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MBI Winterguard

Apr 08 2016
3

MBI Winter Guard Advances to WGI Finals!

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“It was an absolutely stellar performance” said MBI Winter Guard co-director, Wil Furnstahl about the guard’s semi-final execution at Wright State University’s Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio on Friday afternoon.  The guard was seeded 16th after their preliminary performance in WGI Independent A Class competition.  Their semi-finals score of 88.15 compelled the corps to the number 9 position as they head into finals on Saturday morning.  The MBI Winter Guard will take the floor at 10:38 EST for finals.   70 units began competition on Thursday to determine the twenty finalists that will compete at Finals.

This year the MBI Winter Guard explores our obsession with technology and personal devices.  Their 2016 production, Auto-Correcting Society, challenges viewers to put down their phones and reconnect IRL (in real life).  Fans and friends may still want to grab their phones to see the guard’s latest updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  In addition, live video will broadcoast throughout the morning using the periscope app (follow:  minnesotabrass).

MBI Winter Guard is one of six North Star Circuit units competing this weekend in Dayton at the WGI Color Guard World Championships.  Lux Independent, Eclipse Independent, Elk River HS, Irondale HS and Eden Prairie HS also participated in preliminary competition Thursday with Elk River and Eden Prairie advancing to semi-finals.  As this article was published, Elk River had also advanced to finals and will perform at 3:07 p.m. (EST) Saturday.  (Eden Prairie’s results will be known late on Friday evening.)

 

Mar 05 2016
0

Live on Your Mobile Device: MBI Winter Guard

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We get the irony.  We really want you to tune into your smart phones today to watch our incredible show lamenting how our online society can reduce human interaction.  MBI Winter Guard’s 2016 production, Auto-Correcting Society takes the floor at the WGI St. Louis Regional this afternoon and will be on your phone live!

icon175x175Here’s how it works.  We’ll be using Periscope this afternoon and evening to broadcast the MBI Winter Guard’s performance.  Periscope is a Twitter product, so you’ll need to make sure you’re following us there (if you haven’t already).   Next, download the free Periscope app if you don’t already have it on your phone.  Once you sign in via Twitter, it will automatically let you know when we’re streaming live from St. Louis!  The Winter Guard’s prelims performance is scheduled for 3:106p.m. CST.  Finals competitions for Independent A Class begin at 8:44.  As an added bonus, Periscope videos stick around for 24 hours post-performance, so you can watch again, and again.

Then put your phone away and connect with someone IRL.

Feb 15 2016
0

It Doesn’t Get Any Easier! Support the MBI Winter Guard on Thursday

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It’ll be here before you know it.  It’s almost the third Thursday of February which means it’s your chance to support the MBI Winter Guard with about as much effort as it takes to order dinner.

This Thursday, February 18, visit the Crystal location of Buffalo Wild Wings and tell them you’re with “Team E” or “MBI Winter Guard” and 10% of your bill will go to MBI Winter Guard. It’s that easy!  Lunch?  Dinner?  Night out to watch the Wild game?  Whatever your excuse and no matter what you order, you can help.  Spread the word and join us this Thursday.

Feb 01 2016
0

Sounds of Minnesota Winter Edition in S. St. Paul Saturday

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The curtain is ready to rise on the 2016 MBI Winter Guard performance season as the ensemble hosts Sounds of Minnesota Winter Edition this Saturday, Feb. 6, at South St. Paul High School.

The event is expected to feature 14 units from around the region competing in six classes. Showtime is 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6.

MBI Winter Guard—whose 2016 show is titled “Auto-Correcting Society”—placed first last weekend in the Independent A Class at the North Star Circuit’s annual season-opening Scholarship Show in Mendota Heights. “MBIWG had a strong start to the season at the Scholarship Show,” said director Wil Furnstahl. “The performance was well received by both audience and judges.”

The group has been an Independent A Class unit since 2011, when they were moved up to Open Class after their performance at the Indianapolis Power Regional resulted in an 11th place finish at the WGI World Championships event. MBI Winter Guard is a consecutive two time WGI Independent Open Class Finalist and the 2012 Kansas City Regional Independent Open class champion.

The 16-member MBI Winter Guard is co-directed by Furnstahl and Emily Merriman for their sixth consecutive season and a staff that includes returning members Jessi Foell, Jon Su and Mary Stennes. New staff members include Jared Peterson, Aaron Shaleen, Rachel Graack, Becci O’Kane and Dani Lovitz.

Sounds of Minnesota Winter Edition
When: 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6
Where: South St. Paul High School, 700 2nd St. N., South St Paul, MN 55075
Admission: $8-$6. All seats are general admission and available at the door.

Jan 28 2016
0

MBI Winter Guard ‘virtually’ ready for 2016 season

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It’s a digital world today, and we’re all just connected bits and bytes.

That somewhat dystopian view is the theme of MBI Winter Guard’s 2016 show, “Auto-Correcting Society,” that will see its debut performance Jan. 31 at the Scholarship Show at Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights, Minn.

“Our soundtrack this year surrounds a voice-over narrative that aims to define how our devices, apps and technology have changed human interaction and society as a whole,” explains Wil Furnstahl, MBI Winter Guard director. He adds the show was inspired by a spoken-word art performance. “We loved the message and felt it was so relevant to both our members and audiences alike.”

Furnstahl describes the visual aspect of the show as “a colorful world comprising squares and rectangles that are reminiscent of the device screens with which we surround ourselves every day. The shapes also appear within the costuming, along with digitized pixilation patterns in our flags. The show continuously presents a motif of individuals stopping to stare at their hand (which is in the shape of one holding a phone) as the chaotic world continues around them.”

The 16-member unit is co-directed by Furnstahl and Emily Merriman for their sixth consecutive season and a staff that includes returning members Jessi Foell, Jon Su and Mary Stennes. New staff members include Jared Peterson, Aaron Shaleen, Rachel Graack, Becci O’Kane and Dani Lovitz; all in all, it the largest staff ever to work with the guard, Furnstahl said.

“We are happy to have Mary, Rachel and Dani as program alums,” he added, “and feel it’s important to keep alumni actively engaged and involved.”

Furnstahl said the guard will appear in six local shows including its home show, “Sounds of Minnesota: Winter Edition,” on Feb 6 at South St. Paul High School. The guard will once again compete nationally as they travel to the WGI St. Louis Regional contest in March and the WGI Color Guard World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, in April.

For more information about the MBI Winter Guard’s 2016 show and performance schedule, go to https://mnbrass.org/winterguard.