PCC Makes History With Triple Presence in 2025 Rose Parade

As Pasadena City College celebrates its centennial year, the institution will make an unprecedented triple presence in the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade, maintaining a continuous participation since 1930 through its Honor Band.

The Honor Band’s appearance marks its 96th year in the parade as the Tournament of Roses’ official band – the longest-running student band in the event’s history, second only to the Salvation Army overall.

“The parade this year, it’s kind of a very special aspect in that the college is sponsoring the Rose Court float. Our Harold Trumpets precede the Rose Court, and then the Honor Band follows it directly,” said Kyle Luck, PCC Director of Bands.

The 225-member Honor Band, selected from more than 500 applicants, integrates college students as leaders while high school students augment the ensemble, featuring musicians ranging from 14-year-old freshmen to performers in their sixties.

“The talent pool is pretty amazing. It’s been a steady incline since we’ve come back from Covid… there’s been a real steady incline in the musical ability of the students, the talent level, and also the interest too,” Luck said.

“We’re the only band permitted to play ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses.’ So that is our theme song,” Luck said of one of four musical selections the band will perform during their nationally televised parade appearance.

Additional selections include a Latin jazz arrangement of “Saturday in the Park,” a big band arrangement of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “The National Game,” a Sousa march from 1925, reflecting the rich musical heritage of the institution.

The Honor Band’s instrumental composition includes 101 brass players, 63 woodwind musicians, and 27 percussion members, demonstrating the comprehensive scope of the ensemble’s musical capabilities in this centennial celebration.

“One of my running lines is I’m the only professor at PCC whose final is seen by 30 million people on TV,” Luck said of the high-profile performance that showcases the institution’s commitment to musical excellence.

Beyond the Rose Parade, the band maintains an active performance schedule throughout the academic year, including appearances at Disneyland Resort, Bandfest, and various community events, having received the Tournament of Roses® Michael D. Sewell Service Through Music Award in 2022.

The triple presence in this year’s parade represents both PCC’s historical significance in the Tournament of Roses and its continuing evolution as it enters its second century of educational service.