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South Pasadena float committee votes to run TV Corner silent unless music fees waived
Summary
The South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee voted to go without licensed music at TV Corner and instead use sound effects — contingent on the tournament not charging a $2,500 licensing fee; if the fee applies the group will remain silent through TV Corner.
At its September meeting, the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee voted to run the float past TV Corner without licensed music and to use only sound effects — provided the Tournament does not assess a $2,500 music-licensing fee; if the fee applies the group will remain silent around TV Corner. The committee made the decision after an extended discussion about copyright, cost and possible workarounds.
The committee’s event and site chair, James Johns, introduced the item and asked members whether they preferred licensed music or silence as the float passes TV Corner. Committee members raised concerns about the cost of licensing and about whether short sound clips or sound effects would trigger the same licensing obligations as music.
Discussion centered on three alternatives: (1) purchase licensed music or pay the Tournament’s fee; (2) use nonmusical sound effects or sound design for the TV Corner pass; or (3) remain entirely silent. One member said they possess a large library of royalty-free sound effects and suggested the group could submit license evidence to the Tournament if asked. Other members cautioned that marching bands and other parade participants also face copyright constraints for what they play in public.
A motion that the float “run silent around TV Corner with sound effects only, as long as the Tournament does not charge $2,500 for the sound effects, and if they do, then run silent all the way around TV Corner” was moved, seconded by Jeremy Bruce, and approved after a single recorded dissent. The committee did not record a formal dollar expenditure related to the decision; the motion was contingent on the Tournament’s final determination of whether sound effects constitute “music” for licensing purposes.
Committee members said they will follow up with Tournament staff to clarify whether sound effects or small, royalty-free selections require the same fee as licensed music. Members also discussed practical execution: using a short sound-effects track only while the float is in TV Corner, then restoring full music as the parade continues past the Elks Lodge.
The committee did not adopt a specific music or sound-effects track at the meeting and did not authorize any payments; next steps include confirming the Tournament’s interpretation of the rule and, if needed, presenting evidence of royalty-free licenses to the Tournament.
Why it matters: TV Corner is the point in the Rose Parade that receives national broadcast attention; whether floats can use music or must remain silent affects parade presentation and can create new costs for volunteer-run floats. The committee’s vote establishes a conditional policy for this year’s float pending the Tournament’s final determination.
