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_______________________________________________________________________________ City Sound Drum & Bugle Corps Los Angeles, CA. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE http://www.city-sound.org Contact: Nathaniel Lewis Tel: 323-228-7231 email: nlewis@city-sound.org “Andy Cross” ACCEPTS 2014 POSITION AS COLORGUARD INSTRUCTOR WITH CITY SOUND Andy attended Bernardo Yorba M.S. and Esperanza H.S. playing flute & bassoon and performing in orchestra, wind ensemble, marching band, & as drum major. After graduation, he studied Dance at Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa), Mt. San Antonio College (Pomona), Grossmont College (El Cajon, CA), with the Gloria Newman Dance Theater (Orange County), & with Shirley Jenkins at the University of Washington (Seattle). In 1989 Andy joined the Seattle Men’s Chorus (SMC) singing on their first CD, appearing on PBS specials, and performing at Boston Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City. He shared the stage with SMC’s special guests Natalie Cole, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Schurr, Harvey Fierstein, & Maya Angelou. Andy has performed with the Seattle “R.O.T.C.” Colorguard (1987-1997) in SMC Concerts, in New York City’s Central Park, and at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas. He celebrates over 30 years of performing at “R.O.T.C.” events in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Long Beach, and Seattle. More recently, Andy has been in San Diego where he attended Dance classes at CoSA – Coronado School of the Arts (through Southwestern College), as well as performing a self-written Dance/CG solo with Rifles (at one point juggling 2) in the 2012 CoSA Spring Dance Concert. That Autumn he attended Grossmont College where he studied Dance and performed in both the Student-choreographed and the Faculty-choreographed Dance Concerts. In 2014 City Sound is ecstatic to have Andy as part of their staff all the while creating one of the most exciting color guards in Southern California. Andy’s massive professional dance experience and WGI teaching experience, will definitely give City Sound the visible projection need to be a sound contender this 2014 season. We are proud to let everyone know that Andy Cross is coming to City Sound as the new color guard instructor. Sincerely Nathaniel W. Lewis, Executive Director City Sound Drum and Bugle Corps http://www.City-Sound.org

________________________________________________________________________________ City Sound Drum & Bugle Corps Los Angeles, CA. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE http://www.city-sound.org Contact: Nathaniel Lewis Tel: 323-228-7231 email: nlewis@city-sound.org “Murray Gusseck” 2014 PERCUSSION ARRANGER FOR CITY SOUND DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS Murray Gusseck is considered an innovator and trend setter in the world of marching percussion. He has been a musician since the age of 7 when he studied piano and violin. At age 15 he took up playing the drums and has been performing in bands ever since. Murray made his mark as a teacher and composer with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps, of which he has been both a performer and instructor for almost 20 years. He became nationally known for a unique compositional style, a signature sound, and a propensity for achieving a smooth drumset-oriented approach to this musical genre. Murray helped start Tapspace Publications in 1998 with friend and partner Jim Casella. He is the author of Parking Lot Etudes and co-author of Fresh Perspectives For The Modern Drumline, both of which have grown to be mainstream publications in the world of marching percussion. Murray attended San Jose State University in San Jose, CA as a music major specializing in world music. In 1998 he joined up with schoolmates Nima Rezai and Dan Heflin, and friend Chip Webster, to form "Merge" an eclectic world fusion quartet consisting of Chapman Stick, saxophone, keyboards, and drums. The group toured and performed in northern and southern California for several years, producing their self-titled CD "Merge" He has taught and/or arranged percussion music for many top high schools and winter percussion ensembles throughout the country. Currently Murray lives in the Portland, OR area where he helps manage Tapspace and plays drums locally. He is sponsored by Pearl Drums, Remo drumheads, Zildjian cymbals, and Vic Firth drumsticks. With the newly formed 2014 City Sound Drum line, we feel Murray’s percussion arrangements are not only vital for the new un-conventional 2014 show, but sonically on the cutting edge of percussion charts arranged just for city sound. We here at City Sound are all extremely excited that Murray is part of our staff. Sincerely Nathaniel W. Lewis, Executive Director City Sound Drum and Bugle Corps http://www.City-Sound.org

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City Sound Drum & Bugle Corps Los Angeles, CA. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE http://www.city-sound.org Contact: Nathaniel Lewis Tel: 323-228-7231 email: nlewis@city-sound.org CHARLIE GROH ACCEPTS VISUAL MANAGER POSITION WITH CITY SOUND Born to itinerant beet farmers from North Dakota during the dust-bowl of the 1930's, Charles Nelson Groh has been a creative force since shortly after his birth. As the 10th (and last-born) of the Groh siblings, much of young Charles' formative years were spent in the care of his older brothers and sisters - as his parents sought work to sustain their large family. Left to doodle on his own and blessed with a vivid imagination, Charles was creating pencil and crayon sketches before the age of 4. By the time he was 10 and entered the 9th grade, he was an accomplished photographer - with photos published in the Fargo Chronicle and Bismark Times. Some referred to him as a prodigy. Now, recognized as the 'Zen Master' of the marching arts, Charlie has been a student, performer, instructor, designer, and director of marching bands and drum corps. As a member of the original DCI World Champion Anaheim Kingsmen in the early 1970s, and recently returned as the visual instructor and marching member for the Alumni Corps, The Kingsmen made their debut return at the Drum Corps International World Championships in 2007. Over 200 former members, now in their 40's thru 60's, returned to the field to perform and amaze audiences. Currently, Charlie has again taken his highly sought after marching expertise to the field with City Sound Drum and Bugle Corps From Los Angeles, CA. as Visual Manager for the corps. Everyone here at City Sound thinks Charlie Groh is exactly what the corps needs to take that next evolutionary step to a higher level of the marching arts. We are extremely excited and proud to have charlie Groh on our staff as the new Visual Manager! Sincerely Nathaniel W. Lewis, Executive Director City Sound Drum and Bugle Corps http://www.City-Sound.org

Lately I saw a high school marching band do quite a credible job with one of my favorite pieces of music, Maurice Ravel's Pavane pour une infante defunte ("Pavane for a Dead Princess"). Thus was I reminded that this song is supposedly part of the repertoire of the Blue Stars' 2008 show "Le Tour: Every Second Counts". While I adore that show and have listened to it a couple dozen times, at least, I've never been able to pick out that particular tune in their mix. (This work should not be confused with Gabriel Faure's lovely Pavane that was used in the Stars' preshow that year.) Did they in fact play Ravel's Pavane, or was it announced but not used? If it's in there, can anyone tell me at which point I should be listening for it? (FYI, those with DCA Fan Network subscriptions can hear a corps play this piece: the Yokohama Inspires senior corps took fifth place at DCA Finals in 2002 with a program that included Ravel's mournful ditty.)

ALLIANCE Drum & Bugle Corps in Atlanta, GA has just released our 2014 production entitled: "DOOMSDAY" We are a DCA all-age corps and pride ourselves on being a greatly satisfying alternative to DCI for the following individuals: those who cannot commit the time and/or money to a full DCI summer tour those who aspire to march with a DCI corps, but may need a stepping stone before they make the leap those who have recently aged out of DCI and are looking to reconnect with a DCI-like environment and show design We also welcome those who have never marched drum corps at all, but have an interest in the activity and would like to begin a new chapter in their marching career! Over the past 4 seasons, more than 25 ALLIANCE alumni have gone on to march with over 10 DCI World Class drum corps, including Crown, BD, Bluecoats, The Cavaliers, The Cadets, Phantom, Spirit of Atlanta, and others. In 2012 and 2013, each of the DCI World Champion corps had an ALLIANCE alumnus as a member! If ALLIANCE sounds like a good fit for you or someone you know, we'd love to see you at our Open House Camp on December 15, 2013 at River Ridge High School in Woodstock, GA! Please view our exciting 2014 promo video below and visit our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/alliancedrumcorps for more info. Thanks for your time,

Have any of you ever toured with a mental illness? If so, what helped you through the summer? My first two summers of drum corps were really awful, I had hallucinations, disorganized thoughts, mood swings, paranoia, etc. I took a summer off and I finally got diagnosed and medicated so I'm doing much better. I'm wondering if any of you have advice for touring with mental illnesses. Any tips or thoughts will be appreciated! (:

Hello Everyone! My name is Juan and I'm a music education major at HCC. Last summer I had the opportunity to march contra with the Boston Crusaders. It was one of the best experiences of my life! This upcoming summer will be my last chance to march with the Boston Crusaders ever because I will be aging out. This year's tuition fee is $3,500 and this is very hard to pay being a full time college student. I really need all of your help to make my age out year a reality. I wish nothing more that to have the opportunity to age out with such an amazing organization doing what I love most. Anything you can give will help tremendously!! THANK YOU! You can help me out at: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/2deXa/ab/61Bat0? Email: jd412007@yahoo.com

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT from the Jim Ott Brass Ensemble: http://jimottbrass.org/2013/11/01/jim-ott-brass-ensemble-plans-for-dci-2015/

Nicely done, DCI. But couldn't you find a Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, or Thief? At least you included a Sailor.

http://www.arizonaacademy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=452:announcing-the-2014-design-team&catid=37:news&Itemid=94 Anybody take a look at their staff this year? Their design team alone is already killer. Crown's main designer and their music arranger, and one of the Blue Devils drill writers. That alone is a great start. They have a great visual staff coming in, brass staff is almost identical to previous years so the technique should be the same. Most of the perc staff is coming back, which means Ike is returning for his 3rd year, should be AWESOME! And the new guard staff looks very promising. I really hope they can bounce back from this previous season, the main excuse for the scores last year was the design, looks like the problem should be solved now. How do you guys think they will do in 2014?

I was excited to see that we are getting closer to the 2013 merchandise becoming available, what I was not excited to see was what looked like a huge price increase. It seems to me that the CD/DVDs are substantially more expensive than any previous recent year; $43.00 for an audio CD? Are you kidding me, and $132.00 for a Blu-ray two disc set? DCI, the price of the storage media is becoming cheaper every year and I know what the replies are going to be, the licensing fees are expensive, but this is becoming a bit much you think? I am not an economics major, but to me the costs to produce are fixed, now you want to sell the merchandise to make back the money and perhaps a profit. You will sell a quite a few less at $132 than say $99 or $109, correct? Whoever decided on this new price needs to start looking for a new job!

I'm in my third year marching top bass at my high school's marching band, and because of my worsening scoliosis, I'm moving to the pit next year to play rack percussion. I'm hoping that this year off will benefit and strengthen my back so that I can come back after high school to march bass for Minnesota Brass and then hopefully DCI. But if this doesn't work out, I would definitely consider auditioning for rack/timpani/drum set for drum corps. Any advice from past or current rack/timpani/drum set players in the drum corps circuit? What are auditions like and how do they differ from the keyboard mallet auditions in the pit? Thanks so much! I was going to put this post in percussion, but I felt like it would be viewed more widely in this forum.