From left to right, Drum Major Sarah Michaels and Matt Durst holding the Official Bass Drum Head that will be played during the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Cali.

Itinerary 

From Sarah and Matt:

SARAH MICHAELS
Happy New Year's Eve. Hope everything is well. Today we went to Universal Studios. At this moment, 20 kids in the band have the Stomach Flu. The ones that are sick arent allowed to attend the New Years Party that the hotel has put on for the band. They, unfortunately, are isolated in designated rooms so most are staying in bed. Right now we are looking at only 90+ healthy musicians and guard that can march in the parade tomorrow. 
Dec. 31 8:39 PM EST


MATT DURST
Today was the directors breakfast. we had left our hotel really early to get to the langham (formly the Ritz Carlton) where we were treated like royalty. took pictures with the rose princesses and queen and the bixbys, took pictures with the bowl etc. met with multiple drum majors... most notably lassiter and broken arrow and took multiple pictures. breakfast was delicious and the sounds and introductions were just wow.
Dec. 31 2:38 PM  EST

We did have a stomach flu virus spreading but weve contained it. we arent the only ones other bands expressing same thing. 
Dec. 31 9:01 PM EST

From left to right, Drum Major Sarah Michaels and Matt Durst holding the Official Bass Drum Head that will be played during the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Cali.

Itinerary

Photos from BandFest

Video From BANDFEST

From Sarah and Matt

SARAH MICHAELS:
So yesterday we got up at 5:30 to get ready for Bandfest. Half dress of course. We got on the bus by 6:45 to head out to Pasadena City College. It was so cold, we were running into the sun for warmth. We went to our warm up sight and along the way passed the BOA Honor Band. They were massive.
At our warm up sight people were lined up to go into the stadium. At first or was a small crowd then it quickly grew. They were all watching us practice. It was very exciting. Once warm up was over we went to line up to prepare to take the field. We waited a good amount of time until we could start heading out onto the field because Pasadena City College Band opened up Bandfest for the day. After then was the BOA Honor Band and then we were on. The crowd was much larger than I expected it to be. They were cheering us on as the announcer gave out facts about the band. They mentioned fundraisers we have done, as well as special things some members of the band participate in or awards or special recognitions they have gotten. It was really exciting and interesting to see what all we have accomplished. Matt started the show and the crowd went wild as the show got more exciting. The show ended with the crowd still cheering. The performance was probably my favorite because it was stress free and fun.
After we did out parade around the track we went and got into half dress to go eat some In-n-Out Burger for lunch. It was so good. Then we got changed into regular clothes to go to City Walk. We shipped around a bit then went to eat at Buca Di Peppo's. That was some good Italian food. We ended the day early to get some sleep and we were back at the hotel by 8. We had to unload the busses and went to our rooms. It was a pretty relaxed day.
Dec. 31 2:51 pm EST

MATT DURST:

Very short turn around time from last night to this morning we woke up at 5:30am and loaded the buses around 7 and are enroute to bandfest to perform our field show and our parade routine. afterwards we are taking a picture outside of the rosebowl and getting a chance to view the assembly of the floats!
Dec. 30 10:11 AM EST 

very solid performance today from warhawk band at band fest. the crowd loved us! after a few in and out burgers we are loaded up on the bus. it is starting to rain here but we are on our way to the rose bowl to get our picture done and to view the floats
Dec. 30 3:04 PM EST

From left to right, Drum Major Sarah Michaels and Matt Durst holding the Official Bass Drum Head that will be played during the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Cali.

ITINERARY

Photo Courtesy of Katherine Durst from when the band was touring Hollywood during the day. Much more to come!!!!

FROM SARAH AND MATT

SARAH MICHAELS
We woke up today at 6:30 this morning to get ready and have some breakfast. By 8 we were on our bus on our way to practice. It was at a high school, (and don't quote me on this, I don't really remember what the school was called, I have to look at the itinerary) but if I'm right it's called Marantha high school. We had practice until 12 then had some lunch and got changed for the rest of the day.
We got back on the bus and got to see some of the parade route like Colorado blvd. and where some of the stands are. From there we went to Hollywood. The mountains along the way to the high and L.A. we're beautiful. Then we got into the city. It was so cool to see where Capitol records is and all the little historical monuments L.A. has. We went on a walking tour where we got to see the Egyptian and Chinese theater, as well as where the Oscars are held. We also got to see the walk of fame and where the stars put down their hand prints. Then we went on a bus your throughout Hollywood where we got to see all the little interesting historical places and Beverly Hills.
After, we went on a tour of Queen Mary.  Then ended our tour with our day with a dinner cruise. It was a nice day.
Dec. 30th  1:27 AM EST



MATT DURST
Well we just finished practice at maranatha high school it was raining the entire time so we were inside a parking garage. touring the parade route atm and will later on be doing a hollywood tour. 

We practiced in a parking garage this morning. we did not do practicing for the turn just practiced band fest and parade routine and commands. 
Dec. 29th 3:27 PM

Tonights agenda included a tour of the historic ship the queen mary which was very spooky in a weird kinda way. then after the tour we traveled on a dinner cruise out on the entertainer where we ate a delicious dinner and danced the night away on the ship, at the moment we are traveling back to the hotel for the night as we attempt to get sleep for tomorrows band fest

we are also taking extra precautions with being sanitary as some have been feeling a little under the weather as well. we are all having a wonderful time so far, tired but it is certainly worth all of the sleepiness.
Dec. 30th 1:18 AM EST

From left to right, Drum Major Sarah Michaels and Matt Durst holding the Official Bass Drum Head that will be played during the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Cali.

ITINERARY

VIDEO-Bands Performance at Disneyland

FROM SARAH AND MATT

SARAH MICHAELS 
This morning we woke up and had breakfast at 7 then we were off by 8 to go to Disneyland to march in a little parade and ride rides. And now we are back in out rooms getting ready to go to sleep and some are already asleep for tomorrow.

MATT DURST 
Things are going great!! just finished the parade. streets were packed with people today this was our first day playing in 5 days and we sounded pretty awesome for that amount of time off. right now we are going back in civilian wear and getting debriefed so that we can enjoy in the parks and when we will go see the world of color later tonight. 
Dec. 28 6:46 PM

From left to right, Drum Major Sarah Michaels and Matt Durst holding the Official Bass Drum Head that will be played during the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Cali.

ITINERARY 

FROM SARAH AND MATT

SARAH MICHAELS 

Hope everything is going well in Florida. Yesterday was awesome and very long. We spent the whole morning traveling so we are still a little jet lagged. We got to go to Santa Monica pier and have lunch. I went down with Tyler Eddinger to the beach and got to put our feet in the water for a bit. It was so cold, but so worth it. After that we went to the Grammy museum, my favorite so far, and got to see all the legends as well as mixing music and songwriting. It was pretty great. After, we went the hotel and unloaded the truck and got settled in our rooms then we went and had dinner at Dave and Busters.

MATT DURST

Touchdown in Cali. Its very nice outside pretty chilly like in the low 60's, upper 50's. Saw the SANTA MONICA PIER. Got to see the Pacific Ocean and Visit the Grammy museum. Practice tomorrow for the show on Sunday and of course the Parade. 

Celebrity Tributes

A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE

Gruesome Justin Bieber Murder Plot Uncovered by Police
(Report)2:46 PM PST 12/12/2012 by Seth Abramovitch

The pop sensation was ordered castrated and killed by an obsessed fan serving two life sentences in a New Mexico prison.

Two would-be hit men from Albuquerque, N.M. --Mark Staake and his nephew Tanner Ruane -- had plans to stalk and kill the singer while he visited New York for a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden, police say.

According to police, Staake had befriended a third man, Dana Martin, while both were incarcerated in Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Las Cruces. Martin, who is serving two life sentences for the 2000 murder and rape of a 15-year-old girl in Vermont, recruited Staake to execute a series of killings on his behalf after Staake was released.
 
Among them, Martin ordered "the murder and castration of Bieber and his bodyguard," Albuquerque's KRQE reports. Martin allegedly is obsessed with the Canadian pop star and even has a tattoo of Bieber on his leg.

Tipped by Martin himself, police recorded several phone conversations between Staake and Ruane that took place after Staake had been arrested in Vermont on outstanding warrants.

In them, Ruane complained of being disappointed at not being able to carry out the murders. He later was arrested by police in New York, who found weapons and pruning sheers on him.