2010 Mandarins Off to a Great Start!

The past several weeks have been busy ones for the Sacramento Mandarins. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the corps held their annual dinner. At this dinner, Santiago Sabado was announced as the Joe Fong Award recipient, as voted upon by his fellow corps members. You can read more about this award here: http://tinyurl.com/yd9q7l5

In early December the corps held an audition session in Hawaii, followed the next weekend by the corps main audition camp in Sacramento. You can see reports and photos from the Sacramento camp on our Twitter page here: http://twitter.com/dcimandarins

The corps will have another audition session on Sunday, January 3, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Arroyo High School in El Monte. You can download our flyer through this link: http://tinyurl.com/y8vlzel

Auditions for the 2010 Mandarins will continue at our January Camp, January 16/17 at Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove. Anyone interested in auditioning should check out the corps audition pages at http://mandarins.org/ and make plans to attend the January camp. Please contact the appropriate caption head if you would like to audition.

The 2010 Mandarins season is off to a great start: look for a 2010 program announcement very soon!

2010 Sacramento Mandarins

Thinking about becoming a member of the Mandarins? Check out our video here: http://tinyurl.com/m7w79z This video page includes a direct link to our on-line camp registration form.

All camp dates and locations are listed here: http://tinyurl.com/lfetok

Your 2010 Mandarins Design Team and Instructional Staff: http://mandarins.org/about/info.html

We hope to see everyone at auditions!

Perfect Start to November

Great turnout and lots of great people and talent at today's MGA and MBA!

The next session is on December 6th, save the date!

http://mandarins.org/auditions/brass.html

http://mandarins.org/auditions/guard.html

Mandarins Brass and Guard Academy is this afternoon!

The 2009–10 Mandarins Guard Academy will begin today at 1 p.m.

The third installment of the Mandarins Brass Academy is at the same time, same place!

See you there!

Mandarins Guard Academy begins November 1

The 2009–10 Mandarins Guard Academy will begin this Sunday, November 1, 2009.

audition dates and locations announced

Audition dates and locations are set for Hawaii, Northern California, and Southern California!

2010 Visual Design Team Announced

The Mandarins announce their 2010 Visual Design Team of Myron Rosander, Brian Mar, and George Armenta.

Read the entire story here.

Mandarins 2010 Caption Heads Announced

The Sacramento Mandarins are pleased to announce caption heads for the 2010 season. Mandarins Executive Director Ray Mar expressed that "we are fortunate to be bringing in caption heads who have a terrific knowledge of their craft and are great educators, motivators and managers as well. Their talent and expertise will be a great benefit to the marching members and the entire Mandarins organization."

The 2010 Mandarins caption heads include:

Sacramento Mandarins Announce 2010 Management Team

The Sacramento Mandarins recently announced their 2010 management team. Ray Mar will assume the position of Executive Director, responsible for the overall operation, management and direction of the organization. Jim Tabuchi has been appointed to the role of Corps Director. In his new position he is responsible for member recruiting, staff development, facility management, development of alternate funding sources, the Mandarins Scholarship Program and alumni and community outreach. This arrangement will insure the corps' long term success and adherence to the corps' philosophy of "Celebrating Youth, Transforming Lives", while at the same time giving the necessary attention to all the daily tasks that come with running a DCI World Class drum corps. Read the rest of the article here.

mandarins brass academy

The Mandarins Brass Academy (MBA) held their opening session for the new season on Sunday, September 6th at Cosumnes Oaks High School. Read the rest of the article here.

Another Look Back At The Season

Rob Stewart, of KVIE Public Television, produces "Rob on the Road", which discovers stories that capture the unique spirit of Northern California.

Rob visited the Mandarins at one of the last rehearsals before our DCI tour, and interviewed brass instructor and Mandarins Brass Academy coordinator Jim Tabuchi. Watch it here: http://tinyurl.com/mqcwb4

Final Days

On Friday, the corps members spent the morning checking in equipment and uniforms in preparation for sending the trucks and equipment back to California. Corps members also completed the annual member survey. This survey is based on the book "First Break All The Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently" by Marcus Buckingham. The results of this survey are used by the corps staff and administration as a tool to evaluate and improve our operations.

Corps members also cast their ballots for the Joe Fong Award, which is bestowed on the corps member who best exemplifies the values of the Mandarins. The winner of this award is announced at the annual corps dinner to be held later this year.

In the afternoon, the corps attended the opening day of the Indiana State Fair with Pacific Crest. Yes, competitors can be friends and supporters of each other.

That evening, the corps attended the Age Out Ceremony. The Mandarins would like to thank all of this year's ageouts for their tireless efforts and dedication. This year's Mandarins ageouts include:

• Mai Adachi, Brass
• Jon Boo, Percussion
• Juan Crespo, Percussion
• Michael Flores, Percussion
• Carson Gantt, Percussion
• Caleb Kondor, Brass
• Rick Mano, Brass
• Krobkal (Tami) Petborisooth, Color Guard
• Stuart Rosen, Brass
• Santiago Sabado, Drum Major
• Luis Sosa, Brass
• William Winston II, Percussion
• Akari Yanada, Percussion

Saturday was spent cleaning up and loading the trucks. The corps would like to thank the administration and staff of Avon Intermediate School East for their support and assistance in making our stay in Indiana a pleasant one.

After attending finals, the corps buses proceeded to the airport. The Mandarins tour fees include airfare to both the beginning point of tour (Denver) and the flight home from the DCI Championships. By Sunday morning, everyone had arrived home.

This has been a terrific season for the corps, and the staff is very proud of the performing members for their resilience and commitment.

While the corps is looking back on this past season with many fond memories, planning has already started for the 2010 season. Keep checking this space, and the corps website at mandarins.org for updates.

Finally, thank you also to all the families, friends, parents, supporters and alumni who have helped out in countless ways. The corps could not have done it without you. We hope you are as proud of the 2009 Mandarins as we are.

Quarterfinals

DCI Quarterfinals day. Had a great rehearsal block in the morning. As is tradition, the brass line arched up around the ageouts to play the adagio section of "Year of the Dragon" to acknowledge their contributions and our respect for the 13 members of the Mandarins who will be aging out this season.

After rehearsal, some down time to prepare for our appearance at DCI World Class Quarterfinals. The staff felt that the corps members were ready to go, and well prepared for Championships Week.

Guard and pit warmed up at the stadium, while brass and battery bused to a nearby park for warm ups. Lucas Oil Field is a magnificent stadium; everything is state of the art and seemed to be by far our largest venue, even compared to stadiums such as Invesco Field in Denver and the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Today's performance was by far the best of the season. A large standing ovation at the end of the show indicated the quality of the performance. The corps has overcome a few obstacles over the course of the season (as have all drum corps to be fair); however, this edition of the Mandarins can be very proud of their efforts and accomplishments.

After the performance today, the corps was treated to a bbq at the Star of America facility in Bloomington. Everyone had a great time, and it was a chance for the members, staff, parents and drivers to unwind.

DCI Championships Week

Arrived at our housing at Avon Intermediate School East early Tuesday morning. The corps slept in until noon, which was fine since a driving thunderstorm rendered any idea of an outdoor rehearsal impractical until the late afternoon.

Wednesday morning, started with the annual "Breakfast by the Pit". Every year, during DCI week, the front ensemble will wake up early and make breakfast for the corps members, instructional and support staff. It was delicious!

Most of the day was spent on the opener and closer, to provide a great first impression and a lasting statement at the end of the show. This was the emphasis on both sectional and ensemble work. It paid off in this evening's runthrough as both of these sections are much more consistent from a performance and projection standpoint.

One rehearsal block tomorrow and then off to Lucas Oil Field for quarterfinals.

Canton OH

The corps had a couple of rehearsal days in Canton OH. A lot of attention work was done refining both the beginning of the opener and end of the closer. A number of the design team is now traveling with the corps, so there are a number of program refinements being made.

Monday evening's performance in Canton went very well. The work on the closer paid off, as it was much more under control than had previously been the case. The Football Hall of Fame Festival show is always, well run, with plenty of support staff on hand to make sure everything is taken care of. They are very supportive and courteous as well.

Today we arrived at Avon Intermediate School, east campus, where we will be housed during DCI Championships week. This is the same housing location as last year, and the staff and facility are terrific.

It may be a day for music sectionals and ensemble however, as thunderstorms are predicted throughout the day, although tomorrow should be fine. We are looking forward to a couple of productive rehearsal days before Quarterfinals on Thursday.

August 1 - Free Day in New York City

Free day in New York City. The corps took a well deserved day off and spent 8 hours in "The Big Apple". Shopping and sightseeing - Central Park, SoHo, Times Square, Rockerfeller Center, Yankee Stadium, Staten Island Ferry and the like. Several corps members and staff took in Broadway shows including "In The Heights" and "Next to Normal". Getting in and out of Times Square was a bit of a challenge for our bus drivers, but our drop off and pick up occurred without incident.

While many members and staff spent time shopping, fortunately no one bought a watch from a street corner vendor, as has been the case in the past; these watches usually stop running before the end of DCI week!

The corps is now in Canton OH, with a rehearsal day today on Sunday the 2nd, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival show inn Massillon OH. After that, off to Avon IN where we will be housed during DCI week.

Allentown PA - July 31

One rehearsal block today. We beat the thunderstorms that came in the afternoon. These thunderstorms wound up delaying the start of show by an hour.

Everyone performed this evening, with the exception one guard performer who suffered an ankle injury in Centerville. Full brass line for the first time since Atlanta.

The performance tonight was terrific. A very genuine, enthusiastic standing ovation from a very knowledgeable drum corps audience.

Back to housing for some sleep and free day tomorrow in New York City.

Things are looking up

Bus 1 replacement is now on the road and eta in Downington PA is 10 p.m. After extensive conversations with the officials here at United Sports Center, they have reluctantly agreed to allow us to tape some yard lines and hashes on one of the soccer fields. They are sympathetic to our needs, and willing to work within the confines of what is possible at the facility

This afternoon was spent in musical sectionals. This evening is music ensemble to lock in tempos and interpretations. We will do ensemble on the field tomorrow morning in an attempt to beat the predicted thunderstorms in the area.

We still have some folks under the weather. It may have been due to the rainstorms encountered at rehearsal and yesterday's show. As a precaution, all buses will again be cleaned and sanitized while the corps is rehearsing. Everyone's condition has stabilized, which is a plus for us, but we are still taking this precautionary measure.

Will keep an eye out on the weather and see what happens tomorrow.

More Challenges - Thursday, July 30

After leaving Centerville, Bus 1 (mainly guard bus minus those who are on bus 3) had some mechanical problems, so a replacement bus was dispatched. Buses 2 - 4 continued to our housing in Downington PA. Unfortunately, the replacement bus also developed a problem, so a third bus was sent and the folks on Bus 1 are now on their way. We have been using Star of America (Star of Indiana previously) ever since the corps started in the 1980's. It is extremely rare we encounter any difficulties. The last time was in 2005. The Star company has been extremely efficient and great to work with, and they immediately took care of these issues as soon as possible.

Of course, it is not that easy. Buses 2 - 4 have arrived at United Sports Center in Downington PA. It is a good facility with plenty of space. There are acres of grass area to be used which is great. Unfortunately, the management here refuses to let the corps paint any lines on the fields. Akin to "water, water, everywhere but not a drop to drink", we have plenty of grass, but no practice fields.

We have been allowed use of the turf soccer field, unfortunately it has no yard lines and again we are prohibited from using masking tape to mark any yard lines or hashes.

Director Ray Mar has been in touch with DCI and is actively seeking some solutions, as the corps is preparing for tomorrow night's show in Allentown.

stalled somewhere between Ohio and Pennsylvania

stayed tuned for more info...

Wednesday July 29

The corps had a couple of productive days in Dayton OH. We stayed at Northridge School, great facilities, plenty of rehearsal space. Ken Hoffman, our host, was very hospitable and made sure everything was taken care of.

The show in Centervfille was delayed by 15 minutes due to a brief rainstorm. However, the show was held in a stadium with artificial turf so drainage was not an issue. The performance tonight was better than Sevierville, although the brass line did have a bit of a rough run. Plenty to work on in the next brass block.

Brass visuals were added in the ballad and will be refined tomorrow.

We did have 5 brass players out tonight, again, primarily as a precaution. Two of them were featured as part of a duet or a soloist. As a result, Louie Sosa did double duty tonight in playing through all these parts.

A long bus ride tonight (including bus 3, which has everyone who has had or presently has a fever -2 people), some floor time and rehearsal in preparation for Allentown and DCI East.

Monday July 27 - Sevierville Tenn

Arrived at our housing shortly after midnight. We are staying at the show site, which makes things a bit easier from a logistics standpoint. Unfortunately, we could not get on to the practice field until 1 p.m. due to football practice, in the a.m. we are using the band field which is a striped parking lot.

We still have a couple of members out with a fever. In addition, several members are not feeling well, although there are no flu like symptoms. As a precaution, all were held out of tonight's performance which resulted in us marching 6 brass holes and 1 guard hole.

The performance was not one of our best. Execution errors made for a rough show all the way around. The guard did have a good run however.

Off to Dayton OH for a couple of days and a show in Centerville.

scenes from the south

Georgia Dome - Saturday, July 25

Atlanta Regional today. we are almost fully recovered. We did hold out a couple of members as a precaution. The show was one of the best of the season. A great crowd, and tremendous venue. Staff and members were very pleased with both the effort and performance. The corps did a fine job of dealing with the acoustics which come with performing inside a dome.

Upon leaving the show, we found out that our housing in Sevierville would not be available until Monday. As a result, Mr. Mar called Pat Gallagher, the Band Director of Pickens High School in Jasper where we had stayed the night before. Through his generosity, we were able to stay overnight again at Pickins High School and rehearse during the day before leaving for Sevierville. It turned out to be a fortunate series of events, as it rained most of the day in Sevierville and we would not have gotten much outside work.

Many times in drum corps life, people will lend a hand without hesitation. In this case, the Mandarins wish to thank Pat Gallagher for all his assistance and support.

We are presently on our way to Sevierville, and should wind up there shortly after midnight.

Show day tomorrow!

On The Way Back

Family, friends, boosters and supporters,

Thank you for your best wishes and support. As previously mentioned, we have had a number of members exhibit flu-like symptoms. In addition to the care and support of local health officials, the corps is fortunate to be traveling with a registered nurse and a pharmacist. Steps have been taken to reinforce sanitary practices, and the affected individuals have been isolated.

At this time, we have 3 cases remaining with a slight fever. All others have recovered and are participating in corps activities. All members who return to rehearsal must be okayed by our traveling medical personnel, and are monitored upon their return.

The corps returned to the DCI tour at Murfreesboro on Friday, July 14 and eagerly looks forward to the rest of the season.

Mandarins members ‘under the weather’

A number of members of the Mandarins have taken ill and are currently receiving medical treatment. Corps and staff members are taking precautions to contain the illness and help the approximately 20 members of the corps it has affected recover as soon as poosible.

As a result, the Mandarins will be taking a break from tonight’s scheduled DCI Tour event in Monroe, La., moving onto their next destination for much needed rest.

stormy weather

Rehearsing despite the stormy weather... Lightning crashes in the distance.

absolute sunset

Alamodome

The San Antonia regional was today. The Mandarins had a great run; all of the show changes came through nicely. The members were happy with their performance and the enthusiasm was evident when we circled up after the show in the Alamodome.

After the show we returned to the housing site and ate dinner. The color guard and percussion had sectionals during the evening while the horn line took advantage of the time to do laundry. Clean socks equals clean feet. Guard and percussion will do laundry on Monday while the horn line is in sectional.

Tomorrow is a free day in San Antonio. Is it possible that many members will go see the new Harry Potter movie? A free day is a time for the members to relax and spend time with each other without the responsibilities of rehearsal. It is also a chance for members to see some of the sights of places they have never been.

After free day it's off to Monroe LS for a rehearsal day and show day.

Captains Log - 717.09.0440:

Just arrived in Dallas, Texas. It appears it has been raining for quite some time. Nice cloud cover, puddles of water, great temperature, and random flashes of lightning. We're staying @ the show site. Last season, Lake Highlands High School Wildcats had so many cockroaches, but I've only seen one so far! I believe we have 4 hours of floor time, which means yardlining gets 3. Time to set up the sleeping area. Dallas show tonight.

Postdate: Well, as it turns out, the fields are already striped, courtesy of the Troopers, who stayed here yesterday. Field crew gets extra floor time!

Another Day

The sun will come out tomorrow.

The show went well tonight. The members pushed through their show in the 100+ heat in full uniform and proved to us that they can do anything asked of them. Our score did not represent what we would have liked given the effort, however, that's the way things sometimes turn out. Tomorrow is another day and another show. We are going to dust ourselves off and keep moving forward.

Just a few notes about the pictures tonight. The star was in the middle of our asphalt rehearsal field in Houston today and in honor of the lone star state we give you a lone star. The stadium tonight is a shared school district football stadium and basketball arena. Football is kind of a big deal down here. The last is one of Brianna Johnson and her marching shoe. After the show she realized she had a shoe blow out!

Houston, Texas

Captains Log - 716.09.1515: Today is the Houston show and the Mandarins are ready to unveil many changes we have made over the last few days. The corps was up at 7 am after 8 hours of sleep in order to get the most rehearsal out of our day. The focus of today has been to review and refine all the changes made. With the new attitude the corps has taken on we are looking forward to the show tonight.

Fantastic last runthrough, the members are having fun performing! Rehearsal today was snificantly hotter, though we were fortunate enough to have roaming cloud cover. Some ensemble work on the opener and drum solo. Houston show tonight - step off at 7