Under the direction of Joel Carlson, the GRAMMY® award winning Mira Costa Bands are part of the comprehensive Music Department at Mira Costa High School. The program has been hailed by professional critics and adjudicators alike for performances of advanced high school, collegiate and professional repertoire in concerts, festivals and competitions from coast to coast.
Concert and Jazz 1 ensembles are year-long programs. Assessments are held at the end of the prior school year (June) to determine placement in the appropriate ensemble level.
Marching Band and Color Guard are no-cut athletic programs for the fall season and fulfil a semester of PE credit. No marching band or color guard experience is necessary. All marching band members are required to be concurrently enrolled in an instrumental performance class (concert band, jazz or orchestra). Color guard members must register for the Period 6 “Flags” class.
Indoor Drumline (IDL) is a no-cut athletic program for the winter season and fulfils a semester of PE credit. No prior experience in percussion is necessary. Clinics are scheduled in December for both novices and experienced performers — come with a commitment to learn and there will be a place for you.
The Band Boosters rely on parent volunteers, who are the behind-the-scenes heroes of the band and guard programs. Fundraisers including candy sales at football games and a booth at the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair each October help fund the program.
Donations go directly to the program — coaching, equipment and season costs.
Jiyeon Im — Co-President
miracostaband@gmail.com
David LeMieux — Co-President
miracostaband@gmail.com
Douglas Gardner — Treasurer
treasurerbandguard@gmail.com
Concert season begins in December with the Winter Concert, includes the All-District Concert (February), the Eclectic Ensembles concert (March) and adjudicated spring festivals, and concludes in June with the Pops, Jazz and Percussion Concerts.
Marching Band & Color Guard training begins the prior spring, leading into summer training sessions through June and July, with a mandatory two-week camp at the beginning of August. The full season includes all home football games, 4–5 field-show competitions in October and November, and parade appearances throughout the year. Regular rehearsals are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with three Saturday intensives (“rehearsathons”) early in the fall.
Indoor Drumline training begins with a winter-break camp. Regular rehearsals are held over two or three afternoons depending on facility availability, with a second camp during either ski week or spring break (not both). Competition season runs from February through mid-April.
