Spirit of Great Oak Band Boosters, Neighbor

Great Oak High School and the Spirit Band and Guard is entering it's twelfth year. While the school is young, the program has grown significantly and been recognized as an outstanding program throughout the State, and Nation having earned superior ratings at concert festivals and hosting several events including guest composers and clinicians, and being recognized on an International level, as well.

GROUP ACHIEVEMENT

The Spirit of Great Oak Ensembles continuously test through many high caliber performances and competitions. The performances place a high level of expectations on the students. The list that follows represents only some of the achievements the ensembles have achieved over the twelve year school history at the local, regional, state, national and international level. The list represents a small percentage of the events the students participate in annually.

2016 Winter Guard Association of Southern California SAAA Varsity Winter Guard Champion Gold Medalists

2016 Southern California Percussion Alliance PSO Winter Drum Line Silver Medalists

2016 Winter Guard Association of Southern California SA JV Winter Guard Bronze Medalists

2016 Southern California Band & Orchestra Association Festival 2 Excellent Ratings and 2 Superior Ratings

2016 Performed in La Grande Parade de Paris - Champs Elysee

2015 Jazz Ensemble Performance at The American Cathedral - Paris, France

2015 Winter Drum Line Championships: Bronze Medalists

2015 Earned Unanimous Superior Ratings at the SCSBOA Band & Orchestra Festival

2015 Welcomed guest Musicians, the United States Marine Jazz Band

2014 Earned the honor of being invited to perform in Le Grand Parade de Paris on New Year's Day, 2016

2014 Welcomed guest artist and Jazz Clinician Delfeayo Marsalis

2014 Winter Drum Line International Finalists

and 7th Place overall in the World

2014 Winter Drum Line Southern California Percussion Alliance State Finalists

2014 Winter Guard Association of Southern California Silver Medalists

2014 The Great Oak Symphonic Band earned Unanimous Superior Ratings in the SCSBOA

2013 Marching Band Open Series State Finalists and 6th Place overall in the State

2013 Winter Drum Line Southern California Percussion Alliance State Finalists

2013 Her Majesty the Queen of England New Year's Day Parade; London, UK

2012 The Great Oak Jazz Ensemble Performance in London's Cadogan Hall

2012 The Spirit of Great Oak Marching Band Open Series Championship Finalist (Overall 6th Place)

2012 Winter Drum Line SCPA State Bronze Medalists

2012 Superior Rating SCSBOA Band Festival

2011 Winter Guard Association of Southern California Regional AA Silver Medalists

2011 Winter Drum Line Southern California Percussion Alliance State Finalists

2011 Fiesta Bowl National Band Championships Finalist; Drum Line (Second Place Overall)

2010 Winter Drum Line Southern California Percussion Alliance State Finalists

2010 Marching Band Open Series Finalists (9th Place overall)

2009 Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association Superior Ratings

2009 Representative to the State of California in The National Memorial Day Parade (Washington D.C.)

2009 Winter Drum Line Southern California Percussion Alliance State Finalists

2009 Winter Guard International Drum Line Western Regional Hosts

2008 Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association Unanimous Superior Ratings

2008 Winter Guard International Drum Line Western Regional Hosts

2008 Winter Guard State Championships: Bronze Medalists

2008 Winter Drum Line State Championships: Bronze Medalists

2007 Music in the Parks: 1st Place Concert Band

2007 Concert Band Festival: Unanimous Superior Rating

2007 Fiesta Bowl National Band Championships: 2nd Place Parade Band

2006 US Scholastic Band Association Western Regional Champions

2006 Music in the Parks: Best Overall High School Bands; & Best Jazz Soloist

2006 Winter Guard Championships: State Silver Medalists

2006 Winter Guard Assoc. of So Cal Riverside County Regional Champs

2005 South Coast Invitational: AA 2nd Place, Best Visual & Percussion

2005 Music in the Park’s: Best Overall High School Band

2005 Concert Band Festival: Unanimous Superior Rating

2004 Sharp International Valley View H.S.: Overall 2nd Place

2004 Western Band Association; 1st Place AA; “Best in all Categories"

Mr. Burdick-Rutz is especially proud of particular achievements awarded to The Spirit of Great Oak Ensembles. In 2006 The Spirit Marching Band was one of 16 Ensembles selected nationally to participate in the Fiesta Bowl National Band Championships. There they earned 2nd Place in the Parade Band Competition. Later that spring, the Winter Guard would earn the Silver Medal at State Championships in the Regional AA Division. In 2007 the Winter Drum Line was selected as a State Finalist for the first time in the school’s history and would return as a State Finalist to earn the Bronze Medal in 2008 (both feats usually take several years to accomplish). The Winter Color Guard would continue the tradition by earning a Bronze medal at State Championships the same year. In the Spring of 2008 The Spirit of Great Oak Ensembles were selected as the Representative to the State of California to participate in the 2009 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. In 2010 The Spirit of Great Oak earned their first Finalist Position in a regional Championship with the Marching Band Open Series. Later that winter the Spirit Band & Guard would continue their upward trend with their second appearance in the Fiesta Bowl National Band Championships and Parades. While there in Phoenix, the Spirit Drum Line earned 2nd Place overall in the Field Championships. The Booster Group also earned the top spot for the most supportive parent support group! In the Spring of 2011, The Color Guard continued to grow and earned the Silver Medal in the Regional AA Division. In the Spring of 2013, The Great Oak Winter Drum Line flexed their muscle with their 7th straight appearance in the SCPA State Finals, earning the Bronze Medal in 2012. In 2013-14, each of the Ensembles challenged each other to improve with the Symphonic Band first earning a Unanimous Superior at Festival, while the Jazz Ensemble Musicians worked with Jazz Clinician and Artist Delfeayo Marsalis; and again with the US Marine Band Jazz Musicians. The Winter Guard and Drum Line Continued their streak of success in State Championships with the Guard earning the Silver Medal in the Regional AAA Division and the Drum Line earning their 8th Year in a row as a State Finalist and Going on to World Championships to earn 7th overall in the World. Perhaps our greatest achievements, however, is performing on the Worldwide Stage in two separate occasions: First in honor of Her Majesty the Queen of England's Diamond Jubilee New Year's Day Parade Celebration on Jan. 1st, 2013 in London, England, and our most recent performance at La Grand Parade de Paris on New Year's Day, 2016. The last being a heart warming adventure as the Parisian culture welcomed us with open arms in a time of healing and desire to take back their City from terrorism (Nov. 13th, 2015).