RFK band scores 4th in state championships
Meanwhile, director busy with new family member
After qualifying for the state championship the week before, the Robert F. Kennedy High School Band was off to the finals at Newport Harbor High School last Saturday, Nov. 20.
To say it was an eventful trip would be putting it mildly — not only for the students but also for their director, Marlex Booc.
The charter buses rolled out at 8 a.m. that Saturday morning with all equipment on buses or in the trailers behind. After a quick stop for lunch, they arrived at 2:45 p.m. ready to unload and prepare for warm-ups. If they did well in the first performance, they would qualify for the championship round later that evening.
The students were excited but a bit nervous for their first performance, yet they stayed focused and placed well ahead of most other performing groups and were good enough to qualify for the championship round. It was at this point that things got interesting.
The charter bus had managed to get stuck in the parking lot over a speed bump, with the rear wheels spinning and hence needing a massive tow truck to be released. After a few phone calls, it would be well after midnight before the tow truck could get there.
In addition, Booc got a call from his wife saying she was in labor. So he took off in a car back to Delano and could not be present during his band’s final championship performance.
When the students entered the
field for their final performance of the season, the announcer mentioned that the director had taken off for home to be with his wife — hopefully to get back in time to witness the birth of his daughter. There was a cheer from
the crowd as Robert F. Kennedy entered the field for the last time. Because this was the championship round, there were schools from three different divisions competing.
All in all, the RFK band placed
fourth in the state championship, which is an amazing feat. No band in Delano has ever competed at this level before.
A few hours later, the students in the charter bus got into Delano at 4:30 a.m. Sunday. Baby Luna
Booc was born at 5 a.m. Marlex made it back in time to see the birth of his daughter.