OldSnareGuy Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Just looking to start a thread to see if there is any interest in starting an all ages corps in the Phoenix area...Ready...begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Just looking to start a thread to see if there is any interest in starting an all ages corps in the Phoenix area...Ready...begin. Where in Arizona? If anywhere near Tempe, you could talk to Academy and see if their alums are interested....you'd have a pretty good set of musicians there. Equipment may be an issue....also where are you going to do shows? The closest ones are a 6+ hour drive away, except for the one in Glendale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euphscott Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 And as Texans are learning - convincing adults to work in extreme heat is a very hard sell! :) Only the heartu need apply. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSnareGuy Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 Three very good points. Shows, Obviously Glendale, maybe RCC, Walnut. Then maybe Long Beach and the other SoCal show. Equiptment might not be a problem just need to dig it up. I am sure there is stuff somewhere stored. As for the heat. Not sure what to do about that. May talk to ASU about their marching band facility. Still in the very early planning stages. This would also be a chance for people not able to march a full season with a world class corps or who don't have the 2gs to drop for tour fees. Thanks for the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Three very good points.Shows, Obviously Glendale, maybe RCC, Walnut. Then maybe Long Beach and the other SoCal show. Remember that unless you have sufficient funds to rent a charter bus, it'll be carpooling to shows...and I don't think you're going to find many people willing to carpool from Arizona to SoCal, then do a show or two, then come home....too many hours on the road to be safe. Now if you could FLY out and have a couple of people drive the equipment, that solves THAt prob, but you'd still have to get to show sites. Also remember that, unless you have money in hand, much of the overall cost will be carried by the membership...and higher fees will kill numbers. Equiptment might not be a problem just need to dig it up. I am sure there is stuff somewhere stored. From where, if I may ask? As for the heat. Not sure what to do about that. May talk to ASU about their marching band facility. Kinda answers one of my questions....if you're thinking about ASU, you DO have a potential well of Academy alums to draw from (and if that's the case....the CA Srs need to watch out!) Still in the very early planning stages. This would also be a chance for people not able to march a full season with a world class corps or who don't have the 2gs to drop for tour fees. Again....your location will create higher fees just to get to shows....not maybe $2k, but still significant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Whatever happened to Hot City DBC? I thought that they were from that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Whatever happened to Hot City DBC? I thought that they were from that area. I think they were getting together for one season...haven't heard anything since...and it was a few years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grenadasmoothie Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Oh, man - If you make this work, that's one MORE reason for me to want to move to the Phoenix area! Good luck! I always thought it would awesome one day if there were enough corps out west, and maybe one or two traveling in from elsewhere, it would be sweeeeeet to see a big DCA Regional up at NAU in Flagstaff, since it's nice and cool (OK, maybe not "cool", but not Valley hot!) up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyTenor Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 (edited) Been here, done this. In 1999, a group of about 15-20 of us got together to form Copper Star. It was the brain child of a guy named John Dunne and myself. John shared a ride to Denver with me for DATR in 98. We had 14 hours each way to shoot the breeze and came up with this idea. The name came out of the blue on I-40 between Flagstaff and Albuquerque. We put out a few fliers in stores, set up a booth at ASU's Band Day, and handed out fliers at U of A's and NAU's band days, too. We used RAMD as an advertising source, as well as local music stores. A couple of us also participated with the Play it Again Band, an adult group that gets together fora few rehearsals and marches the Fiesta Bowl Parade, as well as performing at the BlueCross/Blue Shield National Band Tournament. (It's always fun when a drummer is transposing Bb marching baritone music to G baritone bugle, especially when you have to work around that lack 'o third valve thingy. And that baritone got some funny looks from band members!) We got a few former Sunset Regiment and Musketeers members as well as a couple of former VK and BD people. We had a brass line of about 12-15, and a handful of drummers. We did a couple of performances at drum shows, and played the national anthem a couple of times for Cactus League spring training games in Phoenix and Scottsdale. We used an American Legion post in Chandler as our rehearsal facility. They welcomed us as revenge to the homeowners who built around the post, and complained about post activities. But after we started practicing there, the post kinda got into what we were doing. One of the ex-Musketeers had contacts with Yamaha and got us some non-floating snares, a couple of sets of tenors and 4 basses. The brass players bought their own horns, though John and I put in a little cash and bought a few horns, too. We had a hard time recruiting, even though we had some real nice charts to play. We put out a few e-mails and got arrangements from Scouts (thank you, Scott Stewart!), Colts (thank you, Chuck Naffier!), Troopers (thank you, Pat Chagnon!), Impulse (thank you, Dan Zeilinger!) and a couple of other sources. But getting the bodies there, or there on a regular basis, was a challenge. After about 18 months we made the decision to try the junior route. Unfortunately, right after our first organizational/recruiting meeting, I had to relocate to SoCal. The project continued for another year or so after that, but folded after the 2001 season. I can tell you it's not easy to recruit, but the addition of a couple of years of Academy age-outs may make it easier now than trying to start an all-age 7 years after the last junior corps fielded. A lot will depend on your vision. If it's going to be forward thinking, you have a better chance of attracting Academy, Troopers, Vanguard, Blue Knights and Blue Devils vets. If you want to go a little more old school, you'll have a harder time attracting those people. I agree it might be a good idea to contact Mark Richardson, director of Academy after the summer season and see what kind of alliance you could make with them. SoCal Dream started under the Impulse umbrella and 501©3 before going independent in 2004. The show thing might be a little rough, as others have mentioned. We were never big enough to require a bus, so I'm not sure about chartering. Plus, getting to work on Monday AM after a Sunday night show in SoCal isn't easy if you don't sleep well on a bus anymore. (Not a problem for me, still.) The fact that the All-age corps go on first helps get you on the road a little sooner, but it's still 6-8 hours. Hope this helps a little. PM me if I can be of any help. Garry in Vegas Edited July 19, 2009 by CrunchyTenor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyTenor Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Oh, man - If you make this work, that's one MORE reason for me to want to move to the Phoenix area!Good luck! I always thought it would awesome one day if there were enough corps out west, and maybe one or two traveling in from elsewhere, it would be sweeeeeet to see a big DCA Regional up at NAU in Flagstaff, since it's nice and cool (OK, maybe not "cool", but not Valley hot!) up there. I wouldn't do it in the Walkup Skydome. Band days sound awful in there! But they still have that outdoor stadium on the NE side of the campus. Is it still grassy, or have they let it go to dirt? You could invite High Country Brass from Colorado, too! Garry in Vegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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