Eric Molho

As Minnesota Brass puts the lid on a highly successful 2019 season – finishing second at the DCI SoundSport International Music & Food Festival in Indianapolis in August – the organization would like to thank its sponsors for the support.

Several events and other opportunities materialize annually making a successful season a challenge every year – and 2019 was no exception. From presenting Drum Corps International contests in Menomonie, Wis., and Farmington, Minn., to funding new instruments and covering travel expenses, our sponsors, committed fans and indispensable volunteers continue to keep the organization moving forward.

So here’s a special salute to those sponsors who made 2019 an exceptional year:

• Inver Hills Community College
• Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
• Minnesota State Arts Board
• Schmitt Music
• The U.S. Marine Corps and its local focus on recruiting musicians
• Xcel Energy
• Community Foundation of Dunn County (Wisconsin)
• The Mabel Tainter Theater (Menomonie, Wis.)
• Ted’s Pizza Palace (Menomonie, Wis.)

The Minnesota Brass Board of Directors has set the annual meeting for the corporation at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 7. The meeting will be held at the offices of Olsen Theilin (2675 Long Lake Road, Roseville, MN 55113-1117).

The agenda for the meeting includes proposals to update the oganization’s bylaws, review the organization’s finances and elect new board members. The meeting is open to all and voting is open to corporate members. (Generally speaking, corporate members include the staff, volunteers and performers of a Minnesota Brass performing ensemble.)

The proposed changes to the organization’s bylaws are available online. 

The following individuals have been nominated by the board to serve on the board of directors. Cindy Bach (long time brass performer and former board member); Amanda Posten (former percussion performing and staff member); and David Whitaker (long time administrative team member and former brass performer). Per the bylaws, the membership must ratify all new board members and will vote to do so at the Annual Meeting. Full bios of nominated board members are below.

Cindy Bach

Cindy’s involvement with MBI spans five decades beginning with her first year as a baritone player in 1975 and including 2019 as a parade corps mellophone. Her musical involvement has had her performing on baritone, mellophone, trumpet, as well as a brief stint in the color guard.  She has served countless leadership roles for MBI through her years of service.  She unofficially retired from performing in 2016, but she returned to the corps of 2018.

Cindy is a licensed interior designer/project manager and has designed healthcare clinics and hospitals, retail establishments, and corporate environments. She brings a skill set of new business development, a wide variety of network contacts throughout the design industry, and a desire to see the corps thrive in a performing arts environment that is rapidly changing. Cindy is a quiet, often overlooked, but powerful champion for MBI.

Amanda Posten
Amanda graduated South Saint Paul High School after marching 2009-2012 in their winter drumline. Her experience with MBI started in 2011 with the winter drumline. She marched the summers of 2013, 2015, and 2017 on Mellophone, 2014 in the front ensemble, and aged out in 2016 with the winter drumline. Previously, she taught Andover High School Marching Band and Grove Area Percussion Winter Drumline. She’s very excited to step into a new role for Minnesota Brass and the Minnesota marching community!

Dave Whitaker
Dave first joined MBI in 1990 in the Baritone section, sharing a spot with Cindy Bach (also nominated for a board term). Since then, Dave was a performing member for six scattered years, a member of the visual staff, and performed other administrative and technical roles. His  previous leadership with the organization includes serving on the board, as member and chair, for 15+ years, and as a part of the executive team for the past 10+ years. Dave is excited to return to the board to share his experience, and to ensure a secure future for the organization.