Letters: TCHS Jazz Band

I have heard that reservations for the Travel Club dinner-dance scheduled for March 13 are lackluster because there is some concern about the band being a “high school band.” I will attest that the The Temescal Canyon High School Jazz Band is scheduled to play and it is excellent.

The music program at TCHS is exceptional, not to mention scarce. The Elsinore School District is one of very few school districts in California that still has a music program at all and I feel it should be supported.

The money the band makes in donations goes 100 percent towards instrument repair and refurbishment, uniform repair and cleaning, musical arrangements, competition entry fees, busing, etc. The list is endless and you will note I did not mention buying either instruments or uniforms. That would be because they are prohibitively expensive.

When you consider a French horn, for example, starts at $5,000, there is no room in the budget for replacing instruments or the wool uniforms the marching band wears.

I run an event planning business and, in my capacity as this year’s social chair for the Travel Club, I would not suggest the band for an evening of entertainment if I did not think they were excellent. I have my own reputation to think of. I might also add that Cotillion would not keep inviting them back to play at their Christmas dinner-dance either, not to mention the other numerous functions they play at and are asked back to.

The theme of the dinner-dance is “Salute to the Troops–1940s USO.” It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s open to everyone, not just members. Reservations can be made at canyonlaketravelclub.org.

Lyne Hall