0
0
was successfully added to your cart.

Cart

Category

Drum & Bugle Corps

Oct 26 2014
1

Mark Santori wins 2014 Brassy lifetime achievement award

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | No Comments
1458569_10153322880234741_7043921111062837036_n

Mark Santori

Minnesota Brass has honored Mark Santori, a longtime member of its brass staff, as this year’s recipient of the Brassy, the corps’ lifetime achievement award.

“It’s hard to put into words what winning the Brassy means to me,” Mark said about winning the corps’ highest honor. “The names on the trophy are the giants of Minnesota Brass, people who devoted much time and passion to the corps, and their contributions are quite extraordinary. I have certainly given a lot of time over my 21 seasons of involvement, but I have never considered my efforts to be extraordinary; I was just doing my job. I am humbly grateful that the past Brassy winners decided to invite me into their exclusive club, and I am truly honored.”

Mark joined Minnesota Brass as a baritone player in 1992, when he was studying music education at the University of Minnesota. He played in other sections of the hornline or taught on the horn staff in most of the following years, before joining the staff permanently in 2009. When he’s not with Minnesota Brass, Mark teaches elementary band in the Twin Cities’ south-suburban Independent School District 196.

Mark received his award Friday night at Minnesota Brass’ end-of-season banquet. Here are the other awards that were announced at the annual event:

Color guard caption awards
Rookie of the year: Carissa Phelps
Most improved: Kiersten Sloneker
Member of the year: Jonathan Su

Visual caption awards
Rookie of the year: Kevin Lindorfer
Most improved: Sam Dobs
Member of the year: Andy Campbell

Hornline caption awards
Rookie of the year: Jessa Hohnstein
Most improved: Mimmie Sjoberg
Member of the year: Eric Crawford

Percussion caption awards
Rookie of the year: James Schuster
Most improved: Emily Ruetz
Member of the year: Joe Asleson

Lou Raitch Spirit of MBI Award: Katy Bensen
Caliguiri Award: Dennis Tischhauser
Director’s Appreciation Award: Howie Mogil

DM1Q9767

This year’s Brassy winner, Mark Santori, center, is shown with some of the previous recipients of the corps’ lifetime achievement award, from left: Matt Kettelhut, Gavin Burnham, Joel Matuzak, Sherry Duggan, Eric Molho, Dick Maki, Kathy Burnham, Tom Jones, Rick Stephenson, Gwynne Byrne, Al Jensen, Susan Fisher, Paul Mordorski, Kurt Schiebel, Shirley Munz, Jodi Pawlenty and David Whitaker. (Photo: Gopher Photo)

Oct 01 2014
0

Play bingo and help Minnesota Brass

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | No Comments

10490068_10152285402412115_5153882032641422108_oHave a blast playing bingo, and help support Minnesota Brass!

In partnership with our charitable gaming site, Joe Senser’s Sports Theater in Roseville, Minnesota Brass is excited to announce our first Coach Purse Bingo night. This fun event provides a unique twist on the classic game — bingo with Coach purses as prizes. That’s right: Individual winners of each game win an authentic Coach purse.

The action starts at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Senser’s (2350 Cleveland Ave. N., Roseville) and continues the first Tuesday of every month after. There will be 10 games. Cards cost $20 for the first set of six cards and $4 for an additional set of three cards. (Must be 18 or older to play.)

All proceeds benefit Minnesota Brass.

We hope you can join us!

Sep 22 2014
0

Katy Bensen named managing director for Minnesota Brass

By | Drum & Bugle Corps, Indoor Drumline, MBI Winterguard | One Comment
Katy Bensen

Katy Bensen

Minnesota Brass is pleased to announce that Katy Bensen has been appointed to the new position of managing director for Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps, Indoor Winter Drumline and Winter Guard.

This new leadership position grew out of the organization’s reflections on how to best serve its many members while effectively managing multiple world-class organizations. In her new capacity, Katy will support each ensemble’s commitment to providing an unparalleled membership experience.

“We’re delighted Katy will be joining the admin team,” said Eric Molho, executive director of Minnesota Brass.  “She is a strong leader and great teacher.”

Katy joined the Minnesota Brass family in 1989, playing the French horn bugle for her first of two years marching with the corps.  She also performed with Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in 1990 and 1991.  Two years ago Katy returned to Minnesota Brass as a member of the visual staff. She also served as membership coordinator in 2014.

This fall Katy began her teaching career as a band director at White Bear Lake Central Middle School and as a kindergarten music instructor at Otter Lake Elementary School, both part of White Bear Lake Area School District. Her career also includes many years in restaurant and event management.

Sep 07 2014
1

Minnesota Brass mourns the passing of legendary Frank Lozar

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | 16 Comments
Frank Lozar

Frank Lozar

Frank “The Beard” Lozar, the heart and soul of Minnesota Brass, passed away in the early hours of September 7. He was 85.

Frank was a legend in Minnesota drum corps history, performing with all incarnations of Minnesota Brass. His last year on the field with the corps was 2002, when he was 73.

“We are deeply saddened by Frank’s passing,” said Eric Molho, executive director of Minnesota Brass. “Frank was an outstanding performer who gave tirelessly of himself to Minnesota Brass for decades.  Our entire organization will miss him.”

Born on July 5, 1929, the soprano player marched in competition nearly every year from 1947, when he first played with American Legion Post 248’s drum and bugle corps in Ely, Minn., until 2005, when he played with the Zuhrah Shrine corps. The only exceptions were two years when he served in the American Medical Corps.

He moved from Ely to perform with Minnesota Brass and Hamm’s Indians.  He served as the director of Minnesota Brass from 1963 to 1969. Since 1980, he had performed with both Minnesota Brass and Zuhrah Shrine.  He served on the boards of both organizations and was a fundraising coordinator for several midwestern drum and bugle corps at various times.

In 1969, Frank was awarded Minnesota Brass’ highest honor, the Brassy, a lifetime achievement award.  He also was part of a group that was the first to initiate female members into the drum corps activity.  At 70, he was recognized as the oldest competitor on the field at the championship tournaments of both Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) in 1998.  Named as an associate member of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2001, he received the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award and full Hall of Fame status in 2005.

Entertaining the passengers of long bus trips, Frank and the Gummers (so-called because no one else knew the words as well as Frank, so they just mouthed and hummed along) were a noted ensemble within the corps long before iPods and boom boxes were a staple. Legend has it that in 1970 he sang for 36 hours straight on a trip to Portland, Ore., without repeating a song.

Frank assumed all roles and was a major financial contributor who helped perpetuate the organization. Without his efforts — along with so many others — Minnesota Brass would have never attained the level of success that it experiences today.

Kurt Schiebel, a longtime member of Minnesota Brass who performed with Frank, reflected on the passing of a great mentor.

“We always hear about drum corps moms, the glue that holds the activity together,” Kurt said. “Frank was a drum corps dad, offering support and strength to the youth in the line. He contributed not only financially to the corps, but offered assistance to young members, whether it was outright dues support, or that meal on the road for those of us in need.”

Kurt added, “It is hard to believe there is a supporter out there who contributed more to perpetuate this organization. It is harder still to think of the activity with out him.”

For All We Know.

flozar

Sep 03 2014
0

Members’ diary: 2014 season ends with a ‘Supernova’ (8/31)

By | Drum & Bugle Corps | No Comments

BwZ8IxhCYAAveevMinnesota Brass’ tradition of excellence continued as it performed “Supernova” for the final time this season. The corps finished in second place Sunday night at the DCA World Championships in Rochester, N.Y., marking its sixth top-2 finish in the past seven years. Members and staff embraced the excitement of the competition while also expressing their bittersweet feelings over the last gathering of this iteration of Minnesota Brass — a mood captured so perfectly by the corps song, “For All We Know.” Here’s what they tweeted throughout the day and night of DCA finals:

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/506074024263569408

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/506212010376564736

https://twitter.com/marissamoeller/status/506264075152932865