Return Home Update

The corps is expected to arrive back at AKINS HIGH SCHOOL IN AUSTIN TEXAS at 3am on Monday August 10th 2009!
Congrats and thank you to everyone on a very successful 2009 season!

Open Class Finalist ~ 6th PLACE

Revolution capped off it's 10th season , finishing in 6th place with a score of 88.25! After falling a place in semis, Revolution powered back into 6th behind strong perfromances in all captions. The corps program was the strongest it has been and we will use 2009 as preparation for greater success in 2010!

We also want to acknowledge our 2009 Age-Out class who all performed for the last time today! Adam Castaneda(2008,2009), Sam Mata(2008,2009), Robert Larios(2008,2009), David Jimenez(2008,2009), Raymond Ramirez(2008,2009), Yuuki Inoue(2007,2008,2009), Cesar Gonzales, Saori Kubo, Charlie Desgasperi, Norihito Nakumora, and Tomoya Noguchi!

Semi Finals

The corps has settled into their championship housing and after having a free day on Wednesday after the Quarterfinals in downtown Indy for I&E, they have been hard at work rehearsing for the semifinals today. They are scheduled to perform this afternoon at 12:16pm.

The weather here has been great so far, in the 80's during the day but today they are having a 'heatwave' It's going to be in the low 90's! Yep, some heat wave!

Quarterfinals Bound!

The corps just finished their final run in preparation for tonight's Quarterfinals performance! Our OTL is 7:02 and the corps is prime for a good show. Scores are being posted live at DCI.ORG so stay posted for the outcome and we will see many of you in INDY!

Our finals housing in INDY has changed! We will now be at Carmel High School in Carmel, IN We plan on moving into our championship housing on Wednesday evening. With the season finally wrapping up I cannot express enough thanks to everyone who made the 2009 10th season such a resounding success on and off the field! While we still have much work to do, we are defiantly heading in the right direction!

Carmel High School
520 East Main Street
Carmel, IN 46032

Finals Week!

This coming week is Finals Week. The corps will perform in the quarter finals in Michigan City on Tuesday, then head to Indianapolis for the semi finals on Friday and the Finals on Saturday.

Yesterday they rehearsed at Pioneer Land, before heading to Michigan City today:


It's hard to believe finals week is already here. It's gone by so quickly. The corps has done an amazing job and it's been great to see these individuals become a family. They deserve to have this chance to perform at finals, and we know they will do a great job.

On the road to Indiana

Last night at the Music on the March II in Dubuque, IA, the corps recevied a score of 85.5 Today the corps is in Sheboygan, WI for the Brat Fest Parade. They will stay in Sheboygan through Sunday, when they will travel to Michigan City, IN for the DCI quarter finals.

Housing site:
Blue Line Ice Center
1202 S. Wildwood Ave.
Sheboygan, WI

Sunday and Monday will be intense rehearsal days as the corps prepares to compete in the quarter finals on Tuesday.

Music on the March

Tonight's score - a very impressive 85.6! The corps performed at the Greendale High School in Greendale WI. Tomorrow evening will be Music on the March II in Dubuque, IA at Dubuque Senior High School.

Check out the DCI website, www.dci.org. Click on News and scroll down to July 29 and click on Field Pass: Texas tough for a nice clip on Revolution.

We'd like to ask that everyone keep Sheri, one of our Revo cook moms, in your thoughts. She had a bit of an accident and was injured while cooking and had to leave the tour to recover. We hope she is better soon!

And one more thing-our wonderful corps and staff donated some food items to another corps that is having difficulties. What a wonderful gesture, and it really brings to mind what drum corps is all about - helping and supporting each other, especially in a time of need.

Drums on the Chippewa

Tonight was another head to head competition in Eau Claire, WI with 7 other open class corps. Once again, Revolution improved their score and received an 83.5 for second place.

The Corps will stay in Strum for a rehearsal day tomorrow before moving on to Greenville, WI for a competition Thursday evening.

Housing site:
Strum Central HS
W23597 Hwy. 10
Strum, WI

82.2!!

Tonight in Omaha, the corps went head to head with seven other open class corps. Their score was a very impressive 82.2 for third place.

The corps will be staying in Omaha tonight and will have a rehearsal day tomorrow before heading up to Wisconsin. The next competition will be on Monday in Eau Clarie.

Stay tuned!

On the road to Omaha

The corps had a great day in Oklahoma today: great rehearsal, great weather, and great food. They dined on french toast and bananas for breakfast, pasta salad for lunch, and chopped BBQ, baked potatoes, corn, and baked beans for dinner. And in honor of Kailynn's birthday, there was carrot cake! Other birthdays this week are Travis in the trumpet section, and Julie in the front ensemble.

Omaha is the next stop, and they are on the buses and on their way. This show will be one of their biggest yet as they go head to head with several other open class corps.

Omaha housing site:
Benson HS, 5120 Maple Street,Omaha, NE

Show Site:
Buell Stadium, Millard South HS, 14905 Q. Street, Omaha, NE

Revo fans make the DCI news: Check out this link, and scroll down to about the middle of the page http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=a437568e-d9d4-42e2-8b27-aded068fe38e

We would also like to send out special recovery wishes for Ryan, brother of Mary who is one of our Mellophones. Ryan is marching with the Glassmen. Many of their members have fallen ill with an upper respiratory virus. We hope Ryan and the rest of the Glassmen, are feeling better soon.

Battle on the Bayou

Last night the corps received a great score of 77.350 in Monroe. The corps will be in Monroe for the next couple of days, then will leave for the housing site in Oklahoma on Friday. Then they will head to Omaha, Nebraska for Drums Across Nebraska on Saturday Night.

Oklahoma housing site:
Bethany High School
6623 N. Mueller Dr.
Bethany, OK

Omaha housing:
Benson High School
5120 Maple Street
Omaha, NE

Show Site for Saturday:
Buell Staduim - Millard South HS
14905 Q Street
Omaha, NE

The Scores continue to rise

Last night at the Drums Across Cajun field in Lafayette, the corps. received a score of 77.1! Once again the show was great, as they continue to improve on the new movements added to the show during their week in Kerrville.

Today the corps is headed for Monroe, Louisiana for the Battle on the Bayou.

Housing and Show Site:
UL Monroe
308 Stadium Dr.
Monroe, LA 71209

The corps will stay in Monroe on Wednesday and Thursday for rehearsal before making their way north to Omaha (and hopefully cooler weather!)

Back home in San Antonio

The hard work this past week in Kerrville really paid off as the corps received their highest score yet - a 74.5 at the DCI show in San Antonio. It was a great performance and a chance for the corps to show off some new moves. This morning the corps had a rehearsal, then had some free time this afternoon at the River Walk.


Right now the corps is back on the buses and headed to Lafayette, LA for Drums Across Cajun Field on Monday evening.

Housing Site:
Westgate High School
2305 Jefferson Island Rd.
New Liberia, LA 70560

Show Site:
Cajun Field - University of Louisiana
201 Rinehardt Drive
Lafayette, LA 70506

Thanks to all the parents who helped out this past week in both Kerrville and San Antonio. We have another mom who has now joined the tour, which will be a tremendous help.

There are still tour fees outstanding, so please get those in as soon as possible.

Kerrville, Texas!

Things have been real great for us in our "home away from home" location in Kerrville. With access to the main football stadium, cleaning continues as we add in new mello player Nate First and make changes to the production. We will be opening the rehearsal to the community and to the parents for the evening block so you can come on out eat dinner and visit your family member before the big show on Saturday. Daily blog post will resume when we hit the road for the final 3 weeks of the season on Sunday. Stay posted to the blog and message boards for the next few days schedule as we work through many obstacles. MANY OF YOU STILL OWE FEES! PLEASE GET THOSE IN BEFORE WE LEAVE AS IT MAKES FOR A MUCH SMOOTHER TRIP FOR THE ENTIRE CORPS! Special thanks to all those parents and supportors that have gone above and beyond the call to make this season truly special! This has never felt like more of a family than this year and I could not be prouder of the members, parents, and staff - regardless of the season outcome in Indy, THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT SEASON! See you this weekend!

Friday Afternoon Sch:
Dinner block = 5:30pm to 6:45pm (Dinner plates on sale to public)
Ensemble Block = 6:45 to 9:45

Houston Show

Revolution YPA
P.O. Box 15950
San Antonio, TX 78212

The Houston show was a great success. The corps looked and sounded great, and the audience was very receptive. Thanks to all the parents who answered the call to bring fresh fruits and vegetables as well as some yummy dessert mixes. After the show, the corps members dined on pizza and visited with parents who made the trip to Houston.

The corps will be leaving Houston tomorrow and head to one of our favorite housing sites: Calvary Temple Church in Kerrville. It's a great facility with a full commercial kitchen, which will make the cooks very happy! In Kerrville, the corps will fine tune the show and get ready for the second half of the tour, which begins next Saturday in San Antonio. On Friday, July 17, there will be a Parents/Community Day BBQ at Calvary Temple. More details will be posted later in the week.

The corps is in need of donations of powdered Gatorade. Apparently the big cans of powder are not available at Sam's Club, so they have had a hard time getting them while on tour. If parents can please bring a couple of the large cans to San Antonio or Kerrville, it would be greatly appreciated.

We've had several birthdays during the first two weeks of July, all in the trumpet section. Happy Birthday to:
William Brasher 7/6
Bonifacio Cordero, Jr. 7/12
Joe Andrew Gomez 7/13

Thanks to all the wonderful parents and supporters who have responded to the request to pay tour fees and who have made donations to the corps. Fees still need to be paid as soon as possible, and tax deductible donations are always appreciated. Checks or money orders can be sent to the PO box above, or paid via paypal by using the 'donate today' link on the right.

Heading back to Texas

Revolution YPA
P.O. Box 15950
San Antonio, TX 78212

Today, the corps is in the Tulsa, OK area as they head south for their show in Houston on Saturday.

Many parents are planning to attend the show in Houston. This would be a great opportunity for the parents to bring some fresh items for the corps. It's hard to keep a fresh supply of fruits and vegetables while on the road. Please consider bringing a bag or two of oranges or apples, and perhaps some bag salad mixes with you this weekend. Fresh bananas would be great too, as well as dry cake mixes or dessert mixes since there will be access to ovens over the next couple of weeks.

July 10th - July 13th Housing Information

Cypress Christian School
11123 Cypress N. Houston Rd.
Houston, TX 77065

July 10th - Corps Concert (At Housing Site with GSC, Memphis, and Revolution)

July 11th - Brass on the Bayou Show!7pm
WW Thorne Stadium
1715 Aldine Bender Rd
Houston, TX
http://www.gulfcoastsound.org/brassonthebayou04.html

Thanks to all who have responded to the blog regarding the financial issue the corps is facing. We still need outstanding tour fees to be paid as soon as possible. Tour fees or donations can be mailed to the P.O. Box above, or you can click on the 'donate now' link on the right.

Chicago!

Revolution YPA
P.O. Box 15950
San Antonio, TX 78212


Today the corps traveled to Chicago for a few hours of free time. Some of the kids went to the Navy Pier, while others stayed downtown. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the sites of Chicago as well as some famous Chicago Pizza! It was a nice break from rehearsing and performing and gave the kids and staff some well deserved fun time. One of the baritone players needed an explanation between White Sox and White Socks! The weather was very comfortable, unlike our 100+ degree days we've had here in Texas.

The corps is now on the buses and headed for Kansas, where they will stop for the night and rehearse tomorrow. They will be making their way back to Texas in the next few days for a performance in Houston next Saturday.

Don't forget to send those tour fees in! The corps still needs funds to complete the second half of the tour season. You can send fees or make a tax deductible donation by clicking on the "DONATE TODAY" button on the right, or mail your donations to Revolution YPA, P.O. Box 15950, San Antonio, TX 78212

Awesome performance!

Last night the corps received a score of 69.9 at the Spectacle of Music in South Milwaukee. The show continues to get better and better.

The corps is rehearsing today at Cudahy High School, and will leave this evening to head to Cedarburg, WI for the show tomorrow night.

The weather has been great, in the 70's during the day. Lake Michigan is just a 100 yards or so away, and the corps will be taking a walk later today around the lake so they can enjoy more of the scenery.

South Milwaukee, WI

Location: Cudahy High School, 4950 South Lake Drive, Cudahy, WI 53110

It is definatly good to be back as school we know. This will be a return trip to this school location and we will spend the next two days here with the Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps. The show tonight should be a good one as we will once again get a new panel of judges to give us thier impressions of our show. The next six days travel times will be relatively short and a welcome logistical relief.

Show Site: South Milwaukee High School Stadium, 901 15th Ave. South Milwaukee, WI 53172

Decatur, IN

Location: Bishop Dwenger High School, 1300 E Washington Center Rd, Fort Wayne, IN

The corps scored a 65.5 last night in Erie as we once again saw a new panel of judges. At this point in the season it is about getting seen and getting clean, there is still much to add to this show (Pre-show, Movement, Flags, etc.)! We have headed back to Decatur and will have a much needed rehearsal day before leaving to South Milwaukee for the show on July 1st.

Erie, PA

Location: Mercyhurst North East Campus, 16 W. Division Street, North East, PA 16428

No rain out last Night! At the Waves of Thunder in Decatur, Indiana, Revolution received a score of 68.5! Congratulations on a fine performance! While the judges want to see more of the 4 elements of the show they do appreciate the high level that all sections are performing. There is a DCP thread that gives a play by play of the show.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=126057&st=60

The corps is currently in Erie, PA having arrived there early this morning after a fuel stop by all the vehicles. We will rehearse and hope that tonight's show does not get rained out. 50% chance of showers come show time. The best news is though that they are in much cooler weather than this 100+ degree Texas heat!

Show Site: McDowell’s Gus Anderson Field, 3580 W 38th Street, Erie, PA

Rain Out

Location: Bishop Dwenger High School 1300 E Washington Center Rd, Fort Wayne, IN

The show last night was rained out.  While we did get to perform and get judges tapes we were not given a score.  The performance continues to improve as the members get more confident in their show.  Today's weather is nice and cool and hopefully NO RAIN OUT!!!!!!

Show:

Bob Worthman Stadium - Decatur H.S. 

1000 E. North Adams Drive 
Decatur, IN 46733

On to show #2

Location: Brooks Middle School, 350 Blair Lane, Bolingbrook, IL 60440

The corps had a wonderful stay in Lamoni. The folks there were so friendly, and even Carlos made a new 'friend' that literally chased him around. Woof, Woof, Carlos!

After a terrific performance at Graceland University last night for the great folks in Lamoni, the corps boarded the buses and headed for their second show tonight in Naperville, IL. We will post their score from tonight's performance as soon as it is available. GOOD LUCK, REVOLUTION!

Show site: Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium - North Central College, 455 South Brainard Street,  Naperville, IL 60540

Great first show!

Revolution 65.300

Congratulations!! The season is off to a great start! Even with first show jitters, missing plumes and borrowed pit carts the corps still put on a great show! This is the highest June debut score in Corps history!

The corps will be doing a show for the town of Lamoni today at Graceland University at the request of the residents of the town. Lamoni has been very receptive and has taken the corps under their wing. Graceland University donated water and gatorade and offered the corps the use of their field to practice on. The city of Lamoni has been very good to our corps!

West Des Moines, IA - (First Show)

Location: Lamoni High School -202 N. Walnut Street, Lamoni, IA 50140

The corps arrived in Iowa last night after leaving Kansas during some heavy thunderstorms. The Walmart stop was finally completed last night and they have their first show this afternoon. We will post scores and results as soon as they are available. GOOD LUCK!!

Show Site: West Des Moines Valley Stadium, 4440 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266

Kansas City, KS

Location:
Wyandotte High School
2501 Minnesota
Kansas City, KS 66102

The corps has arrived in Kansas City and will once again be putting on a clinic for the students at our host school. The corps continues to get a little better as we learn to adjust to life on the road and deal with all the tour madness. First show is tommorrow so the group will be doing uniform runs today to get better prepared.

On The Road Again!

Location:
Spring Creek Baptist Church
11701 N. MacArthur Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK 73162

The Corps is officially on the road and Tour 2009 is in full swing! EVERYONE was glad to get out of TX and get this show on the road! While we have not escaped the heat it is nice to get away and see a different location. We had bus issues last night (Late/missing seat/Storage Bays) that pushed our departure back but we managed to make it all work and get on the road. We are very grateful to the Akins HS housing site for our wonderful 2 week stay.

Menu:
Breakfast: Cold Cereal with Bananas
Lunch: Enchilada Cassarole
Dinner: Spagetti with Meat Sauce

2009 Texas Drum Corps Preview

The corps performed last night at the drum corps preview on the steps of the Texas Capital here in Austin. They were nothing short of amazing. They sounded great, and looked sharp in their Revo Under Armour and black shorts. As hot as it's been here lately, their uniforms would just be too uncomfortable.

After their performance, many in the audience (and not just Revo supporters) were on their feet cheering for the corps. John Rodriguez received the following email today:

"I just returned home from watching the Texas Drum Corps preview. What a great surprise to hear the corps this year! The hornline may be smaller than The Crossmen but your hornline put out much more power and better quality sound. Your arrangers have done a great job with the musical program this year. I can't wait to see the show on the field. I was in Madison cherring for Revolution with my little Texas flag in hand the year that Revolution won the Divison 2 championships. Good luck this season!"

Today was laundry day for the corps, and tomorrow they will rehearse and get ready to hit the road. What a great two weeks this has been! I'm so proud of what the corps and the staff has accomplished, and I am truly in awe of these fine young men and women.

The heat continues

The past few days have been miserably hot, but the corps continues to work hard on the show. It's really rewarding to see how the corps. has grown not only in their musical abilities, but personally as well. The members have really become a family unit over the past week and a half. It's great to hear them giving each other encouragement and motivating each other to continue on.

We made a mail run this week, and quite a few members received letters and cards from home. Please remember to check the blog and website for the next mail drop.

Don't forget about the Texas Drum Corps Preview this Saturday at the Capital. Hope to see you there!

The heat is on!

The corps continues to work hard on the show. They are now working on the third movement and are doing great.

It's been very hot and humid for the past couple of days, so there have been a few dehydration issues. The staff is keeping a close eye on the kids and are encouraging them to drink lots of fluids. The staff has also reminded the corps that if they aren't feeling well, to let a staff member know immediately so appropriate action can be taken.

Last night the corps moved from the gym into the Akins band hall due to a basketball tournament taking place this week. While the boys were gathering their belongings on their side of the gym, a small field mouse ran out from under a suit case. (Akins High School is in a rural area so there are a few critters around). You never heard a group of boys scream so much in your life! Meanwhile, the girls are trying to catch the mouse and commenting on how cute it is. So much for being macho, guys!

We have three birthdays to celebrate in the next couple of days. Aaron who is in the color guard is celebrating his birthday on June 12, while Tommy with the front ensemble and Norihito who is on snare drum both celebrate theirs on June 13. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF YOU!

Oh, and one more thing - if you want to know how many trips to the store one has to make in order to fix mashed potatoes, ask Sheri. And we're taking instant mashed potatoes! Sheri ended up having to go to the store twice! Uh, Sheri, next time read directions on the box before you leave the store.

The show is taking shape

It's amazing how much work the corps can do in a 24 hour period. The difference between last evening and this evening is incredible. The intro and ballad are done. It looks and sounds phenomenal, and it's only been a few days! By the time they get to Indy for the finals, it will indeed be a masterpiece.

Rehearsal was cut short this evening due to some severe storms that moved through Austin. Everyone marched from the field and into the Akins gym where they were treated to birthday cake. Ashley, one of the members of the guard, is 19 today. It's also Ashley's mom's birthday as well, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY to both of you!

Today's bone head move of the day is brought to us by Dan. He locked the key inside the band director's office. This isn't just any key, it's the only master key the corps has to get into the different areas of the school. Lucky for Dan the Akins band director is a really nice guy and came to the rescue. It's OK, Dan. We still love you!

Rehearsal-Day 2

There are a lot of sore feet and sore bodies, but overall the kids are doing great. Parent volunteers are keeping everyone well fed and are making sure everyone is eating a well balanced diet, including their veggies. Some of the kids commented that the parent volunteers sound like their own parents at home: "I don't see any vegetables on your plate!"

The Akins High School head band director was on site for a brief time today and watched the drum line for a bit. He was very impressed and commented on how great they sounded.

Mark your calendars for the Texas Drum Corps Preview on June 20 at the State Capital in Austin. The performances start at 7:30pm. And don't forget to drop a note or card in the mail for your child. A few words of encouragement from home can do wonders!

The 2009 Season has begun!

This evening, the corps settled into their new home for the next two weeks, Akins High School in South Austin. The corps will begin rehearsals tomorrow.

The kids seem to be very excited and can't wait to get to work. Crhistian Salinas said he is "excited to be here, it's a new experience." Second year vet Adam Castaneda is "a little nervous but pretty excited overall."

James Haynes spent the evening walking around the school wearing one of the new uniform hats. He wanted to get a good feel for the hat and also wanted to make sure the Velcro holding the star on would take the abuse of marching on the field. He gave it two thumbs up!

I'll be updating the blog every few days until the tour starts, so check back for the latest news!

by Connie Gaddy

It begins ~ Summer 2009

Well the time has once again come for the summer season! Revolution capped it's camp season this past weekend with a family potluck and corps concert and the stage is set for a great 10th anniversary! Once again this blogger will follow the corps while we hit the road and provide daily updates for those of us at home wanting to share in the summer expirence! Stay posted as we do weekly updates on the Spring Training (All Days) before hitting the road to Indianapolis for the Drum Corps International World Championships!