Marching Band & Color Guard

Marching Band & Color Guard (MBCG) is part of Los Altos High School’s Instrumental Music program — but with 70-plus students, a full fall competition season, and a major share of the activity, it gets a page of its own. Each fall, students build a competitive field show from the ground up and perform it at football games, community events, and Western Band Association competitions across California. Marching Band & Color Guard also satisfies the LAHS physical education requirement.

The program welcomes students in grades 9–12: musicians (some music experience is recommended but not required) and color guard members, who don’t need any musical background. Because the marching season is concentrated in the fall, students are encouraged to also enroll in a year-long ensemble — Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, or Orchestra.

Directed by band director Ted Ferrucci and assistant director Tim McAfee, with the marching band and color guard instructional staff.

Support the 2026 season

Marching Band & Color Guard is our largest undertaking, so it runs its own fundraising campaign, separate from the Boosters’ Back-to-School campaign. Donations pay for the parts of the season that nothing else covers:

• Marching band and color guard staff — instructors with the expertise each discipline needs, and enough of them to keep the student-to-instructor ratio low
• The mid-season band camp at Camp Jones Gulch, September 25–27
• The trip to the WBA Class Championships, November 20–22
• The show t-shirt every student receives
• Meals at after-school rehearsals, before football games, and at competitions

The suggested donation is $1,000 per student. If you’re able, please consider joining our circle of key donors at the $3,000, $5,000, or $10,000 level — gifts at that scale are what let us keep the program open to every LAHS student. Gifts of any size are tax-deductible.

Give to the MBCG campaign

This fall’s show: Metamorphosis

For Fall 2026, Marching Band & Color Guard presents Metamorphosis — a field show that traces a caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly, and mirrors the way our performers grow and transform over the course of a season.

The show unfolds in three movements:

• Mov. 1 — Turmoil: rigid, angular, and grounded. The ensemble moves in tight groups and sharp geometric shapes, low to the ground.
• Mov. 2 — Discovery: color and motion begin to bloom. Lines soften, flowers open, and individuals find their independence as spring arrives.
• Mov. 3 — Exploration: fully fluid movement and new heights. Simple shapes give way to curves and asymmetry — and the butterflies take flight.

The color palette transforms along with the story, opening in earthy browns, yellows, and oranges and resolving into blues and pinks by the closer.

The season

The year begins with a fall band camp, where students learn the show and come together as a group before classes ramp up. From there the ensemble performs at home football game halftimes and travels to regional competitions through the fall, building toward championship weekend. The season is capped by a senior banquet celebrating our graduating performers.

It’s an intense, rewarding season — and it only happens with significant parent support.

Season calendar

During the season the regular weekly rehearsal schedule is:

• Monday — Brass & Woodwinds, 4:00 – 7:00 PM
• Wednesday — Percussion & Color Guard, 4:00 – 7:00 PM
• Friday — full ensemble, 4:00 – 7:00 PM
• Saturday — full ensemble, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Friday and Saturday rehearsals are shortened as necessary before footbal games or competitions.

The calendar below lists everything besides those regular rehearsals — camps, football games, competitions, performances, and the days with no rehearsal. (Football-game days include the usual rehearsal beforehand.) Competition-day times firm up closer to each date; full details are shared through the Google Group and the volunteer sheet.

Put the season on your own calendar: subscribe in Google Calendar or Apple Calendar and everything here — the events above and the weekly rehearsals — will appear alongside your own, with any schedule changes flowing through automatically.

Volunteer & calendar sheet

We coordinate the full schedule and all volunteer sign-ups through a shared Google Sheet that lists every event and the roles we need filled. This season’s sheet was sent out to the Marching Band Google Group. If you aren’t receiving regular emails from the group, you’re not signed up yet — email president@lahsperformingartsboosters.org and we’ll add you.

Get involved

MBCG depends on parent volunteers more than any other program. Families help with:

• Equipment trucks — loading and driving gear to performances and competitions
• Chaperoning at camp, games, and overnight competition trips
• Meals and hospitality at rehearsals, before football games, and at competitions
• Props, uniforms, and fittings
• Volunteer coordination — leading and scheduling the parent crew

To plug in, join the Marching Band Google Group for schedules and news, come to the MBCG portion of the monthly Boosters meeting, and pick a role on the volunteer sign-up sheet.

Monthly meeting

The Boosters hold a monthly Zoom meeting open to all parents, with a Marching Band & Color Guard segment that covers upcoming performances, travel logistics, and volunteer needs. The link is shared through the Google Group.

Stay in the loop

Sign up for MBCG updates — it’s the best way to hear about schedule changes, get details on specific performances, and find out when the program needs volunteers.