Yamato Returning In 2008

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The Yamato Youth Arts Association (YYAA) is proud to announce the return to competition of Yamato Drum & Bugle Corps in 2008.

The YYAA invites interested performers, family members, Yamato alumni, and supporters to one of the upcoming open houses in Southern California: Sunday, December 9, 2007 at the Riverside Marriott Hotel on Market Street in Riverside, and Saturday, December 15, 2007 at the Chino Hills Community Center on Grand Avenue in Chino Hills.

“Taking the 2007 season off was a difficult decision, but one that had to be made for the health of the organization,” said corps director Edward Martin. “As a result, we are coming back stronger than ever. We now have a very aggressive Board of Directors and management team who are working hard to ensure Yamato is here for future generations.”

Yamato is looking for members in search of excellence and are committed to being the very best they can be. Membership is open to performers between the ages of 15 and 21 years. For the 2008 season the corps is planning to fill its ranks with 80 to 82 members, which will include 36 brass, 18 battery, 10 front ensemble, 16 color guard and 2 drum majors.

Yamato will host workshops for brass, field percussion and front ensemble January 5-6, 2008 at Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, CA. “For the first time in its history, Yamato is going to field a cymbal line to compliments its battery percussion.” These two-day workshops are intended to cater to the student musician of all levels who wish to improve their skills and experience a typical rehearsal in a drum corps setting. Fee for the 2-Day Workshop is $50.00 per/student.

Auditions will be held for brass, field percussion and front ensemble the weekend of January 12-13, 2008 at Valley View High School. The audition fee will be waived for those who attended Yamato’s workshops. The color guard audition and rehearsals will not take place until after the WGI Winter Guard season and WGASC Championships. Color guard auditions will take place on April 26-27 at Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, CA.

The corps is looking to kick off its 2008 season with its first ever West Coast tour of Southern and Northern California, before embarking on its national tour to Drum Corps International’s 2008 World Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Yamato was founded in 1997 and is an independent, non-profit organization. With a focus on education, the organization is dedicated to instilling life skills through cultural awareness, dedication, teamwork and musicianship in young performing artists of Japan and the United States.

Throughout its ten-year history Yamato has been a Division III finalist seven times, receiving the bronze medal in 1998, 2002 and 2005, and the silver medal in 2003 and 2004, as well as DCI’s first International Division Champion in 1998. In addition, it received the Spirit of Disney award in 2003 and 2004 for creative excellence.

Further information on Yamato can be obtained at www.yamatodrumcorps.org, via email at Y or by calling 951-924-9215. (director [at] yamatodrumcorps [dot] org)

Posted by on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007. Filed under DCI Open.