Last row: A.J. & Susan Pascale, First row, second from the left: Jenna Pascale If you look closely at the people on the Rose Parade Floats this year you might see a hometown boy.

A.J. (Albert) Pascale, Garden City High School Class of 1968, along with his wife Susan and their 7 year-old-daughter Jenna, a young cellist, will be featured in the 121st Rose Parade on January 1st, 2010 starting at 8:00 am (PST).

They will ride the float representing the city of South Pasadena, California, the Pascale’s adopted hometown, a few miles south of the parade route.

A.J. and Susan are owners and directors of the South Pasadena Strings Program, a highly successful classical music program for children. (www.StringsProgram.com). The program includes the award-winning South Pasadena Children’s Orchestra, made up of youngsters age 5 to 12.

This year’s Rose Parade theme is ‘A Cut Above the Rest’ and South Pasadena’s float theme is “Our Kids.’ The Pascales, along with 7 other orchestra children, were asked by the city to represent the town on the float. The orchestra’s accomplishments this past year led to the honor. Last spring, the Pascales brought the 38-member orchestra to a high school competition at Carnegie Hall, where they received the top honor, a gold medal. They also set a world record for the youngest orchestra ever to perform and record at Carnegie. This success led to an invitation for the orchestra to perform on a local California PBS special on Christmas Eve that will be rebroadcast nationally in Christmas 2010.

Although A.J. has lived in California for more than two decades, his mother Mary, along with his brothers and sisters (Duane, Gordon, Vicki & Marybeth) still live in Garden City and he has strong ties to the town. Says A.J., “Your roots have a powerful influence on you as you progress through life. Growing up in Garden City has had a lasting and positive effect on me.”