About the Band
The One More Time Around Again Marching Band (aka the OMTAAMB) is comprised of more than 500 marching band fanatics who don’t know when to quit! Members range in age from 18 to 85 and have all marched at some point in their life. Listen for the OMTAAMB in June as they march through the streets of Portland in the Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade and Starlight Parade.
Mission Statement: The One More Time Around Again Marching Band is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, including the encouragement, enhancement, education and development of musical abilities. In addition, it will provide opportunities for talented individuals to demonstrate their musical and performance abilities in concerts, small group performances and community parades. The band endeavors to provide musicians with an avenue to continue their lifetime experience with music, while supporting the community in which we live and perform and promoting a "never stop learning" mindset in young and old alike by encouraging a multi-generation awareness of music.
Meet the OMTAAMB Board Members and Leaders
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Band History
The One More Time Around Again Marching Band (OMTAAMB) is believed to be the largest permanent marching band in the world. The OMTAAMB is made up of former high school, college and military marching band members. The ages of the band members range from their teens to their 80s. Members come from far away places just to perform with the band each year — in recent years there are members who have come from California, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Japan and New Zealand.
How it all started…
The idea for the band came after former Rose Festival executive director Clayton Hannon saw a similar group (The Greater St. Petersburg Area Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band, otherwise known as “Rounders”) performing at the St. Petersburg, Florida Festival of States. He convinced Bill Chisholm to lead a similar group for the Portland area, and things were off and running. The band made its debut in 1985 when it was formed to march in the Portland Rose Festival’s Starlight Parade. There were only 70 to 75 members during that first year, and many of the charter members are still part of the band!
The Growing Band
In its second year, OMTAAMB grew to approximately 150 members. By the third year (1987), the band had grown to over 200 members. With a new sponsor, adequate funding allowed the purchase of yellow bowling shirts and white pants, and the band made its debut in the Grand Floral Parade. The band continued to grow rapidly during the next few years and membership was ultimately capped at slightly over 500.
Travel and our sister band
As the band grew in size, it also started venturing outside of Portland on occasion. The first major road trip came in July of 1989 when they went to Seattle for the Seattle Seafair Torchlight Parade and the Magnolia community parade, one of several such events which are part of the Seattle Seafair. Less than six months later, the band went to Pasadena, Calif. and marched in the 1990 Tournament of Roses Parade.
The Second Time Arounders celebrated their 10th anniversary in 1992, and OMTAAMB headed for St. Petersburg in March of that year to participate in the Festival of States and help with the Rounder’s celebration. OMTAAMB’s 10th anniversary was two years later, and the Rounders came to Portland to march in the Grand Floral Parade and help with OMTAAMB’s celebration.
