Drum and Bugle Corps

(scvanguard.org)

Santa Clara, CA. March 8, 2023 – The Vanguard Music and Performing Arts (VMAPA) Board of Directors announces the resignation of VMAPA Executive Director Jeremy Van Wert with gratitude for his work with the organization. A mutual agreement will allow Mr. Van Wert to continue with the organization until March 17, 2023, to ensure a successful transition of responsibilities and programs.

Mr. Van Wert was named VMAPA Interim co-Executive Director in July 2020 and became Executive Director in 2021. Since then, he has been instrumental in leading the organization in many new initiatives and innovations, particularly during uncertain times brought about by the pandemic. Mr. Van Wert’s contributions and accomplishments include the development of virtual fundraisers, the production of 2021’s “Wait for Me” original performance video, the engagement of alumni through projects such as the Vanguard Historical Society, supporting the formalization of the Vanguard Hall of Fame procedures, the establishment of a new Health and Wellness program for performers, the exploration of new market opportunities, and the execution of partnerships, such as Southwest Airlines, to further the Vanguard brand. Returning to the post-pandemic DCI competitive stage in 2022, the Santa Clara Vanguard earned a top-5 placement, and the Vanguard Cadets celebrated their seventh Open Class gold medal while Mr. Van Wert served as Executive Director. Most recently, Mr. Van Wert has been supporting a team to improve the experience of Vanguard Bingo.

“It has been an honor to serve as the Executive Director of Vanguard Music and Performing Arts for the past two and a half years,” says Van Wert. “I want to express my deep appreciation to all of those who have supported, dedicated themselves, and contributed to the organization’s success during my tenure. As I step down from this role, my greatest hope is that Vanguard will continue to provide a transformative, life altering, and enriching experience for high achieving performers. I wish the organization all the best in its path forward.”

The VMAPA Board of Directors sincerely thanks Mr. Van Wert for his dedication and commitment to Vanguard during his time as Executive Director. While VMAPA is presently focused on optimizing operations and prioritizing those efforts, we’d like to thank our current management team, which will continue running the organization’s day-to-day needs. The Board of Directors also continues to assess organizational needs in furtherance of VMAPA’s mission to enrich lives by increasing opportunities for participation, education, and excellence in the performing arts. On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Amy Lipshy

President | Board Chair

Vanguard Music and Performing Arts

(cadets.org)

Cadets Arts and Entertainment, Inc., has announced that The Cadets Drum Corps and all of the organization’s operations have found a new home in Erie, Pa.

In 2022, The Cadets entered into a partnership with the Erie Sports Center as the new spring training site for the corps’ May-June rehearsals. Since then, the City of Erie has welcomed The Cadets with open arms, offering access to local business relationships, services, volunteers, and new opportunities for funding and partnerships.

The experience has been very positive — so positive, in fact, that it led to discussions about relocating the corps to Erie permanently. Those talks have now come to fruition, resulting in a decision to move The Cadets and all operations of its parent, 501(c)(3) organization, Cadets Arts & Entertainment, Inc., (CAE), to Erie, Pa. The CAE Board of Directors approved this decision on Monday evening, February 13, 2023, and CAE has signed an agreement to make the Erie Sports Center The Cadets’ year-round home.

Situated on 60 acres, the Erie Sports Center has nine sports clubs, just over 100 dorm rooms, numerous sports fields, and a domed turf field with lights, all within a short walking distance. Also on-site are a small theme park with miniature golf, beach volleyball, go carts, and live entertainment; a small restaurant; and an outside food stand. The new agreement includes office space, storage space and parking for year-round operations, as well as rehearsal facilities for The Cadets’ audition and rehearsal weekends, spring training, community performances, and housing for the early-August Erie Fanfare drum corps show.

Troy Bingham, Owner of the Erie Sports Center, commented, “We are so excited to bring The Cadets to the Erie community. I was in awe of the dedication, discipline, and attention to detail when I visited The Cadets’ rehearsals last year. It motivated me to bring these athletes to Erie long-term and to showcase what world-class performers look like. This partnership has a positive economic impact on the city and an amazing opportunity for our local arts community to interact with the oldest drum corps in the country. I am thrilled to welcome The Cadets to Erie.”

In addition to reliable, well-equipped facilities, the partnership also offers The Cadets a home and a network of people excited to help create a stable foundation for the corps for years to come. In the months leading up to this momentous decision, CAE management and Board members have held meetings with representatives from the City of Erie Mayor’s Office, the Erie Bureau of Police, the Erie Community Foundation, VisitErie and the Erie Sports Commission, the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, the local drum corps community including the Erie Thunderbirds and Lake Erie Fanfare organizations, local businesses, and several school districts and educational institutions in the greater Erie area.

“We’re thrilled that The Cadets are moving to Erie and making a permanent home at the Erie Sports Center,” Erie Mayor Joe Schember said on Monday. “In the near future, we look forward to partnering with The Cadets on many events and initiatives that will benefit City residents and our community overall. We’re excited about this incredible opportunity.”

Brenton Davis, Erie County Executive, has also spoken positively about the partnership: “We welcome the opportunity to continue to expand youth activities, tourism, and local business in Erie County,” he said. “We are thankful for the work of Troy Bingham and the Erie Sports Center and look forward to their continued success.”

“We have received such a warm welcome from the Erie Sports Center, city and county government officials, the drum corps and pageantry arts communities, and local businesses,” said Vicki Ferrence Ray, Interim Executive Director of CAE. “As a Pennsylvania native, I am pleased that the state has served as a good home for The Cadets since our move to Allentown in 2004. We may be changing cities, but the identity of The Cadets will remain, just as it has in the past. Making Erie our home simply gives us the added benefit of a vibrant community that will support and celebrate The Cadets and help us sustain our legacy of excellence on and off the field,” she said.

Every summer, Cadets alumni and fans eagerly await the DCI Eastern Classic (DCI East), which has long been a favorite show for the East-Coast corps. Held annually the first weekend in August at Allentown’s historic J. Birney Crum Stadium, DCI East will undoubtedly continue to be a sentimental homecoming for the corps for decades to come. Allentown, Pa. has served as a wonderful home to The Cadets since 2004. The Cadets Administration, Staff and Board of Directors express heartfelt gratitude to the Lehigh Valley community for their support these last 18 years.

CAE Board Chairperson John Broschak commented, “As a culmination of multi-year strategic planning initiatives, The Cadets have found a new home in Erie that the Board is confident will support CAE’s long-term sustainability through 2034 and beyond. This major step forward should allow the organization to grow and diversify our funding sources, create thriving partnerships with new support networks, and pursue year-round program offerings supporting the local performing arts community and expanding the outreach of CAE. I couldn’t be more excited about the potential benefits of this strategic decision.”

Garfield, N.J., will always be The Cadets’ original hometown and birthplace. According to garfieldnj.org, “Garfield earned the nickname ‘City of Champions’ because… the Holy Name/Garfield Cadets were frequently winning DCI/National Drum and Bugle Corps Championships… and because of the exploits of other Garfield heroes.” As The Cadets begin their 89th season and build towards the centennial anniversary, the Erie community will become a new home base and network of support for this time-honored drum corps. Fittingly, the Erie agreement has a term of 11 years until December 31, 2034 — after The Cadets’ 100th season of performance.

“As a founding member of DCI and the oldest drum corps in the nation, it’s wonderful to see this next chapter open up for The Cadets, as they set a course for success and stability for the next 100 years,” said Dan Acheson, Executive Director of DCI.

The Cadets’ relocation will begin this month with the expectation of completing the move prior to the corps’ first full-corps rehearsal weekend, April 28-30. Stay tuned for upcoming news about performances during spring training and on tour.

Erie is Pennsylvania’s fifth-largest city and its only port on the great lakes. To find out more about the City of Erie, visit visiterie.com. For more information about the Erie Sports Center, visit eriesportscenter.com.

(dci.org)

INDIANAPOLIS – Drum Corps International (DCI), the leader in producing events for the world’s finest marching ensembles for student musicians and performers, announces today that Dan Acheson, executive director and CEO since 1995, will retire at the end of 2023.

Having led the organization for what will be 28 years, Acheson is a 2008 inductee to the DCI Hall of Fame, in recognition of a lengthy list of achievements throughout the marching arts and most specifically for his contributions to the drum corps activity; including his decade-long leadership of the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps of Toledo, Ohio, prior to being tapped for DCI’s top position.

In acknowledgement of his service to and advocacy for music education, Acheson was named a Lowell Mason Fellow by the National Association for Music Education in 2008. In 2016, he was honored by the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame as the recipient of its prestigious “President’s Award.”

With a steady hand and uncompromising devotion to the organization’s mission, Acheson has tirelessly led Drum Corps International through a period of unprecedented growth and emergence as a worldwide brand synonymous with the pursuit of excellence in the scholastic performing arts. Each year tens of thousands of students participate in DCI-sanctioned activities around the world, to the delight of millions of educators, spectators, friends and supporters who enjoy their performances.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as CEO of Drum Corps International through an enormous series of changes over the decades, all the way to our organization’s 50th anniversary this past year,” Acheson said. “I am extremely proud of all that we have accomplished, along with each of the participating corps who have contributed to this rich legacy, and for the opportunities we’ve had the good fortune to provide to hundreds of thousands of remarkable young people who have chosen to take part. I am pleased to retire with DCI as a strong, vibrant organization that is ready for a wonderful next chapter which is waiting to be written.”

“Dan is an outstanding, passionate leader, and his long and successful tenure will leave us with enormous shoes to fill,” said Chris Holland, outgoing chair of the DCI board of directors. “Our search process for his replacement is well underway, and our intention is to have our next CEO in place early this spring, so Dan can lead a smooth transition throughout the 2023 season.”