Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Young Musicians March Toward the Fourth of July in PUSD’s $25 Summer Band Camp

Rising fifth- through eighth-graders can train at Pasadena High School and earn a spot in the Sierra Madre parade

For $25 a week, a middle schooler with a trumpet case and two free weeks in June can land a spot marching in the Sierra Madre Fourth of July Parade.

That is the offer from the Pasadena Unified School District’s TEAM PUSD Summer Band Camp, which opens June 22 at Pasadena High School. The five-week program, run by the district’s PasadenaLEARNs Expanded Learning Programs, pairs rising fifth- through eighth-grade students with PUSD music teachers and high school student mentors to learn marching fundamentals, percussion, color guard, and instrumental performance. Students who complete both Week 1 and Week 2, according to the program announcement, earn the chance to perform in Sierra Madre’s annual Independence Day parade.

The camp runs in weekly sessions through July 24. Chad Prado, a PUSD music educator based at Sierra Madre Middle School, leads the first three weeks. Michael Birnbryer-Lao, a music teacher at Blair Middle and High School who was named PUSD’s 2026 Teacher of the Year in May, takes over for weeks four and five.

Each session runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.  a full day that, according to the program description, includes team building and mentorship alongside instrument work. High school student leaders assist with instruction.

Wind and brass players must bring their school-issued instruments. Students may register for one week or several.

The camp costs $25 per week. Priority enrollment is available for English Language Learners, students in foster care, students experiencing homelessness, and students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, according to the program materials.

Registration is open through 6crickets.com/parent, the platform PUSD uses for its expanded learning enrollment. A detailed schedule will be sent to families before each session, the district said in its announcement.

For more information, contact Wendy Sanchez at 626-720-3234 or sanchez.wendy@pusd.us. The camp is held at Pasadena High School, 2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107.

The parade and the rehearsals that lead to it starts in 26 days.