An open letter to Ms. K., Marching Band & Color Guard Staff, Students and Parents:

On behalf of the Band and Color Guard parents, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Ms. K., Paul, Chris, Vince, and the whole marching band and color guard staff for a wonderful field show and once again, another fantastic marching season! We recognize that it requires an incredible amount of time, energy and effort on the part of you and your staff to pull this off. We wish that there was more we could do to recognize your efforts. Please know that they have not gone unnoticed nor taken for granted. I know for a fact that many students have been inspired by your dedication and are seriously considering music-related endeavors as future career choices.

I also wanted to thank all of the students who have also put forth an outstanding effort. As I watch the field show once again on video, it is hard to believe that this performance was done by students, many of whom had not ever marched nor spun a rifle prior to August! This truly is an amazing feat and something you should carry forth with pride. I would also like to especially recognize the Color Guard. You made the performance visually appealing and exciting to watch.

Finally, a special shout-out to all the parents who have worked hard volunteering throughout the season to make this program a success. Although there are too many names to mention here, I did want to especially thank Kathy Brunelli and the Emerald Brigade Sewing Team for producing beautiful Guard flags. I understand that effort included some very long hours and went right down to the wire. I also wanted to thank Kerry Fitzpatrick, Chris Angelo, Pam and Dave Reynolds and the rest of the food committee for producing great meals on the road. You sure know how to have fun! I would also like to thank Michael Downs for keeping us jazzed up with coffee, and Keith Burson for his tireless efforts as trailer boss / volunteer coordinator and his unique skill sets including fire safety and electrical consultant. Likewise, I'd like to thank Darryl Moffat for being pit boss and the rest of the pit crew. The EBSO board also deserves recognition for providing the means to organize and fund this program. I would also like to thank Keith Deger for organizing the car wash and helping out for just about everything. Linda Downs deserves recognition for organizing the chaperones and offering up her artistic talents. Finally, I'd like to thank Chi for coming up with the idea for the waffle bar and Jackie Swain and David Furmidge for making the waffle bar fun and competitive. This certainly was a big hit with the students.

To any of the sophomore and freshman parents that have not yet participated in any of these activities, my advise to you is to jump in and try it. You will meet new friends and have a good time. You will also be able to add something to the mix and creative input is always welcome. I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events including the Winter Concert, Winter Guard and Drumline and Guard Pancake & Waffle Breakfast.

Thanks again for all your support of The Emerald Brigade & Color Guard Program.

Brent Van Hoozen

President, EBSO 

Congratulations to the Emerald Brigade for their outstanding 3rd place finish at the WBA Championships in Clovis California!  It was quite an adventure with cancelled performances, both bad and good weather, an unexpected stadium change, extra practice, hard work, and some good times had by all.  The Brigade scored a season high 89.45 points in the finals which was only 1.5 points behind the first place school El Diamante.   Congratulations on a great season!  Click to the WBA Championships page under Performance Groups->Marching Band->Competition Info above to see all the scores, some photos, and a blog of the weekend: https://sites.google.com/site/gbemeraldbrigade/competition-info/championships

Many thanks to all who participated in the Wines Around the Bay Fundraiser on August 25th. The event was inspired by the Emerald Brigade parent booster organization (EBSO) and was attended by approximately 130 people. This raised over $5,000.00 in support of the Emerald Brigade Marching Band & Color Guard!  There were many compliments for not only the food and wine but particularly for the musical talent provided by the students!

The EBSO would especially like to thank all of our sponsors for their tremendous generosity and we hope that friends of The Emerald Brigade will be able to support the businesses that have supported us. These include Quarry Ponds, My Thai Table, Pete's Brewhouse, Source, Capitol Cellars, Tahoe Joe's, Tandoori Nights, Little Bliss Cakery and Les Vignobles. Our wine sponsors also included Casque Wines, David Arthur Vineyards, Lone Buffalo Vineyards, Revel Wine, Taken Wine Company, and Synapse Wines.  Please thank these fine businesses by visiting them and enjoying their wonderful food and wine.

Check out the pictures from this event here.

On March 17th, Granite Bay High School’s Emerald Brigade Marching Band & Color Guard will be hosting its 4th Annual Crab Feed, Silent Auction and Raffle. This is our largest fundraiser of the year. Mark S. Allen of “Good Day Sacramento” is our guest emcee for the evening.  There will be live entertainment and delicious all you can eat crab, pasta and salad.  For tickets please contact Keith Burson at kklmsburson@surewest.net or (916) 797-2249.