Eric Molho

Another annual thread The huge numbers often posted from the 80s and earlier are usually total attendance figures (every warm body that walks through the gate including comps and corps members) vs. PAID attendance figures (everyone who actually bought a ticket). DCI has released several years worth of numbers but hasn't done so since 2007. The PAID attendance for previous years (according to this thread: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...p;hl=attendance ) is as follows: 1995 19,100 Buffalo 1996 13,771 Orlando 1997 13,773 Orlando 1998 12,693 Orlando 1999 19,931 Madison 2000 18,423 College Park 2001 16,406 Buffalo 2002 20,230 Madison 2003 18,865 Orlando 2004 22,047 Denver 2005 20,542 Foxboro 2006 21,232 Madison 2007 24,309 Pasadena I couldn't tell if there were more or fewer than last year. Seemed about the same to me from my little corner of the building.

That's great news! In case you haven't heard we had ummm . . . a little rain in Minneapolis last weekend. Buses load at 7 tonight! Jamestown or bust!

Minnesota Brass is headed to rehearsal tonight and then loading the buses tomorrow evening. If all goes well there will be some tasty Interstate treats Friday morning in Ohio and we'll be rolling into Jamestown mid day. As posted elsewhere, we're staying at the show site. We have also been graciously allowed use of the stadium on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon so you're welcome to stop by and visit rehearsal if you wish. Our tentative plan is for a 7 to 10 block on Friday. Saturday we'll wrap up by 4 p.m. before the show. Carolina Gold and Sun Devils are at the same complex so you'll get three for the price of one! Come visit and say hi! http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...36288&st=24 Eric

Thanks, Tom! We're loading up Thursday evening and can't wait. See you in Rochester! Eric

As noted in the DCI Review of the event, over 7,000 tickets were sold prior to Saturday. This is a very strong pre-sale number. It's a also a great vote of confidence in Minneapolis generally and TCF Bank Stadium specifically for major drum corps events! http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=8...e6-b6b8a1c714d7

DCI is producing this show and ticket sale numbers are their data to release or not release. What we know as an organizing committee is exactly what was stated: ticket sales are going really well! I think the best evidence of that is going to the online system and seeing what's available. There are no pairs of tickets available in the middle four sections although you can still get some good single tickets if you want. Hope you make the trip!

We have also found Jamestown to be a great place to visit and can't wait to come back!! This is going to be a fantastic show for all the corps and we're looking forward to being there--regardless of the long bus ride to-and-from! As for score predictions, I'm probably a little biased See you next weekend!! Eric

Ticket sales are going extremely well! This is going to be a great crowd. For those of you joining us from out of town (and well, for those in town as well!) be aware that (besides the weather) the only thing the organizing committee has not be able to iron out ahead of time are road closures due to construction This weekend, two key arteries will be affected by road closures impacting those traveling from the West and from the South. (If you're coming from Canada or Duluth you're in great shape!) Here's the newspaper article: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/...dges/index.html And the much more helpful MNDOT web site: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/...dges/index.html If you're coming from . . . oh . . . say, Kansas, you make take 35E rather than 35W (at the split in Burnsville) and head into St. Paul. Then head West on I-94. See you Saturday!

Just to set the record straight . . . St. Peter is most certainly not like St. Olaf. St. Peter is home to Gustavus Adolphus College, a Lutheran affiliated, residential liberal arts college founded by Swedes located in a picturesque, Minnesota town along the Minnesota River about an hour south of Minneapolis/St. Paul. St. Olaf College, on the other hand, is a Lutheran affiliated, residential liberal arts college founded by Norwegians located in a picturesque, Minnesota town (Northfield) along the Canon River about an hour south of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Gustavus students are known as "Gusties" and their school colors are Ebony and Gold. St. Olaf students are known as "Oles" (Oh-lees) and their school colors are Gold and Black. I can't possibly understand how the two could be confused Now back to your regularly scheduled St. Peter thread. Eric St. Olaf '93

Minnesota Brass will perform on July 4th in parades in Delano and Apple Valley, MN. On July 3, our Minne-Brass colleagues will head to Forest Lake, MN for a little trailer parade fun.

Like Pat said earlier, we can't wait to see you in Minnesota! Congratulations!

It's finally here! The 2010 edition of Minnesota Brass will debut in Madison, Wisconsin at Drums on Parade this Saturday. Last night the corps put the finishing touches on our new entrance to the field and it looks fantastic. (It's possible I'm biased, but you can decide for yourselves!) On Sunday, we'll return to Minnesota and perform in Stillwater at Drum Beauty. The creative team has really outdone themselves this year. Caravan is quickly evolving into one of the most exciting and demanding shows we've ever put on the field. For those in the Midwest, we hope to see you this weekend! And those of you out East, we can't wait to return to Jamestown--we're looking forward to a whirlwind weekend and a packed house! Eric

Love your signature ;-) We do have two holes we're working to fill--both in the hornline. We need one trumpet and one tuba. We'd love to have you stop by for a visit some time (even if it's in preparation for next season). We rehearse Wednesday evenings in Northeast Minneapolis (Google 2700 Spring Street). Feel free to PM me with any questions!

Well for what it's worth . . . at Minnesota Brass, our weekly rehearsal site is not a football field at all. We rehearse on parking lots located in an industrial zone of the city. I would not for a moment say this is a perfect or ideal solution, but in the spirit of creative, low cost solutions I would offer it up as one concept. For us, we are able to rehearse all summer without costs. We do have a challenging time finding lots that are empty and gaining permission, but frankly it's not that much different from when we use school facilities (for camps and while traveling) which are difficult to secure and expensive. At DCA finals this year Renegades secured their own rehearsal site for the weekend--the parking lot of a community college. Downsides are pretty obvious but it can work.

Minnesota Brass Announces 2010 Performance Schedule! Minnesota Brass is excited to announce their 2010 competitive performance schedule. Following back to back 2nd place finishes at the Drum Corps Associates Championship, the corps will travel over 5,000 miles this summer, performing in drum corps shows in Wisconsin, Minnesota and New York. East Coast DCA fans will have the opportunity to see the corps twice during the summer. The season begins on Saturday night, June 26 in Madison, Wisconsin at Drums on Parade. The following night the corps will compete at Drum Beauty in Stillwater, Minnesota, one of the oldest and most successful shows on the DCI Tour. On July 17 Minnesota Brass will join the Govenaires and over 20 DCI corps for DCI Minnesota in Minneapolis at the brand new TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota. DCI Minnesota is the largest drum corps show ever staged in Minnesota and will be the first major regional event on the 2010 DCI Tour schedule. The corps’ first DCA show of the season will be in Jamestown, New York on July 24. Minnesota Brass made its first appearance at Jamestown during the 2003 season and this will mark just the second time the corps has competed at this show. August begins in Wisconsin, with performances in Racine and Kenosha on August 7 and 8. Two weeks later the corps will compete for the final time in Minnesota, in contests on August 21 in St. Peter and on August 22 at Sounds of Minnesota in South St. Paul. The corps will complete its competitive performances at the DCA World Championships in Rochester, New York September 3-5. In 2010 Minnesota Brass will present Caravan. The story of our voyage will be told in five acts: Camp, Mirage, Sandstorm, Oasis, and Caravan. Musical selections for the production include: "Bangkok" (from Chess), Danse Bacchanale (Camille Saint-Saens), "Nefud Mirage" (from Lawrence of Arabia), "Kashmir" (Led Zepplin), "Scheherazade" (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov), and of course" Caravan" (Duke Ellington.)

Well, it's a little chilly this morning in the Twin Cities, but that is not going to slow Minnesota Brass down. We may limit our outdoor marching time to less than hour but otherwise, it's all system's go for the launch of Minnesota Brass 2010! Details are on our website. We'll give a full report later in the weekend.

Very useful data point! 3 weeks of jazz camp at Interlochen = $4,115 6 weeks of wind ensemble camp at Interlochen = $7,040

It's interesting to read the various perspectives on this thread. I must say, the DCI/DCA stuff feels like a false and unhelpful choice to me. Perhaps its because we're in the Midwest with a strong historic connection (through the old DCM) to junior corps, but things really do feel very different here in Minnesota and MBI. Our members often come to us to prepare for marching in a DCI corps OR immediately after marching in a DCI corps. Last year we had 10 alums on the field during DCI Finals night (11 in 2008). That's something I'm extraordinarily proud of--how membership in Minnesota Brass prepared people to march with DCI corps. Likewise, it's even more exciting when they come back to us and bring their new talents and skills to the DCA Finals field. Organizationally, MBI uses DCI shows as key revenue generators. In addition to Sounds of Minnesota, our DCA home show, we are partners in Drum Beauty (Stillwater) and view that as both an opportunity for income and an opportunity to generate excitement about drum corps. Drum Beauty is one of the most successful shows in the country and fulfills both purposes pretty well. We're equally excited about the new DCI Minnesota show being added to the schedule this year to create even more opportunities for fans to see great DCI and DCA corps. I know it's said before in a thousand ways, but DCI and DCA do different things and our focus should be on helping both thrive at the highest levels of professionalism. A lot of us like what both do and support both.

Very cool. Congrats!

That's the official release :) The nuts and bolts of our agreement with the Swarm also includes some really cool additional opportunities for the corps. We'll be providing the halftime entertainment for one of their games in April. We'll have on-field advertisements for the corps and PSAs on the big score board as well. Each of the eight home games for the Swarm attracts over 13,000 fans! Should be a fun way to stay warm during a long Minnesota winter!

MINNESOTA SWARM ADD PEP BAND TO GAME DAY EXPERIENCE Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps team up with local High School Bands SAINT PAUL, MN – Game days at the Xcel Energy Center just got a lot louder. The National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) Minnesota Swarm in conjunction with Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps will take yet another step to making the Swarm game-day experience more exciting and interactive than ever with the launch of the Minnesota Swarm Band for the 2010 season. The Swarm Band will be comprised of members of Minnesota Brass, and will be an integral part of the in-game entertainment at all eight home Swarm games. Adding to the Swarm Band experience will be the opportunity for local High School Bands to collaborate with one of the best drum and bugle corps in the nation while playing in front of 13,000 fans at the Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps is the premier all ages drum corps in the Midwest. The Saint Paul based corps consistently places among the very best drum corps in the country. In 2010 the corps will return to summer competition following back to back 2nd place finishes at the Drum Corps Associates Championship. Area High School bands will have the opportunity to join in the Swarm game-day experience and learn from the Swarm Band with pre-game clinics held at Xcel Energy Center. Bands interested in performing with the Swarm Band should contact Matt McCormack, Director of Brand Management for the Swarm The Swarm Band will make their debut on Friday, January 15, 2010 at 7:35pm when the Minnesota Swarm open the 2010 home season against defending NLL Champions, the Calgary Roughnecks. For information about joining the Swarm Band or Minnesota Brass in 2010, email membership@mnbrassinc.org.

Follow along as plans develop for the brand new DCI Minnesota show! Become a fan on facebook and help us plan an amazing event in a fantastic stadium.

Become a fan of the new DCI Minnesota show on Facebook! We'll keep you informed as plans develop for another amazing show in Minnesota. :)

This is a fantastic move for the Colts. Ray has been involved (albeit from a distance!) with Minnesota Brass for several years. He is a very talented musician and a gifted teacher. He understands how to communicate to people of all ages and talent levels. Plus, he's just an amazingly nice guy. The Colts hornline is in good hands.

Great additions to build off a very strong 2009! Congrats. We look forward to welcoming you back to Minnesota in August. Maybe you guys want to join us for a winter camp weekend to add to the fun this year? February? Anyone?