The Minnesota Brass Board of Directors has set the Annual Meeting for 7:30 PM on Tuesday, October 18th on Zoom. The Annual Meeting is open to all who wish to attend. For meeting details and Zoom information, please refer to the MBI Meetings calendar.
Upon the conclusion of the meeting, the Zoom meeting will remain open for those who wish to linger and chat.
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.
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.
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:
After a successful interest camp in May, everyone was committed to get Minnesota Brass back on the field and on the street this summer. We set out to do 4 parades and 4 shows, but the buzz around Minnesota Brass fielding a corps brought some extra opportunities. You’ll be able to catch Minnesota Brass at these 5 parades and 5 field shows:
A key tenet of our season is Good Vibes Only. We wanted a show that is accessible for everyone: audience, judges, and performers. Something that embodies getting back out into the world. Our 2022 summer program is entitled Route 66.
Ward Miller is arranging the brass book, with selections that include:
It’s already off to a great start! Hope to see you out there in 2022…
As of May 2022, Minnesota Brass, Inc. has added two new members to the Board of Directors, Paul Terry and Bridger Herman.
About Paul Terry:
Paul Terry is the director of bands at Brooklyn Middle STEAM School, where he directs three Concert Bands, The Bulldog Jazz Band, and teaches Introduction to Band. Paul also instructs the Park Center Senior High Pirate Marching Band, and Grove Area Percussion (GAP) where he serves as a visual instructor.
Paul began his drum corps career in 2005 in the DCA circuit with Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps. In his time with the corps, he helped lead them to three high-brass titles and a DCA world championship in 2011. In 2014 and ’15, Paul was also a low-brass technician for the Colts of Dubuque, Iowa. Paul spent 2019 as the Visual Caption Head of the Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps, where he helped lead the corps back to a semi-finals performance.
In his time off Paul loves playing golf with his daughter Shea, and taking their Greyhound Vicki, for (short and fast) walks. Paul is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a degree in music education, and holds a master’s degree in music education from Boston University.
About Bridger Herman:
Bridger Herman has been with Minnesota Brass since 2015, participating as a member of the winter drumline front ensemble. Since aging out of indoor drumline, he has continued to work with the organization as a summer marching member, front ensemble instructor, audio engineer, and fleet manager. He is also a Ph.D. candidate and graduate student instructor at the University of Minnesota, studying and teaching computer science and data visualization.
Bridger’s top priority as a board member is building a solid operational team to ensure the safe and timely transportation of equipment that enables Minnesota Brass’s ensembles to function.
Minnesota Brass, Inc. is honored to announce it has been inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. This esteemed award recognizes MBI’s 75 years of excellence across multiple ensembles and an undeniable contribution to Minnesota’s music scene. MBI’s legacy now joins local legends such as Prince, Judy Garland, and John Denver at the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame museum located in New Ulm, Minnesota.
The induction ceremony took place on April 22nd, 2022 and the award was accepted by MBI representatives Kurt Schiebel and Roger Grupp.
To learn more about the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, visit their website at mnmusichalloffame.org.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
