BEAT OF THE STREET

Xavior Ramos put on his Matador suit and sombrero for his marching band competition in Santa Cruz while trying not to faint in the October heat. He and his friends from Grenada High School all decided to participate because of their love and enjoyment for music. Ramos’s interest in the clarinet started in the sixth grade, and led to him winning a music competition. Some of the songs were older, including “Purple Pageant.” “I was just so focused on playing the music,” said Ramos. “I didn’t even realize I was pretending there was no one around us. It was just like the band mark, like doing a normal routine.” Xavier and the rest of the band ended up scoring high in the competition and got to spend some quality time with each other.

Cameron Birdwell