Austin Stars Drum and Bugle Corps

The Austin Stars Drum and Bugle Corps is an all-age drum corps based in Austin, Texas and sponsored by VFW Post 8787. The corps is scheduled to enter field competition for the 2008 season as a member of the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) circuit in the Class A Division.

History

The Austin Stars Performing Arts Association (ASPAA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in the fall of 2005 by Brent Unger and Evan Morgan, both alumni of Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps. Efforts to form any kind of ensemble in 2006 were postponed when Mr. Morgan, a captain in the U.S. Air Force, was sent to serve in Afghanistan and Mr. Unger toured with the Blue Stars that summer filling in the baritone/euphonium tech position.

In the fall of 2006, planning continued for the 2007 season and their first ensemble was a 6-man brass ensemble. Their debut was at the Texas Drum Corps Preview on June 16, 2007. The brass ensemble performed two more times during that summer at Brass Hysteria in Bedford and Brass On The Bayou in Houston. Evan Morgan returned home safely in late July from his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

In 2008, the corps has grown to approximately 23 members and is producing its first ever production on the marching field entitled "Stars In The Spotlight: On Stage, Screen and Field". The corps will return to performances at the Texas Drum Corps Preview in Austin, Brass Hysteria in Denton, Brass On The Bayou in Houston and will make its first out-of-state trip to Douglasville, Georgia to compete at DCA Rocks The South.

Future

The Austin Stars intend to form a winter guard and winter percussion line and other ensembles of various types over the next 10 to 20 years. Their goal is to make musical and visual performance opportunities available to people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Trivia

The name "Austin Stars" was selected for three reasons:
# Five-point stars can be found all over Austin, especially downtown and at the Texas State Capitol Building.
# Austin is home (or second home) to many "stars" in the entertainment world. The city is known as the "Live Music Capitol of the World" and is famous for its 6th Street district, South by Southwest Music Festival, the popular PBS television program Austin City Limits, and another major music festival by the same name.
# The city of Austin is located in the heart of Texas, where "the stars at night are big and bright," according to the traditional song "Deep in the Heart of Texas."

External links

* [http://www.austinstars.org/ Official Web Site]
* [http://drumcorpswiki.com/Austin_Stars DrumCorpsWiki]