it was his second Rose Parade overall — the first coming 35 years ago as a 19-year-old member of the USC Trojan Marching Band.

“I was 19 then. I’m 55 now,” he said, laughing. “It was really nice to reconnect with people I marched with back in 1990.”

The SABD ensemble involved more than just a ceremony. Ortega and his fellow directors rehearsed for months, memorizing music ahead of time and gathering for intensive practices at Glendale College and Arcadia High School in the days leading up to the parade.

They also had to endure the elements.

“We rehearsed in the rain,” Ortega said. “They gave us ponchos, but the Rose Parade is insistent that nobody wears ponchos in the actual parade. We ripped them off right before we started marching, and then we got soaked.”

The parade route stretches five and a half miles, but Ortega said the day itself totals closer to 10 miles of walking — from staging to the route and beyond.

“It’s like a full day at Disneyland,” he said, “but wrapped into about three hours. And you’re playing an instrument the whole time.”

The adrenaline definitely helps. 

“It was exhilarating,” Ortega said. “People were giving us standing ovations up and down the parade route.”

One of the most moving moments came off-route, when the ensemble performed “Amazing Grace” for honorees connected to the Donate Life float.

Beyond the parade itself, Ortega’s selection reflects years of dedication to music education. He spent 11 years teaching at Santa Barbara High School before joining La Cumbre Junior High, where he has taught for nearly a decade.

As a junior high band director, Ortega said the enthusiasm of his students is what keeps him inspired. “They’re eager,” he said. “They want to do well. They just kind of eat up knowledge.”

La Cumbre Principal Bradley Brock said Ortega’s Rose Parade appearance is both a personal milestone and a powerful example for students.

“This is really Charlie’s life’s work,” Brock said. “Yes, he’s a band director during the day, but this is his life as a musician, as an artist. It’s really a capstone of a remarkable career — and an inspiration to his students.”

Brock added that the physical and musical demands of the parade alone are impressive.

“I don’t know many people who could walk five miles, let alone in a wet uniform while playing an instrument,” he said. “The stamina is remarkable.”

For Ortega, the Rose Parade has always signaled a turning of the calendar. “It signifies a new year,” he said. “It’s such a prestigious parade. I felt really proud to be part of it — and to be around so many distinguished educators.”