"Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art."

The North Monterey County High School Marching Band is an international award winning band. It is the first high school band ever to be invited by the Chinese government to tour and co-perform with resident Chinese students.They toured China in 2001 and 2005, and are planning to return in a few years. Also, a performance in Italy and in the Rose parade will take place in 2006.

In addition to this, the band was the only high school band to represent California in both the 1997 Presidential Inauguration Parade and the national opening of the World War II memorial parade.

The band has recently completed tours in Colorado as well as Washington D.C. and China. Students are now voting to return to China in 2007 or perform in Italy and Europe.

Feel free to contact Mr. DL Johnson for more info at dlj@salinas.net