On New Year’s Day, local musician Samantha Quart participated in the Saluting America’s Band Directors project, as part of the 2022 Rose Parade in Pasadena. Quart is the band director at Santa Maria High School, where she’s worked since 2016. She joined nearly 300 other band directors from schools throughout the U.S. and Mexico in marching along the parade’s route.
The Saluting America’s Band Directors project was originally planned for the 2021 Rose Parade but was postponed due to the pandemic. Quart played tuba in the parade and said she was excited to perform in front of an international audience, according to the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.
This article appears in Jan 13-20, 2022.