Minnesota Brass would like to wish everyone a fun and safe 4th of July.
The corps will be marching in the Delano 4th of July Parade which starts at 10:30AM Friday. Come out and see the snazzy new parade uniforms.
If Apple Valley is closer to your home, you’re in luck, as the corps is pulling double duty and will also be marching in the Apple Valley Freedom Days Parade, which starts at 1:00PM.
Hope to see you out on the parade route!
Madison Scouts trumpet players Bryan DeHerder, left, and Keegan Greene meet up with Minnesota Brass caption head Paul Terry at the Thunder of Drums show in Mankato on June 30.
Monday night’s Thunder of Drums show in Mankato offered Minnesota Brass a chance to check out some of DCI’s top drum and bugle corps and even spot a few familiar faces. Brass caption head Paul Terry met up with Keegan Greene and Bryan DeHerder, two trumpeters with the Madison Scouts who started their drum corps careers with Minnesota Brass.
“Very proud to see two Minnesota Brass alums with Madison this year!” Terry said.
A few days later, while en route back to Madison, Greene and DeHerder took time to reflect on how their time with Minnesota Brass prepared them for the rigors of a summer tour with a DCI World Class finalist like the Scouts.
“Without Minnesota Brass I never would have even heard of the Scouts and definitely wouldn’t have auditioned without so many people supporting me,” Greene said. “Minnesota Brass gave me a confidence in myself and in people I didn’t have before.”
DeHerder echoed that sentiment.
“Minnesota Brass helped me get into a World Class DCI corps by teaching me how to play my horn in a way that’s best for a drum corps setting, both in technique and musicality,” he said. “It also prepared me for the difficulty of the drill and choreography. I think Minnesota Brass is the main reason I am one of the better marchers in the corps.”
DeHerder added, “The biggest thing I’ve gained from Minnesota Brass is the support of a family that can help me when I’m in a bind and someone to talk to when I’m unsure of what to do. It feels amazing having that kind of support.”
Fellow trumpeters united by Minnesota Brass: Bryan DeHerder, center left, and Keegan Greene of the Madison Scouts; and, from left, Mimmie Sjöberg, Marissa Moeller, Karissa Olson and Libby Witte of Minnesota Brass.
Left to right: Tony Peterson, Alex Cary, Jess Belcher
2014 Minnesota Brass members welcomed past member Alex Cary back to Minnesota at the Thunder of Drums drum and bugle corps show on June 30 in Mankato.
Alex “Care Bear” Cary is a 2013 Anoka High School graduate who played snare in the Minnesota Brass 2013 production, “Primal.” For 2014 he’s marching with the Troopers of Casper, Wyoming, a DCI World Class corps. After the Troopers’ performance, Minnesota Brass members Tony Peterson (baritone) and Jess Belcher (euphonium) met up with Alex to wish him well on tour because this was the Troopers’ last Minnesota stop on the corps’ summer schedule.
Alex said he was excited to be part of the Troopers organization, laying down beats from percussion writer Paul Rennick. We wish him luck on tour, knowing he will always be a part of the Minnesota Brass family.
Summer has finally arrived and we will debut our 2014 production of Supernova on June 29th when we return to Alexandria, MN for the Vikingland Band Festival. There we will be the Honor Unit and perform our show for 2,000+ marching band students! We can’t wait to go back and be part of this long-standing Minnesota marching arts tradition.
We then head to Mankato, MN on June 30th for Thunder of Drums at Blakeslee Field which features the following line-up:
On Friday, July 11th, in partnership with Drum Corps International, we will producing a brand new show – DCI Eden Prairie – at Eden Prairie High School! This show replaces DCI Minnesota for one year due to events surrounding the MLB All Star Game. This show will feature the following great line up:
In conjunction with DCI Eden Prairie, the 15-time DCI champion Blue Devils will once again host the Midwest System Blue Drumline and Leadership Camps from July 10th through 12th. These are fun and unique educational opportunities for students of the marching arts to learn from the very best!
On July 30th we perform at yet another new local show, A Knight of Music and Motion at Harding High School in St. Paul. This is a DCI Open Class show and if you have never seen one we highly recommend attending for sheer entertainment value. This show will have the following line up:
On August 1st we head to Forest City, IA for another DCI Open Class show, North Iowa Festival of Brass which features the same line up as A Knight of Music and Motion. Trust us, they are so fun you’ll want to see them twice! Road trip, anyone?
We then will make a beeline across Wisconsin to Racine for the Kilties Klassic which will feature:
The DCA competitive season kicks into high gear on Friday, August 15th for Sounds of Minnesota, which will be held at St. Thomas Academy High School in Mendota Heights. The following day, August 16th, we will head to St. Peter for Drum Corps Expo. Both shows will feature the this line up of all-age performers:
Then finally we make the big trek to Rochester, NY for the Drum Corps Associates World Championships, held from August 28th through 31st. This year, DCA hosts their 50th Anniversary Celebration which will feature a parade and other special events. We highly recommend that you make a trip to DCA this year as this will be a particularly fun year to attend the festivities!
And of course, we will also be marching in local parades including:
Wow, that’s a busy summer! To order tickets to these events click on the links provided. We hope to see all of you many times throughout the season, including at our rehearsals. For the complete summer calendar, click here.
SEE YOU SOON!
Minnesota Brass board member Jim Tarbox, left, Jo Benson of the Eden Prairie Band Parents Organization, center, and MBI board Chairman Todd Tanji accepted a proclamation from the Eden Prairie City Council declaring July 11 Marching Arts Day in conjunction with the DCI Eden Prairie show at Eden Prairie High School stadium that evening.
In conjunction with the new DCI Eden Prairie show slated for July 11th, the Eden Prairie City Council has proclaimed that day Marching Arts Day to recognize the many positive aspects of participating in the arts. The proclamation was accepted at the Eden Prairie City Center on June 17 by Minnesota Brass board Chairman Todd Tanji, Eden Prairie Band Parents Organization member Jo Benson, and MBI board member Jim Tarbox.
DCI Eden Prairie is a “replacement” show this summer to make up for DCI Minnesota being displaced from TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to accommodate Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend festivities.
Read before the city council by Eden Prairie Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, the proclamation extols especially the academic achievements of students who pursue the arts, and music in particular.
City of Eden Prairie Marching Arts Day Proclamation
In conjunction with the new DCI Eden Prairie show slated for July 11th, the Eden Prairie City Council has proclaimed that day Marching Arts Day to recognize the many positive aspects of participating in the arts. The proclamation was accepted at the Eden Prairie City Center on June 17th by Minnesota Brass board Chairman Todd Tanji, Eden Prairie Band Parents Organization member Jo Benson, and MBI board member Jim Tarbox.
DCI Eden Prairie is a “replacement” show this summer to make up for DCI Minnesota being displaced from TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to accommodate Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend festivities.
Read before the city council by Eden Prairie Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, the proclamation extols especially the academic achievements of students who pursue the arts, and music in particular.
DCI Eden Prairie, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Eden Prairie High School Stadium (17185 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55346 < ), features the Blue Devils, Bluecoats, Blue Saints, Boston Crusaders, Jersey Surf, Legends and Minnesota Brass. Tickets are $27-22 and available online at www.dci.org, or at the gate.
In conjunction with the show, the Blue Devils’ System Blue Leadership Camp will be presented at Eden Prairie High School July 10th-12th. For more information, go to www.systemblue.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.
