Mira Costa Band Hosts Concert Fundraiser For Upcoming Trip

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Mira Costa Band was invited to perform in Washington D.C. for the first time in the school's history, and they will be hosting a send-off concert and fundraiser on March 20, the band announced Tuesday.

The band was invited to perform at The President’s Cup National High School Concert Band Festival and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, the news release said. The "Costa to the Capital" send-off fundraiser will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 20, at the Mira Costa High School Auditorium.

"We would love to extend this invite to our South Bay Community to come join us and celebrate the musicians who are on their way to Washington D.C.," the news release said. "The band will be performing musical scores that will be performed during our time in Washington D.C. and other surprises await."

The President’s Cup national high school concert band festival is an invitation only festival for high school wind ensembles from April 2-3, 2020. The festival is designed to challenge high school ensembles to "understand their full potential" and to emphasize the dedication and hard work it takes to be their best, the news release said. Each concert band will have the opportunity to perform on stage at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Historic Manassas, Virginia.

"Only the most accomplished high school music programs were invited to spend a day with retired and active duty military musicians," the Mira Costa Band release said. "The President’s Cup will represent the values of hard work, superb performance, and teamwork exemplified by America’s men and women in uniform."

The National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki, of Tokyo, to the city of Washington, D.C., and celebrates the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan, the news release said. The festival now spans four weeks and more than 1.5 million people attend.

Band Director Joel Carlson performed in the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in 1999, and it was his dream to bring the Mira Costa Band there, the news release said.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade is on Saturday, April 4, and the Mira Costa High School band is the only band from the West Coast that will be marching in the parade. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook same day and broadcasted on ABC 7 at 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 25.

For more information or to donate to the band, visit the Mira Costa Band website.