Ruby Summer. The two words sound like a new shade of lip-gloss for pre-teen girls, or perhaps a flavor of sugary-sweet popsicles designed for the warm summer months. Well, in reality, the sound and appearance of the real Ruby Summer, an all girl pop duet, is not much different from the happy-go-lucky images their name produces.

The two pretty young women with long flowing hair, dressed like little girls who raided a dress-up box, sang out lyrics of boys, beaches, and Brigitte Bardot in the FVHS bowl on Friday, March 11, 2011. Along with their performance, copies of their album Mermaids and Poets, t-shirts and stickers were sold to the eager FVHS students.

Without question, the girls have perfected their appearance and stage presence. The girly tutus, wrists covered in bangles and beads, and 5-inch pumps match the sweet, airy image they\’re attempting. And that look drew in the attention they were aiming for, evident by the swarms of boys that packed the seats of the bowl on Friday.

But beneath the blue eye makeup and the frilly dresses, what about the music of Ruby Summer? In an interview, blonde-haired sister Summer firmly believes that “it doesn\’t matter what genre it [music] is…if it makes you feel something then it\’s good music.” But strangely, I found it difficult to feel anything when I heard the repetitive, rhyming “French Kisses”, indistinguishable from any other pop song.

That\’s not to say that the sisters aren\’t talented, but their performance seemed to show off themselves more than their music. With their short skirts, choreographed twists and turns, and overwhelming synthesizer drowning out their voices, it was difficult to focus on anything but their looks.

Clearly, this fantasy-like, techno sound appeals to a large population of young teenage girls, but it seems difficult to deem Ruby Summer as musical or creative, when the lyrics and melodies of each song are interchangeable. While one song talks about the magic of French boys and their love, the next song discusses summers on the beach with tan surfers. Where is the originality?

Now if the intent of Ruby and Summer is to produce a light, fantasyland album to attract every dreamy-eyed young girl, and to flaunt their beauty and style to swoon every teenage boy, then congratulations, because they succeeded in their objective; thanks to Ruby Summer, every Fountain Valley girl hopes for that “French Kiss” and every boy wants to be their “amour”.

War Stories

Earlier this week, FVHS had the privilege of having a talented indie/alternative rock band called War Stories perform during lunch. The band members, who are originally  from San Diego, include Evan Robinson on vocals, Reid Curby on guitar, Eric Mace on bass, and Andrew Rivera on drums. They are signed by the label NunConrad and have been touring high schools in southern California. Their performance left students shocked and amazed; Barons would run up to them to get free merchandise, take  pictures with them on the red carpet, and ask them for their autographs (one girl even wrote her name on them arms and told them to make it a tattoo). Baron Banner had a chance to talk to them after the excitement subsided.

Baron Banner: How long have you been playing together?

War Stories: We\’ve been playing together for over 6 years.

BB: When did you guys first meet?

WS: Evan and I (Reid) met eight years ago in Temecula where we worked. From there, we formed our band.

BB: Where can people get a hold on your albums?

WS: You can find our two albums Arm Yourself and War Stories Vol. 1 on iTunes. You can also find them free streaming on myspace.com/warstoriesmusic.

BB: Thank you for your time and good luck on your tour!

WS: Thank you.

War stories will continue their high school tour throughout Southern California; their next lunch concert is at Mira Mesa High School. If you want to keep in contact with the band, you can add them on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Hopefully War Stories will come back and visit us soon. In the meantime, Barons, buy their albums!

Every year, many talented seniors graduate from Fountain Valley High School and leave big shoes to fill for incoming freshmen.

The transition from middle school and high school is so overwhelming that some future Barons are too intimidated join the numerous activities our school has to offer.  To familiarize future freshmen with some of our music programs, our very own FVHS Royal Regiment made a visit to a few middle schools, including Moiola, Fulton, Talbert, and Masuda .

Called the Silk Road, this year\’s theme portrays “travel through time in India,” according to trumpet player Michael Paine (\’10). Seasoned band members, such as junior Zaq Kenefick and seniors Michael Paine, Ben Kim, and Joey Alves, unanimously agree that the single instrument demonstrations were the best part during the tours. This gave each of them to showcase their individual  instruments instead of playing as part of a group.

Freshmen Dario Resendiz and Vonnie Nguyen are some of the new members of the band who had a great experience and enjoyed performing for the middle schools. Resendiz says with enthusiasm, “The little kids are really cute!” Nguyen adds in a nostalgic tone, “It was very fun playing to the kids. To see them happy brought back memories.”

Our band surrounds the entire audience, ensuring the middle schoolers to create a vibrant, harmonious sound when performing together. The unique melodies and sounds of each instrument leave a lasting impression on our future Barons, some of whom are looking forward to become members of the band.

This tour motivated the incoming freshmen to continue playing their instruments or learn new ones to become a part of our Royal Regiment. Our Barons  enter and graduate in the blink of an eye, but the music they create continues.

Kyle Garibay is known for his strong musical talents at Fountain Valley High School. He was kind enough to let Baron Banner interview him about these talents. Let\’s take a look at what he said.

BB: Why do you always wear that red flannel?

KG: It\’s one of my favorite shirts I guess.

BB:  I heard that you have a band. Do you guys have a name yet?

KG: Well, I just record music with my friend Rene and practice with my other friends. We have not decided on a name yet.

BB: You guys should consider the name “The Flannels.”

KG: (Laughs) I\’ll take that into consideration.

BB: What kind of instruments do you play?

KG: I play bass, drums, guitar, and piano—all with my left hand.

BB: That\’s quite a lot of instruments. Did you take classes to learn them all?

KG: I took a class for drumming for one month. Aside from that, I am self-taught.

BB: You\’re amazing! Would you ever give lessons?

KG: (Laughs) I might give out lessons for fun, easy money.

BB: How many instruments do you own?

KG: I own one guitar (Fender), two basses (Fender and Ibanez), one set of drums (Gretsch), and one keyboard (Yamaha).

BB: Do you sing?

KG: No, I don\’t sing.

BB: Who’s your inspiration?

KG: My inspiration would be Thom Yorke from Radiohead. I have all their albums and everything.

BB: Could you name your top five favorite bands?

KG: Golly gosh, that\’s a bit hard. Radiohead, Blink 182, The Smiths, Nirvana, and Copeland.

BB: You have a lot of talent. Do you plan to major in music later in life?

KG: I\’m actually thinking about majoring in Psychology or English. I really enjoy learning about how others think and how they make their decisions. I also like to write. I think music is just a hobby for me, but I wouldn\’t mind giving out lessons.

BB: Okay, thanks for your time Kyle. Oh, and awesome shirt.

KG: No problem!

The night air is cool, crisp to the taste. The band stands in silent anticipation on the football field. Bright stadium lights illuminate the night, revealing the large crowd that sits silently in the stands, waiting. My eyes skirt around the field taking in the glorious sights.

The pit checks their equipment while the color guard arranges their silks and flags. I know the rest of the Royal Regiment is just as restless as I am. Months of practice and hard work, reps and run-throughs, all boil down to tonight. And in those few short minutes before the last show of the season, my mind wanders back, back to the beginning.

The first few hours of band camp were some of the most exciting moments of my life. Back then, the freshmen were all strangers, defined solely by the instruments held in our hands. He\’s a tuba, she\’s a baritone, and I\’m a clarinet. That was how we knew each other, the freshies.

I wasn\’t one of the lucky people with friends or family already in high school, so I didn\’t know any upperclassmen. A few familiar faces from middle school and that was it. Some of the sophomores and juniors I recognized vaguely from Mr. Peters\’ middle school band but no more. The rest were new to me, and my stomach was a continued mix of fear and excitement. There\’s probably a long word for that. I was scared of new people, but I also wanted to meet them, to get to know them, to be friends.

So we started. We learned basics, marching, the Hindu exercise, stretches, and breathing, all this new stuff on top of the music. It was so much to absorb, so much to learn. It seemed like I would never get it right. Day after day I didn\’t feel any better at this stuff. But we got there. A month in, and most of the freshmen were marching with ease, like they had been doing this for a year. Ok, maybe not that good, but it was respectable.

Already the walls between me and the others were breaking up. I knew several people who were already friends with half the upperclassmen, and here I was, asking some questions and adding small comments here and there. I reached out slowly, and was welcomed with laughter and shouting and excitement. Bandos are eager to make friends it seems, and after a week I was just another bando.

Then school came. Along with band I now had to attend class every day, do homework, and worry about grades. But that was ok. Band was like paradise now, a break every fourth period from the chaos of the day. Yeah, that makes sense. Taking a break from chaos with a different type of chaos: band-style.

Our first football game came, and confident and ready, we marched onto the field. And lived! We performed not the entire show but stopped at the end of the second movement. The crowd cheered, and we stood, frozen in time for a few moments as that feeling of praise washed over us.

More shows came and went, and we gradually got better. There were some great performances, like the Mission Viejo and Riverside competitions. By then I knew most of the seniors by name, and for some strange reason, they knew mine.

And I realized some other things. Band wasn\’t just music or marching. It was the presentation, the excitement you inspire in the crowd but also the people backstage and onstage, like the parent volunteers and student officers that kept the marching band\’s inner mechanics in top condition.

We appreciate what they did from  arranging the bus lists to managing various forms and papers. I also especially want to thank the equipment managers. After every eventWednesday night, game, and comp, it was these people who stayed, sometimes for two hours, to load all the stuff. I was there helping, and I know how hard it is to get about sixty instruments and the podiums into that truck

I\’ll miss the seniors. After the last show, you\’ll be gone. Many of you will visit, but you\’ll never march again. I just want to say that once a bando, always a bando. You\’ll always be part of our family.

The sound of the announcer drags me back to the field. “Fountain Valley High School, you may now take the field in championships competition.” I back out my memories and in the Now. The show is all that\’s on my mind.

The countdown starts. And the last show begins!

By Michelle Doan, Visual Arts Manager

After spending most of their Friday night last week at the Edison Bell Game in Cal State Fullerton, the Fountain Valley Royal Regiment (FVRR) marching band woke up the next day to travel to Riverside Community College for a Western Band Association (WBA) competition.

The FVRR placed fourth with a score of 85.50 out of 100 with their “The Silk Road” show performance, their highest score in the 2009 marching season so far.

They competed against four other highly competitive high school marching bands in the 5A division, including Ayala High School, that placed first with a total score of 91.15 and swiped all the caption awards.

FVRR also received second place in the General Effects and Best Percussion caption awards. Despite placing fourth place overall, the band placed close behind and is improving in pace as compared with the other bands.

“It was a typical competition,” says Jeffrey Wang (‘12), “But although we usually lose to the big bands by small numbers, the competition is like a tug-a-war and we are fighting for every tenth of a score.”

FVRR\’s next competition will take place Saturday, November 14 at Trabuco Hills High School, performing at 9 pm.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Michelle Doan, Visual Arts Manager

The Fountain Valley High School Royal Regiment (FVRR) marching band is back with success this season with their new show, “The Silk Road.” Their third Western Band Association (WBA) competition performance took place Halloween afternoon at Estancia High School (Costa Mesa). The band managed to win first place along with all the available caption awards ranging from Best Percussion to General Effects.

The FVRR was the last to perform in the day: they were the only 5A division band, which therefore guaranteed their placement of first place awards. On the other hand, the band received a score of 81.2 out of 100, 0.65 points lower than their competition in Mission Viejo. However, band members were happy with the results and location despite the holiday.

“Since they said [the competition] was in Costa Mesa, we were happy we were still able to celebrate Halloween,” says Ben Poteet (\’11). “The awards were great for today because we have practiced for many weeks and we have three more weeks to go.”

FVRR\’s next competition will take place at the Riverside Community College next Saturday, November 7, 2009.

The FVHS KIWINS club and other Fountain Valley Royal Regiment marching band supporters cheered in the bleachers as the Baron musicians entered Estancia High School football field in Costa Mesa on Saturday, October 25, 2008.

The band competed against Mission Viejo Diablo Marching Band and Color Guard, the only other school marching band performing in 5A division at the Costa Mesa WBA show.

The FVRR scored a 79.20 overall out of 100 points and received the Best Percussion 5A music caption award and Best Percussion Sweepstakes out of both 4A and 5A divisions. The colorguard\’s auxiliary score has improved greatly since last year, and the band scored only 0.75 points behind Mission Viejo from receiving first place and sweepstakes.

A freshman member in the Royal Regiment\’s pit ensemble says, “I thought that show was way better than our last show. It was really fun.”

The Royal Regiment plans to keep raising the bar and to improve their show as the season progresses into championships and finals.