Latrobe's Finest

Shenandoah Sound will be there for all 6 parades. We're also going to give a little pre-Catonsville parade performance in the staging area for the school where I teach (because they're having a float this year).

Shenandoah Sound, the only active competing drum corps in the DC area, has last-minute openings. Areas of immediate need are mellophone, tenors, and pit. We are always seeking members in all sections, however. If you're worried about finances, don't! We'll work with you so you can afford the drum corps experience. Please email me for more info: PR@ShenandoahSound.org or visit us on Facebook: Facebook.com/ShenandoahSound

We had to cancel the show. Hopefully we'll be able to host it again in 2015. We'll still be performing at the Baltimore area parades on July 4 & 5.

Well, we (Shenandoah Sound, Northern Virginia's drum corps) are hosting a DCA show on Saturday July 5 in Manassas at Freedom HS. More details on our website as we get closer to the event. We've been hosting our show for years.

We are recruiting in all sections. Please help spread the word and help us be the biggest Sound corps ever!

The activity has changed, quite dramatically, over the years. Look at the audition requirements, the level of music being performed, and the speed of the programs. Look at the types of kids participating. In WC, most of the kids are in college, and many (if not most) are music majors. I see you're alluding to the discussion about allowing more/different instrumentation and electronics. Drum corps is a different activity than high school or college marching band-different history, different traditions, different types of members. I don't see those distinctions as being a bad thing. Different doesn't mean good or bad, just different.

Give me turf, lots of turf. Always flat & smooth, good in most weather conditions, and has the best painted lines.

After a very sloppy drive back to Maryland, I'm happy to report on our open house. We welcomed several new faces to our organization today which was very exciting. Several returning members could not attend today because of All-District auditions that were taking place in our area. They will be with us at our next rehearsal in January. The brass got to work with our new caption head, Bryce Owen, and read through parade tunes, warm-ups, and show music! I was with the brass all day, but I heard the drummers drumming (cue 12 days of Christmas) next door, and they were working hard! At the beginning of the day, corps director Sean Peck revealed the show to the members in attendance. Speaking of our show...I'm proud to announce that our 2014 show is called "Shenandoah Sound's European Vacation!" The corps will take you on a musical journey through Europe by exploring a variety of musical genres and styles including classical, pop, folk, and contemporary band literature. The show travels from East to West as a traveler explores several European nations, stamping a passport at each step along the way! Pre-Show Leaving on a Jet Plane- John Denver Hungary Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 -Franz Liszt Italy Bella Bella Signorina - Patrizio Buanne France Clare de Lune, Reverie, & The Girl with The Flaxen Hair (medley) - Claude Debussy Orpheus in the Underworld Overture (Can-Can) - Jacques Offenbach British Isles Four Scottish Dances- Malcolm Arnold Three Celtic Dances- Brian Balmages Spain El Toro Caliente- Scott Boerma Arrangers/writers Brass-Mike Jones Battery- Chris Perry Pit: Lance Delgado

Shenandoah Sound's 2014 Open House is this Saturday, December 14, from 10-5 at Stonewall Middle School in Manassas, Virginia. At the open house, perspective members will meet our staff and learn about our 2104 production. We are waiting until open house to make an official show announcement, but we have been dropping hints all over our Facebook page- facebook.com/shenandoahsound Our design and instructional staff will be there to introduce themselves and start teaching the show. Brass arranger Mike Jones will be bringing parade tunes, warm-ups, and the closer to our 2014 show for the brass to start learning. Percussion arranger Chris Perry will have music for percussion to work on. We are very excited that we have an all-new music arranging team including the aforementioned Mike Jones and Chris Perry, plus front ensemble arranger Lance Delgado. We will also introduce our new brass and color guard caption heads. We are the actively competing drum corps for the DC area! For more information, please visit www.ShenandoahSound.org or Facebook.com/ShenandoahSound

Shenandoah Sound Drum & Bugle Corps, the only actively competing drum corps in the DC area, is proud to announce the formation of Sound United indoor percussion ensemble. Sound United will compete in the Independent A class of the Atlantic Indoor Association. The line's open house will be this Sunday, November 24 from 10-4 at Stonewall Middle School in Manassas, VA Stonewall Middle School 10100 Lomond Dr, Manassas, VA The line's website is www.SoundUnitedDrumline.org Facebook.com/IndoorDrumline

Help us welcome Bryce Owen to the Sound brass staff. He will serve as our brass caption head. Bryce Owen is a composer and tubist who recently completed his Masters of Composition degree at George Mason University. He received his BA in tuba performance in 2009 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. There, he studied tuba with Dr. William Petersen and composition with Dr. James Miley. At George Mason, Bryce has studied tuba with Professor Andrew Hitz, formerly of the Boston Brass, and composition with Professor Mark Camphouse and Dr. Jesse Guessford. As a performer, Bryce has participated in numerous collegiate ensembles in both undergraduate and graduate school. In 2010, he joined Sunset Drive, the east coast touring band for performer Percy Sledge, and played trombone for his fall and spring tours. In addition to tuba, having proficiency in trombone, euphonium, and percussion has allowed Bryce to become a more flexible performer and has expanded his creative palette in terms of compositional inspiration. As an educator, Bryce specializes in brass performance, music composition and arranging, and marching band technique. Bryce currently serves as an assistant director, brass instructor, and music arranger for the Osbourn Park High School Marching Band in Manassas, VA. He is also on staff as a brass and composition instructor for the Contemporary Music Center in Haymarket, VA and the Potomac Arts Academy in Fairfax, VA. Bryce believes that one of the most important aspects of teaching at any level is the ability to relate to the student, regardless of age or skill level, and to be able to provide the instruction that fits that particular student. As a composer, Bryce draws influence from any form of music that simply "feels right", regardless of genre, style, historical period, or performance medium. Duke Ellington said it perfectly: "If it sounds good, it IS good." Bryce has written original works for wind band, sax quartet, solo performer and piano, tuba duet, and small chamber ensembles with varied instrumentation. Recently, Bryce had the honor of co-composing When Petals Fall, a new work for wind band and brass quintet premiered in May of 2013 by the Westfield High School Wind Symphony of Chantilly, VA. The three-movement work celebrates the 125th Tournament of Roses to be held in Pasadena, CA, in January of 2014, in which the Westfield High School Marching Bulldogs will be participating. In addition to his original works, Bryce has spent several years refining his arranging and orchestration skills by writing customized marching band shows and arrangements for brass ensemble and wind band.

I will be recruiting for Shenandoah Sound tomorrow, Monday, October 21 at the Frederick County Marching Band Festival at Brunswick High School. We are the closest active drum corps to Frederick County and I'm looking forward to meeting band students and their families from my home county. If you're in the area, stop by. Admission to the show is only $5!! Gates open at 5 and the show starts at 6.

We also have more new folks to announce as soon as I get full bios written for them :)

Mike is new as brass writer for this year. Robert W Smith wrote our brass book the last two years.

Shenandoah Sound, the only active competing DCA corps in the Washington, DC area, and the only drum corps in Virginia has been hard at work this offseason. Our design staff for 2014 have been determined and we have been announcing them over the last couple of weeks on our official Facebook and Twitter pages. Returning as visual designer for 2014 is Chris Szuba. He is the band director at Signal Knob Middle School and Strasburg High School in Strasburg, VA and has been involved with Shenandoah Sound since 2006 as a member, instructor and drill writer. He marched contra-bass with Scenic City Drum and Bugle Corps from Chatanooga, TN in 2003 and The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from Allentown, PA in 2005. Chris graduated from James Madison University where he studied Music Education and was the tuba section leader for three years in the Marching Royal Dukes. He has written drill for several high schools throughout the state of Virginia and is the Assistant Leadership Instructor at Mid-Atlantic Band Front Camps. Chris resides with his wife Kristy in Stephens City, VA with their cocker spaniel, Bella and their new baby, Brynn. Joining the design staff as brass arranger is Mike Jones. Mike is a native Californian who marched with the Sacramento Frelancers from 1982-1985. Between 1987-2001, Mike was a soprano and mellophone bugler with the USMC Drum & Bugle Corps. In addition to performing, he also served as the corps' librarian. Mike has marched with us at Sound for two years. He has helped instruct high school band in Northern Virginia and he has been active with our recruiting efforts this offseason. During the last couple years, Mike has arranged parade tunes and warm-ups for us. Finally, because of Mike's knowledge of music literature, he has been an integral member of our show design team the last two years. Mike is married with a son and he lives in Woodbridge, Virginia. I will be announcing more arrangers and staff soon! Stay tuned. Follow us on Facebook.com/ShenandoahSound and on Twitter@SoundDrumCorps

We're talking about the 5th place OC corps which placed in the top 25 overall, beating two WC corps, right? I'd say their staff was effective.

I have a Crossmen sweatshirt with a big red Maltese cross and the "Crossmen" script. Back in 2005/2006, I was sitting in my college's auditorium for a presentation about sweatshops. The presenter noticed the sweatshirt and (in the middle of the presentation, in front of the entire 500+ people in attendance) proceeds to ask me about my Independent skateboard sweatshirt. (Independent uses a form of the Maltese cross as their logo)

HCB made the trip to DCA Finals in Annapolis this year and did well.

We're not as far away as you might think. From Annapolis to Manassas is only 70 miles (hour & change of driving). I live in Sykesville and I make the drive-not too bad on a weekend morning. I don't know anything about the new group, but I will say that we (Shenandoah Sound) are a stable, established corps in good shape and we will continue to be the corps for the DC area.

Nope-nothing to do with transportation. When we were notified of the cancellation, we passed on the info to our members. Several members made other plans for today (Sunday), so by the time we heard about the un-cancellation, it was too late because several folks had other things going on (jobs, family commitments, etc.). We scored our highest pre-DCA weekend score last night and we're looking to set more corps history at prelims.

Thanks for the review...glad you enjoyed yourself in Manassas! BTW...we are (obviously) looking for more horns and guard. If you know of anyone who's looking to march this summer, we'd love to have them :)

Gates will open at 6 for the pre-sale folks. We'll open gates for walk-up sales at 6:30.

Due to unsafe field conditions, the Nokesville show Friday night will no longer be a competition. Instead, the participating corps will perform standstills on the stadium track. No scores will be given and the corps will perform in exhibition. All tickets at the gate have been reduced to the pre-sale price of $10. Questions/comments-visit our Facebook site or email me (ADFiumara *at gmail *dot com)

Crooked numbers = baseball term for large (like a team put up a crooked number in an inning) And, we actually are the only game in town...the only game in the state too.

I'm the guy who gave the quote, so let me respond. Take a look at all the crooked numbers you've listed below. Triple digits in milage. We are the local corps for DC, period. Did I say the wrong hours...maybe. Does it really matter...nope. From DC to us is less than one hour. From most of Maryland (including where I live) to us is 90 minutes or less.