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All Posts By

Randy Salas

Aug 30 2014
2

Members’ diary: ‘Supernova’ lights up DCA prelims (8/30)

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | No Comments
Parking lot warmup at DCA prelims.

Parking lot warmup at DCA prelims.

Minnesota Brass started Saturday with an early-morning rehearsal filled with anticipation for its afternoon performance at DCA prelims in Rochester. And what a show it was. It might have been broad daylight, but “Supernova” lit up the crowd and judging panel at Sahlen’s Stadium — good enough for a score of 96.4 and a move up from the No. 3 spot to No. 2. Along the way — as has been the routine for this exciting weekend — Minnesota Brass members and staff tweeted about the day’s events using the hashtag #mbi14. Here’s what they had to say on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/505679136485302273

https://twitter.com/TrevorANelson/status/505759998677618688

https://twitter.com/TrevorANelson/status/505841090302578688

Aug 29 2014
2

Members’ diary: Not just a walk in the park (8/29)

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | No Comments

20140829_153324Minnesota Brass marked its first full day in Rochester with a dawn to dusk rehearsal Friday at Badgerow Park North, about a half hour’s drive from the corps’ temporary home at the DoubleTree. “Supernova” is shining brighter than ever after all of the hard work and ready for its debut at the DCA World Championships. Members and staff were rewarded with an evening off. Throughout, they tweeted their thoughts using the hashtag #mbi14.  Here’s a roundup of some of the things they posted:

https://twitter.com/TrevorANelson/status/505316824872140800

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/505327577758978048

https://twitter.com/TrevorANelson/status/505495231559913472

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/505486971725430784

Aug 29 2014
2

Members’ diary: Welcome to Rochester! (8/28)

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | No Comments

imageWhat a long, strange trip it’s been. Most members of Minnesota Brass left Minnesota on Wednesday night for the DCA World Championships in Rochester, N.Y., and it wasn’t long before they were behind schedule. Even some of those who traveled separately experienced delays of one kind or another. But everyone eventually arrived safely at the DoubleTree in Rochester by late Thursday afternoon, quickly settled in and jumped into a nighttime parking-lot rehearsal that rocked the neighborhood.

Luckily, along the way, many Minnesota Brass members and staff tweeted about their adventures on Twitter using the trending hashtag #mbi14.  Here’s what they had to say:

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/504822631838023680

https://twitter.com/TrevorANelson/status/504988660572635136

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/505013826723782656

https://twitter.com/TrevorANelson/status/505113158864752640

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/505174489068756994

 

Aug 27 2014
2

Minnesota Brass this week: DCA World Championships!

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | 2 Comments
Photo: Marissa Moeller

Photo: Marissa Moeller

Minnesota Brass is excited to be competing in the 2014 DCA World Championships in Rochester, N.Y. this weekend.  Whether you’ll be with us in person or following us from afar, here’s everything you need to know about what the corps will be doing and where it will be in the coming days. In addition, we have a Fan’s Guide that’s neatly contained on one sheet for you to print out, which you can find here.

Wednesday, Aug. 27

Buses depart the Kmart in Oakdale (7191 10th St N, Oakdale; just off of I-694). We’ll be stopping along the way to pick up members in River Falls and Madison, Wis., and Chicago, plus meal and bathroom breaks.

Thursday, Aug. 28

The buses are scheduled to arrive at the Doubletree hotel in Rochester (1111 Jefferson Rd., Rochester; phone 1-585-475-1510, fax 1-585-427-8673) at 3 p.m. Members are on their own for dinner. Then everyone will gather in the parking lot from 6-9 p.m. for a light rehearsal and complete standstill performance of our show, “Supernova.” All guests are welcome. Oh, and the rehearsal attire theme is “tacky” (a la Weird Al).

Friday, Aug. 29

The corps will rehearse from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. at Badgerow Park (4614 Dewey Ave., Rochester). The rehearsal attire theme is “America” — or, as everyone in the corps says, ” ‘Merica!” Once the buses arrive back at the hotel around 7 p.m., members have the evening off.

Saturday, Aug. 30

Photo: Eric Molho

Photo: Eric Molho

We’re back at Badgerow Park from 8-10:30 a.m. for a short morning rehearsal. The rehearsal attire theme is section pride (hornline, guard, percussion). After a break for lunch and show preparation, we’ll leave the park at 12:30 p.m. and arrive at Sahlen’s Stadium (460 Oak St., Rochester) for our Prelims performance. Minnesota Brass is seeded No. 3 and goes on at 3:22 p.m. After Prelims conclude, buses will depart the stadium at 4:45 p.m. There is a mandatory full corps meeting — all staff, support staff, performers — at the hotel from 5-6 p.m. at which we will review the schedule for Sunday and provide other critical information. Members have the evening off and are free to attend the Individual & Ensemble and Mini Corps Competition at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center (123 E. Main St, Rochester). Our own Minne-Brass goes on at 10 p.m. This year, DCA is adding a feature in which the fans can vote for their favorite mini corps.

Sunday, Sept. 1

The corps will rehearse at Badgerow Park from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The rehearsal attire theme is Minnesota Brass apparel — aka “Let’s kick some Brass.” Members will return to the hotel at 3:45 p.m. to shower and eat. Buses will leave for the stadium at 6 p.m. Details for the evening’s schedule will be set based on the results of Prelims. (If you aren’t going to be in Rochester, you can watch Finals online via the DCA Fan Network, hosted by Steve Rondinaro and including an interview with our very own executive director, Eric Molho.) Buses will leave the stadium at 1 a.m. (Monday), and then it’s back to Minnesota.

Monday, Sept. 2

If everything goes as planned, the buses should arrive back in Oakdale around 4 p.m. What a season!

Aug 26 2014
2

Minnesota Brass performers seek the perfect ‘bari/euphie’

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | No Comments

20140823_200836What do you get when you cross a selfie with a baritone/euphonium section? Why, a “bari/euphie,” of course.

Minnesota Brass’ bari/euph members have taken a photo of themselves before or after almost every performance this season. For the performers, the photos they’ve captured are more than an exercise in vanity.

“I like doing the bari/euphies because it’s a fantastic bonding experience,” says Jennifer Keller-Peterson, a high school senior from River Falls, Wis., who’s in her second year with the corps. “And it connects to the corps song, ‘For All We Know,’ in the sense that ‘for all we know’ we may actually never see or march with the people we have to create friendships with again. Which is another reason why I love the bari/euphies, because they capture one of many memories of the 2014 bari/euph line.”

Seasoned veteran David Anderson, an IS supervisor at Polaris Industries, agrees.

“These bari-euphies are a nice snapshot in time,” he says. “As someone who is now on his 14th season with the corps and started marching before members of the section were even born, the marching seasons really start to bleed together. Having these pictures taken leads to great trips down memory lane in future years, when you can have those discussions surrounding ‘I remember these!’ or ‘Who was this person?’ ”

The major challenges the bari/euphies have posed have been gathering everyone together in mere seconds without compromising the entire hornline’s routine and then getting everyone in the picture. The latter actually hasn’t happened yet. The closest was the most recent bari/euphie at the District 11 Preview in Blaine, where one take had 15 of the 16 members and the next take had the missing person but cut out someone else.

If everything goes right, the shot should include baris Anderson, Jacob Welle, Tony Peterson, John Roy, David Schuck, Andrew Fedje and Tanner Bergersen; euphs Keller-Peterson, Sam Springer, Lucas Frafjord,  Jess Belcher, Peter Eklund, Joshua Langlois, Chris Reid, Shelby Ernst, Mark Walentiny; drum majors Nancy Terry and Kimberly Reid; and tech (and photo taker) Randy Salas. That’s 19 people, not counting the occasional photo-bomber.

As Minnesota Brass performs at the DCA World Championships this weekend in Rochester, N.Y., members of its bari/euph section will continue their quest for the perfect bari/euphie.

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