2009 Mandarins December Camp Report

The Sacramento Mandarins December camp was held in conditions that ranged from sunny, to cold, to rainy! Despite the weather, the facilities at the new Cosumnes Oaks High School provided a terrific backdrop for the Mandarins first camp of the 2009 season. The total attendance, when combined with the Mandarins Hawaii auditions, topped the 200 mark.

The weekend was spent on basic technique and exercises, with a good deal of time devoted to the audition process as well. John Bradford, the corps’ movement consultant, spent a good deal of Saturday afternoon with the brass line working on basic body alignment technique. Dan Fong, brass arranger, gave a preview of the Mandarins 2009 program "Absolute" during Sunday’s camp wrap up.

Ray Mar, Corps Director, stated, "While we are encouraged by the turnout, we certainly understand that member recruitment and retention will be a high priority over the next several months. It was very gratifying to see the large number of returning members, who in turn brought many friends with them. Everyone participating this weekend showed an outstanding work ethic, so I wish we could offer a spot to everyone, but unfortunately, that’s not possible. However, I do think that everyone who attended was able to take something meaningful from the weekend."
Winter 2008 Camp

In preparation for this camp, the Mandarins held a number of brass, percussion and guard clinics in the Central Valley, and have also established the Mandarins Brass Academy, a monthly brass workshop for local students. In fact, the Mandarins Brass Academy performed their first concert along with the Elk Grove Community Band on Monday evening, the night after camp!

Auditions for the 2009 Mandarins will continue at the January Camp, January 17 and 18, again at Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove. The Mandarins did receive a number of RSVP’s from those unable to attend the December camp, but plan to audition in January. Anyone interested in auditioning should contact the appropriate caption head as listed on the corps’s Auditions Page.