NYMA Announces “Cascades 2009, Beyond Drum Corps”

The Northwest Youth Music Association is pleased to announce that plans for the return of the Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps to World Class Competition in 2009 are well under way. A steering committee headed by Dr. Sal Leone has been formed to begin the process of setting goals, selecting a design team and staff, and a developing a progressive program that will serve the needs of its' members and local music educators for the next decade.

Dr. Leone was the director of the corps in 2000-2005 during the time the corps rose to its preeminence as a top-12 corps in 2002. “I am excited to be back with the corps to help during this thrilling transition, said Dr. Leone. I have assembled a committee of past Cascades supporters who are dedicated to making sure this corps survives and returns even stronger in 2009. Thanks to the past board of directors and Mike Bunjowski, the corps is in better financial shape than it has been for the past 3 years. Now it is up to us to bring back the structure and soul of the corps.”

Members of the steering committee include: Rob Lewis, Mead High School, Spokane, WA; Mark Staley, Cascade High School, Everett, WA; Mike Leone, Hockinson High School, Hockinson, WA; Kurt Jull, Skyview High School, Portland, OR; John Freeman, West Salem High School, Salem, OR; and Pat Davis, Everett, WA.

A special announcement was made at the Cascades' DCI show in Portland on July 8th to kickoff the corps' recruiting program for 2009. The recruiting effort which has been titled, “Cascades 2009, Beyond Drum Corps” will be a concept like the northwest has never experienced. “We wanted a program that would serve the needs of the entire Northwest, said Dr. Leone. We wanted to keep many of the traditions that made the Cascades great but also wanted some new innovative ideas.”

Some of the new concepts will include winter rehearsals within the local community, the involvement of educators and the formation of an executive committee with representatives from all areas of the region, a new centralized location for spring camps in the Yakima Valley, a fun, educational tour and a highly competitive, enjoyable program at DCI major events. If you would like to be part of the staff or volunteer for this exciting program, please contact Dr. Leone. Continue to watch the website, seattlecascades.org, for more information.

The Northwest Youth Music Association encourages development of life-long skills in Northwest youth by supporting musical and performing arts activities in collaboration with community and educational organizations. They are the proud sponsor of the Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps, Brass Attack, and the DCI Portland Summer Games. As a partner in the Rotary Music 4 Life project, they have recently embarked on raising 1,200 musical instruments for the Seattle School District.

The Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps is the longest surviving corps in the Pacific Northwest originating back in 1957 as the Seattle Thunderbirds. Recent acclaim has included the DCI Division III Champions in 2000, the DCI Division II Silver Medal winner in 2001 and the only Northwest corps to ever make finals at the DCI World Championships when they entered the field in Madison, Wisconsin in 2002.