Welcome to the summer 2000 edition of TigerRag, the official online journal of The Santa Ana Winds.

Being our first edition, I apologize for the lack of articles, but as everyone keeps telling me, the less I write, the more they'll read. If you have anything to say, email SAW and please state in the title that your letter in for TigerRag and whether you'd like your name under your article. The nice thing about an online journal is it can continually be updated.

If you don't see your article up here at first, watch for our Fall edition around October. You do not need to be a Winds member to write in. You can be a proud parent, a staff member, one of our many alumni (see our History Page), or a member of another band just wanting to write an article on what you think of us. Please, nothing profane, no mention of rivalries (school or otherwise), and nothing to totally embarrass other Winds members. As editor, I have final say over what is published. By no means does this replace the Guestbook, which is for smaller comments and hellos to Mr. Ward. TigerRag is meant to satisfy the informational needs of Winds members and increase the strong unity among the group.

What we'd like to see...

For new members who never saw the original TigerRag newsletter, imagine what a newsletter is, make it all about WINDS and music, and you basically got TigerRag. I don't want this to be "Webmaster's view of Winds." I want this to be a combination of articles from everyone, even silly little stories about Winds life.

Pictures - these are often comical and I love to see pictures! If you email them, please have them in GIF or JPG format. They load quicker.

Poetry - these may also be shown in the Art Gallery. Music inspires people, and if you're the poetic type, email your poems to be read and enjoyed by all.

Articles - these can be about anything: a crazy incident at a parade, thoughts of upcoming events, an inspiring (or not so inspiring) moment, or the numerous tales of how the Winds has led to long friendships and many happy marriages.

One-Liners - the Guestbook is to say hello, but if you want to send a small comment (clean!) to the Winds in general, I'll be happy to put it up.

Suggestions - I'm not great at organizing things, so if you have a better way to set up this journal, PLEASE let me know. I'm wide open for suggestions and will alter the look of this journal as better ideas are presented.

4th of July

If you didn't see us on the 4th, you missed quite a show. The Winds came onto the street with their own set of fireworks, blowing away the crowd and the competition. We came back from Huntington Beach and Pacific Palasades with two beautiful 6-foot Sweepstakes trophies and judging scores that were something to be proud of.

Good job, Winds!!!

2001: 30th Anniversary

The Winds' 30th anniversary is coming up next year, and many alumni have suggested that a reunion is long overdue.
Could you make it?

If you were a member of the Winds at any time within the last 30 years, please email SAWwhether you would be at least interested in attending a reunion. Mr. Ward would also like as many alumni as possible to return and march once again in the 2000 Hollywood Christmas Parade. So far we have had numerous positive responses. Planning a date and location of the reunion, and a possible alumni concert, will begin in a few months, so please tell all your Winds buddies about this so they have plenty of advance notice to prepare for this special event, a chance to get together once again.

Upcoming Parades!!!

Are YOU ready for the parades this summer? You can find them on the Schedule of Events. Due to some complications, we cannot post the parade locations, so feel free to email SAW to find out what city we are going to.

What will you need?

MEMORIZED MUSIC!
Shoes (cleaned and polished)
Gloves (cleaned & bleached)
white shirt with sleeves
white shorts or bathing suit
white socks
money for lunch
smiles and pride!

What will we play?

Ancient & Honorable,
Beer Barrel Polka,
Saints Go Marching In,
America the Beautiful,
Tiger Rag,
any other music from your memory packet.

Can I bring my family?

YES! We encourage parents to come and see their children in action and cheer them on. Plus, we often need extra vehicles for when our buses become over-crowded.

College of the Season

In order to help high school students choose a wise educational plan, we're continuing the tradition of the original TigerRag by having some of our many college-attending Winds members write about their school. If you are attending a college or used to attend one, and would like to write a little about it, please send us your comments and we will post them with each new edition. Alumni are encouraged to write about their colleges also!

Orange Coast College

I have been attending OCC in Costa Mesa for four years now. I joined the Orange Coast College Wind Ensemble as a guest performer while I was still in high school. I had fun with their lively songs and the non-stop jokes from band director Dana Wheaton.

Later, when I joined the Winds and realized how many Winds members attend OCC, I was sad that no others but myself and Robyn were in the wind ensemble. Perhaps they're hiding out in one of the many smaller ensembles, or in the jazz band or the orchestra?

In any case, I've found OCC to be a great college. The campus is green and spacious, the classes aren't overcrowded, and there are lots of food vendors around in case I get the munchies running between UNIX class and the OCC sailing center. I've found the professors to be approachable and willing to help (whether in person or over email).

The down side: the campus is going through a face-lift this semester, so the sounds of bulldozers and hammers often interrupt lectures and wake up sleeping students. However, this should be finished pretty soon. The big plus side: it's only $11 per unit, has a great computer center for Linux geeks like me, and is located about ten minutes from the beach!

Recruitment Time

Summer's here. You know what that means. Lots of parades! It's time to build our numbers. We need trumpets, trombones, French horns, baritones, tubas... need I list them all? We need flags and back banners. We want to awe the crowd with -- not how loud we are, but how full we sound and look. Fullness of sound, richness of tone, and espirit de corps starts with a proper variety of instruments and a full colorguard. We need YOU to recruit new members. Go to your high schools, colleges, even cross-town rival campuses, and tell them personally what we are all about. Go to middle schools and get 14-year-olds so we can start them off right at a young age. If you are reading this and you're not in the Winds yet, now is the best time to join. Summer is here, and the Winds are going to be sizzling once again!!!