Angel Mondragon, of Forest, was selected to perform with Southwind Drum and Bugle Corp this summer as part of the Drum Corps International (DCI) Open Class Circuit.
Mondragon, a member of the trumpet section, is one of 120 members chosen for the drum corps after an exhaustive audition process last winter.
Mondragon was going through the extended Southwind audition while completing his senior year in band at Forest High School. He graduated in May and will attend East Central Community College this fall where he will be first chair trumpet with the Wall O’ Sound Marching Band.
“I first heard about Southwind when I went to a band competition last year and they were passing out information, but I never thought I would make it because they only select a certain number of people,” Mondragon said. “It was really an exciting experience and after the tough audition I was one of the people selected for trumpets.”After being selected for the drum corps, Mondragon attended monthly rehersals held in Mobile throughout the spring.
The competitive season for Southwind began earlier this summer and the drum corps began performing on July 6. By the time their competitive season is complete, members of Southwind who are between the ages of 14 and 21, will have logged over 600 hours of practice time for their performances.
Between July 6 and August 10, the corps performed in 18 compeitions accross 11 different states in the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest. The competition season will culminate at the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis, IN.
When The Scott County Times spoke with Mondragon by telephone he was in Niagara, New York getting ready for a competition.
“Traveling by bus is not all that fun, but we are getting to visit a lot of places I have never been, like today we are in Niagara and I’m really excited about going to Niagara Falls,” he said. “All the traveling is worth it because getting to perform for people all over the country that cheer for you is really amazing.”
Drum and bugle corps stem from the tradition of military marching units and is an team activity that combines high level musical performance with rigorous physical demands. The performance corps consist of brass, percussion and color guard.
Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps is based in Mobile and was established in 1980 as an Open Class drum corps. Southwind was the DCI Open Class Southeastern Champions in 2015 and 2016, and has been DCI Open Class finalist the last two seasons.
