Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps
Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps is an Open Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps based in Mobile, Alabama. The corps was a Division I competitive junior drum and bugle corps in Drum Corps International from 1993 through 2007. Prior to competing in Division I, Southwind competed in DCI's Class A/Division II and was that division's World Champion in 1991 and 1992. Southwind performed at competitive and non-competitive SoundSport events in Alabama and surrounding states during the summer of 2014. In early May 2015, DCI approved Southwind's return as an active Open Class corps.
History
Sources:Southwind was founded in 1980 by Michael D Terry when a group of high school students, John Johnson, Bill Stiers, David Oates, Doug Poulos, Kim Ballentine and Pearce Cowart, at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama wanted to march in a local drum corps. After setting up a non-profit youth organization and getting a charter as Explorer Post 2009 from the Tuckabatchi Boy Scout Council, Southwind's initial organizational meeting was held on Sunday, November 23, 1980 in downtown Montgomery under the leadership of corps director Michael Terry. Auditions were then held at Robert E Lee High School on December 13, 1980, and, on January 14, 1981, the corps had its first rehearsal.
The corps took its name from the Chicago-to-Miami passenger train "The South Wind" that passed through Montgomery on tracks beside what became the corps' practice field. In 1981, Southwind toured to contests in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and North Carolina before traveling to Philadelphia for the VFW National Drum and Bugle Contest and then on the DCI World Championships in Montreal, where they finished 39th of 49 corps in Open Class Prelims. The corps undertook an even more extensive tour under director Dave Bryan in 1982, travelling west to Louisiana and Texas, north to Pennsylvania, back into the South, where they placed 5th of 10 corps in the Drum Corps South circuit championships, returned north to Ohio, New York, and made another trip to the DCI World Championships in Montreal, where they were 36th of 49 corps in Open Class Prelims.
Loss of many charter members and debt accrued during the first two seasons caused the corps to go inactive before the start of the 1983 season. From 1983 through 1988, a cadre of supporters continued to raise funds to retire the outstanding debt.
Southwind returned to competition in 1989. The corps toured throughout the South, then traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, where they placed 10th of 23 corps in Class A60. The corps would improve to 4th of 23 corps in Class A60 at Buffalo, New York in 1990.
In 1991, Southwind, marching a much larger corps, moved into Class A; and was undefeated in 16 contests against only Class A corps and won the DCI Class A World Championship over 18 other corps at Dallas. In 1992, Southwind continued its winning streak in the renamed Division II, placing first in another 16 shows before falling to 3rd place among 18 corps in Division II prelims at Whitewater, Wisconsin before rebounding in finals to claim its second DCI World Championship. In both 1991 and '92, Southwind also finished among the top 25 corps in DCI's Open Class/Division I quarterfinals, earning full membership in the organization.
Southwind, with a corps at or near DCI's then-maximum of 128 members, moved to competing solely in Division I in 1993 and beyond. For five seasons, the corps placed 17th through 24th at DCI FInals, but was finding it more and more difficult for the small group of local, Montgomery boosters to administer the unit. In the 1997 season, several staff members of the Madison Scouts had also worked with Southwind; at the end of the season, corps director Dave Bryan approached the Scouts' management about assuming the sponsorship of Southwind.
In 1998, the Madison Drum and Bugle Corps Association, Inc. took over the operation of Southwind. The corps was inactive for that season, as its operations were moved from Montgomery to Lexington, Kentucky under new director Patrick Seidling.
Returning to the field in 1999, Southwind placed 15th at DCI Championships in Madison, Wisconsin. 2000 was Southwind's best season in Division I, as the corps finished 13th at College Park, Maryland, just missing a Top 12 Finals spot, although the corps scored no worse than 12th in all captions. Seidling then departed for a Top 12 corps and was succeeded by Tony Rother. Southwind finished 15th at Buffalo in 2001 and 18th at Madison in 2002. However, in 2002, the Scouts would finish 14th, the first time the corps had missed DCI Finals since also placing 14th at the inaugural Championships in 1972. In reorganizing its house after the disappointing season, the Madison Drum and Bugle Corps Association severed its ties with Southwind and with the Capitol Sound Drum and Bugle Corps of Madison.
Back on its own, Southwind formed the Bluegrass Youth Performance Corporation as a sponsoring organization, and named Mike Loeffelholz director. The corps would continue as a large, well-respected, but second-tier, Division I corps through 2007, when economic conditions led the corps to another period of inactivity.
In 2011, Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps came under the control of Southwind Alumni Association, Inc. 2011 through 2013 were rebuilding years for the organization as they raised funds and sought sponsorships for returning the corps to competition. The corps also returned to Alabama, relocating in the Mobile area.
In November and December 2013, Southwind held its first recruitment and audition camps since leaving the field in 2007. In 2014 the organization fielded a 50-member SoundSport® team competing against other SoundSport® teams and performing in exhibition at some DCI shows as a route to reentering DCI competition in 2015.
In early May 2015, DCI approved Southwind's return as an active Open Class corps and placed the corps on the summer schedule for five shows in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. After competing in six contests in 2016, the 2017 corps entered a dozen contests in eight states, including a return to DCI Open Class Championships and DCI World Championships for the first time since 2007.
Sponsorship
Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps is sponsored by the Southwind Alumni Association, Inc., a 501 musical organization that has a Board of Directors, corps director, and staff assigned to carry out the organization's mission. Dr. Lawrence LeClaire is the corps director.Show Summary (1981–2020)
Sources:Gold background indicates DCI Championship; pale blue shaded background indicates DCI Finalist; pale green shaded background indicates DCI semifinalist.
| Year | Theme | Repertoire | Score | Result |
| 1981 | Prelude and Rondo by David Holsinger / Hoedown by Aaron Copland / Miserlou adapted by Nicholas Roubanis / Granada Smoothie by Mark Taylor / Bless the Beasts and Children by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. / Alabamy Bound by Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva, and Bud Green / Stars Fell On Alabama by Frank Perkins and Mitchell Parish | 51.800 | 39th | |
| 1982 | Song of the South / Magic by Stephen Schwartz / Granada Smoothie by Mark Taylor / Fugeace by Gianluigi Trovesi / I Sing the Body Electric by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford | 53.800 | 36th | |
| 1983-1988 | Corps inactive | |||
| 1989 | Southland by Salvatore '"Tutti" Camarata / Stars Fell On Alabama by Frank Perkins and Mitchell Parish | 71.300 | 10th Class A60 | |
| 1990 | You are My Sunshine © by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell / Lucretia MacEvil by David Clayton-Thomas / Sometimes in Winter by Steve Katz / God Bless the Child by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr. / Higher and Higher by Gary Jackson and Carl Smith | 82.000 | 4th Class A60 | |
| 1991 | The Little Mermaid | Fanfare, Tour of the Kingdom, Poor Unfortunate Souls, Eric to the Rescue, The Storm, Part of Your World, and Happy Ending All from The Little Mermaid by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman | 92.700 68.000 | 1st Class A 23rd Open Class |
| 1992 | Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | Overture, The Prisoner of the Crusades, Marian at the Waterfall, The Abduction, The Wedding Scene & The Final Battle All from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves by Michael Kamen | 92.900 73.600 | 1st Div.II 22nd Open Class |
| 1993 | Far and Away | Joseph's Dream, Life in Ireland, The American Way, Reunion & The Land Race All from Far and Away by John Williams | 73.000 | 22nd |
| 1994 | A League of Their Own | Making the Team, Ballad-Life Goes On & The Final Game All from A League Of Their Own by Hans Zimmer | 69.100 | 19th |
| 1995 | Gospel | Precious Lord, Take My Hand by Thomas A. Dorsey / Jericho by Morton Gould / Sweet, Sweet Spirit by Doris Akers / Are You Ready for a Miracle by Art Reynolds and Bunny Hull / Oh Happy Day by Edwin Hawkins / Brand New day by Charlie Smalls | 71.900 | 17th |
| 1996 | A Gospel Celebration | Make His Praise Glorious by Bill and Robin Wolaver / Amazing Love by John Schweers / Resurrection Ceremony by Greg Gumina / Are You Ready for a Miracle by Art Reynolds and Bunny Hull / All Creatures of Our God and King by St Francis of Assisi and Friedrich Spee, adapted by William Henry Draper | 66.800 | 24th |
| 1997 | Scenes from Childhood | Niesdance by David Holsinger / Children's March by Percy Grainger / Daydreaming by Hans Zimmer / Iron Will by Joel McNeely | 71.700 | 21st |
| 1998 | Corps inactive | |||
| 1999 | American Salute by Morton Gould / Kentucky Suite / Hymn to the Fallen & Summon the Heroes by John Williams | 78.400 | 15th | |
| 2000 | Suite for Band by Gustav Holst / Legends of the Fall by James Horner / Les Preludes & Totentanz by Franz Liszt | 84.950 | 13th | |
| 2001 | A New Era | Fanfare for a New Era by Jack Stamp / Academic Festival Overture by Johannes Brahms / Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Samuel Barber / Fire Storm by Stephen Bulla | 80.050 | 15th |
| 2002 | Evolution | Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach / Marche Slav by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Prelude by John Bogenschutz / Esprit de Corps by Robert E. Jager | 79.250 | 18th |
| 2003 | Dance Portraits | Gayne Ballet by Aram Khachaturian | 77.500 | 21st |
| 2004 | A Journey Through The Sands | Music from The Mummy by Jerry Goldsmith | 78.050 | 18th |
| 2005 | A Distorted Imagination | Star of Bethlehem by Miklós Rózsa / Pure Imagination by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley / The Battle by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard / Mars by Gustav Holst / Blue Shadows and Purple Hills by Alex North / Main Title by Jerry Goldsmith / Incantation by Benoît Jutras / The Mother's Love by Miklós Rózsa / Bacchanale by Camille Saint-Saëns / Reunited by Alan Silvestri / The Horseman & Raisuli Attacks by Jerry Goldsmith | 80.950 | 16th |
| 2006 | Duality | Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky / In the Spring, When Kings Go Off to War by David Holsinger / Lost in the Darkness by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse / Pie Jesu by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Incantation by Benoît Jutras/ Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy / Tenth Symphony by Dmitri Shostakovich / Original music by Steve Vento | 77.950 | 18th |
| 2007 | InTheLoop | InTheLoop by Steve Vento, Shane Gwaltney, and Eric Willie | 77.950 | 19th |
| 2008-2013 | Corps inactive | |||
| 2014 | Our Heart Beats | New Life & New Tricks by Jeremy Johnson / New and Old | Gold | SoundSport® |
| 2015 | By The Numbers | Morning Alleluias by Ron Nelson / Romeo and Juliet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Symphonic Dance #3–Fiesta by Clifton Williams / America by Dan Reynolds, Daniel Wayne Sermon, Daniel Platzman, and Ben McKee / Halloween Music by Kevin MacLeod / Carol of the Bells adapted by Mykola Leontovych and Peter J. Wilhousky | Did not attend | |
| 2016 | Motion | The Chairman Dances by John Adams / Spinning Wheel by David Clayton-Thomas / Rest by Frank Ticheli / Ride by Samuel Hazo | Did not attend'' | |
| 2017 | Toxic Mind | Wrecking Ball by MoZella, Stephan Moccio, Sacha Skarbek, Kiyanu Kim, Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, and Henry Russell Walter / The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky / Creep by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, and Phil Selway / Superstition by Stevie Wonder / Dies Irae / Toxic by Cathy Dennis, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg, and Henrik Jonback / Hysteria by Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard | 70.125 68.838 | 9th Open Class 31st World Class |
| 2018 | The Guitarist | Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Márquez / A Mis Abuelos by Arturo Sandoval / Everything I Can't Have by Robin Thicke, James Gass, and Moises Vivanco / Sing to the Moon by Laura Mvula and Steve Brown | 69.700 66.438 | 10th Open Class 33rd World Class |
| 2019 | Caged | Drive to Bohemia by Elliot Goldenthal / Highwire by John Mackey / The Grind by Justin Williams / Ordinary World by Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, James Bates, and Warren Cuccurullo |