HOUSTON — The 46th annual official Houston Pride parade is Saturday and the Houston Pride Band is getting ready to march down the city streets once again.
The group is rich in history and KHOU 11 Anchor/Reporter Ron Treviño recently sat in on one of their rehearsals.
On Wednesday night, a room full of musicians gathered to practice.
"We have all different skill levels, but we do play at a very high level," band president Jason Svatek said.
Most people know them as a marching band, but they're also a busy concert band. While they're not professionals, they do sound the part and have about 70 to 80 players.
Svatek plays trombone.
"We played a very difficult piece in our last concert and that was a huge accomplishment for us, a full symphony of multiple movements," he said.
The band's roots go back to the late 1970s. Back then, it was called the Montrose Marching Band. Its popularity grew, but then came a killer.
"Suffered a lot during the AIDS crisis. Lost a lot of members. Went from being very large to being very small but never stopped, even when it was down to 10 people in the band, they kept pushing through," Svatek said.
They've been pushing through for 45 seasons with a mission to provide a welcoming and safe musical outlet for LGBTQ and allied musicians. Their membership is open to all musicians, regardless of sexual orientation, 18 and older and all skill levels.
Hannah Robertson has played the clarinet since the sixth grade and is the band's treasurer. She said the band plays an important role in the community.
"For people like me who want that musical outlet, but also for people who want to be among like-minded people, among their community so they can feel accepted," she said.
The Houston Pride Band continues to play a major role in Houston's Pride celebrations.