Scouts Vets Flock to Auditions
The post-Thanksgiving journey through the prairie lands of Wisconsin is a yearly ritual for those seeking to be part of the Madison brotherhood. But for some that trip crosses more than just state lines. The Scouts find themselves with a new and rapidly growing fan base in Japan, a hotbed of competitive marching bands and drum corps activity. Fueled by video sharing sites like YouTube, the Madison Scout shows are being seen and shared throughout Japan, creating new fans and new Scouts.
Yuki Itoh, mellophone player, made the long trip from Tokyo for another audition weekend. Entering his fourth season with the Scouts, Yuki was one of 7 members from Japan who marched last season. Tomohiro Hirano was part of a handful of Japanese hopefuls who endured over 24 hours of air travel to make their way to Madison. With his marching experience in the Imperial Sound of Japan, Tomohiro hopes to join the four returning quad members from last year and become a member of the Scouts.For others, the journey was short in distance but long in years. For Will Ehrhardt, lead soprano, it will be his fifth season with the Scouts. Living in nearby Fort Atkinson, Will represents tenure in corps that is becoming increasingly uncommon. “As a vet, my role during auditions has changed. No longer am I focused on just my personal audition. I have to set the example and assist the prospects throughout the process.”
The signature green member jackets of Madison Corps were everywhere this weekend as the Scouts expect to retain close to 90% of their eligible members from last year’s corps. “We anticipated good retention,” stated Jeff Spanos, executive director. “But the actual number of returning vets exceeded those expectations. Having that experience will be a critical foundation as we prepare for our 70th season.”
Robert Skipworth of Glasgow, KY is returning for his third season in the color guard. “I am excited to see such a large turnout of returning members. Last year at this time it was chaotic at best. I feel like we are already light years ahead in terms of experience.”
But not all returning Scouts opted to stay with their primary instrument. For David Von Behren, mellophone veteran, the return of the Madison cymbal line was just too tempting. “I’ve been teaching plates for winter drum line the past couple of years,” said Dave. “When I heard the Scouts would field a cymbal line this year, I just knew I had to be a part of that storied history.”“We are still evaluating the video tapes from our Texas and Indianapolis auditions,” said Dann Petersen, corps director. “But at this point, we still want to evaluate prospects at our December camp. Specifically, we want to look at additional talent in guard, baritone/euphonium and the front ensemble sections. Our color guard program needs to grow dramatically as well, so we will be aggressively recruiting guard throughout the spring WGI season.”
The Scouts will continue their audition process for all sections at their upcoming camp on December 14-16 in Madison, WI. Please contact corps director Dann Petersen to schedule an audition at director@madisonscouts.org.
Fleur de Lis
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Newsletter of the Madison Scouts
