Saturday morning started very ominously. As we went to board the bus to Lucas Oil stadium, the bus driver was there with the hood open, staring at the engine (which wasn’t running). The driver informed us that it wouldn’t start, and that we needed to call a tow truck. The driver said it just likely needed a jump-start, but we didn’t want to make any assumptions.
We had planned for a short warm-up Saturday, to give members 30 more minutes of sleep, and that abridged warm-up was quickly being erased into a show up, unload, perform sort of situation.
Chris Judd called our SoundSport contact to let them know of the situation, and they offered a solution to go on later, when intermission was supposed to start. This act of logistical kindness saved our hide! The bus was jump-started and got on our way.
SoundSport Finals
Once the bus was started, we were able to catch our breath and get ready to perform. This group has had a can-do attitude from day one and a hunger to perform and produce a quality show centered around excellence and entertainment.
Across from Lucas Oil Stadium, Minnesota Brass lit the crowd up with their 2022 program Route 66. We encountered several MBI alumni at the show and they were not only elated to see us back, they had great things to say about the show.
The members’ hard work paid off with Minnesota Brass being named Best Of Show at the 2022 DCI SoundSport contest – the top overall award for units competing. After some celebrating, we sang the corps song, For All We Know.
Members and staff capped off the weekend by attending DCI finals before heading back home overnight on the bus, in true drum corps fashion.
Thanks to the team
Of course this season wouldn’t be possible without each and every member. Also, the creative team & instructional staff deserve special recognition, as they helped dial the show in, making MBI into a well oiled machine. If you see these folks at Marching Band, Drumline, or Color Guard shows, tell them thanks for helping get MBI back on the road:
- Chris Judd
- Rebekah Salas
- Kaitlyn Hepp
- Chris O’Connell
- Alex St. Clair
- Joe Jaeger
- Vlad Boz
- Connor Wiotte
- Tyler Shipe
Congratulations, Minnesota Brass!