Sacramento Mandarins Drum & Bugle Corps

Calling all Brass Players! The Mandarins Brass Academy is an indoor, non-marching ensemble consisting of trumpets, mellophones, french horns, trombones, baritones, euphoniums and tubas. It is a fun, learning environment dedicated to helping brass players grow in their performance level. The Academy meets one Sunday monthly, from September through February. Choose one of three locations -- Sacramento County, El Dorado County, or Stanislaus County. For more information, see the flyer here.

Robin Cole, the Mandarins' Housing Coordinator and parent of 2010 brass ageout Jared Cole will be providing occasional news and photos from the DCI Tour. Robin meets up with the corps in Dallas, and you can read her latest updates here. The "Virtual Tour" is the next best thing to experiencing tour in person. Thanks, Robin!

Family, friends, and alumni filled the stadium at Cosumnes Oaks High School on June 19 to catch a preview of the Mandarins' 2010 production, To Dream of Far Away Lands. The Mandarins literally "lived" at the school all week for training camp, and wish to thank Principal Patrick McDougall, Band Director Mike Mangonon, and other Cosumnes Oaks administrators for their support. Read more about the camp in the Elk Grove Citizen.

This event was also an opportunity to award twelve corps members a scholarship to offset their summer tour fees. A special thanks to the Nisei Ambassadors Drum & Bugle Corps Alumni for their generous contribution towards the scholarships.

The summer competition season finally returns, with a series of Northern California shows during the last weekend of June. Start with the Mid Cal Tour of Champions in Fresno on Friday June 25, followed by the DCI West Championships in Stanford on June 26, and finish with the Moonight Classic in Stockton on June 27. The Moonlight Classic is sometimes referred to as the Mandarins' "Home Show", so we'd like all local Sacramento fans to come and enjoy a great evening of pageantry. See you in the stadium!

Drum Corps International has published the latest issue of their DCI.NOW e-Newsletter.

Under warm and sunny skies, the Mandarins performed selections from their 2010 production, "To Dream of Far Away Lands" at the Pacific Rim Street Fest, in Old Sacramento on Sunday, May 23. Prior to performing, the corps led a small parade of festival dignitaries to the stage. The Street Fest is a celebration of California's Asian Pacific heritage and has been an annual Mandarins event for 18 years.

On February 6th 2010, after a 12-year hiatus, the Sacramento Mandarins returned a performance group to the winterguard season, to a very excited Modesto crowd! The members are having a great time keeping up their “chops” and putting together a crowd-pleasing production set to an acapella Michael Jackson medley by Sam Tsui.

The season seemed to pass much too quickly, ending with an exhibition at the California Color Guard Circuit Championships, on April 3. Many Guard Academy memers will now transition to the Mandarins' summer program. Look for the Academy to return in the Fall. Program Coordinator Gregory Mar said, "Congrats on a great season, and thank you for being a part of bringing back the Mandarins to the winter stage!"

The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Elk Grove, CA is the Preferred Hotel of the Sacramento Mandarins. Perfect for our out-of-area staff, members, and parents who travel to Sacramento for camps and other Mandarins events. Corps Members (only) who wish to arrive the evening before a camp may contact Housing Coordinator Robin Cole; she can recommend people willing to house you that evening.

The rooms have two queen-size beds and a complementary breakfast is included, all for only $69 plus tax ($77 per night) room rate. Mention that you are with the Sacramento Mandarins, to enjoy this special rate.

The hotel is located at 9175 W. Stockton Blvd., right off Highway 99 and the Laguna Blvd. exit in Elk Grove, CA. Restaurants, shopping, and theatres are close by. You can reach the Hotel Front Desk at (916) 478-9000.

Thank you to the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites - Elk Grove, for supporting the Mandarins!

Auditions and interviews for the 2010 Sacramento Mandarins drum major positions were recently conducted during the corps’ January camp. Leadership and conducting sessions were included as part of this process. Saturday evening had all the candidates conducting the brass line during ensemble rehearsal; Sunday morning consisted of interviews with the caption heads and corps management. The Mandarins are pleased to announce the 2010 Drum Majors: Chris Honda and Boyce Jefferies Jr.

Chris Honda is a Senior at Ponderosa High School. Chris currently plays bass trombone for Ponderosa's Jazz Band and lead trombone for their Symphonic Band and was also the drum major of the Marching Band this past fall season. He plans on attending either Sacramento State, Fresno State, or Brigham Young University next fall as a Music Education major. Chris marched the previous two years as a member of the Mandarins euphonium line.

Boyce Jeffries Jr. will be in his first season with the Sacramento Mandarins. Boyce is currently finishing his first year at California State University – Sacramento where he is pursuing a degree in Music Education. Boyce attended Galt High School from 2005 to 2009 where he participated in the marching band, drumline, and winter percussion. After his four years, he received numerous awards, and actively served many positions in the Galt High School Student Band Council.

On a blustery but sunny morning, the Mandarins got into the spirit of the season by marching in the Sacramento Santa Parade. Part 27-year tradition and part Mandarins Family Reunion, the parade brought former and current corps members and Mandarins Brass Academy members together to spread holiday cheer along the parade route. Nearly 80 groups performed, with the best saved for last -- Santa Claus and his horse-drawn sleigh, led by the Mandarins performing Russian Christmas Music. See additional photos here.

The Mandarins held their annual end-of-year banquet on Friday, November 27 at the Dante Club. Corps members received their 2009 and DCI Quarterfinals patches, and a yearbook DVD. If you were unable to attend the banquet, contact Mr. Mar for your yearbook copy. Awards were presented to our ageouts: Tammy Petborisooth, Michael Flores, Mai Adachi, Johnny Crespo, Carson Gantt, William Winston II, Louie Sosa, Caleb Kondor, Santiago Sabado, Stewart Rosen, Akari Yanada, Jon Boo, and Rick Mano.

Corps Members voted Santiago Sabado as the Outstanding Corps Member of 2009. The Outstanding Member award, also known as the Joe Fong Award, is presented annually in memory of Joe Fong, our outstanding member of 1976 who lost his life in a car accident. Past award recipients are Mark Dong-1977, Karen Jong-1978, Ron Lam-1980, Dan Fong-1981, Felicia Louie-1982, Kim Wong-1983, Ken Yee-1984, Donald Yee-1985, Laurie Yee-1986, Greg Mar-1987, Curtis Mar-1988, Rodney Wong-1989, Bruce Fong-1990, Claudia Fong-1991, Vance Kitaoka-1982, Michael Yee-1993, Robert Yung-1984, Jason Jong-1995, Kevin Chow-1996, Sean Mar-1997, Jeff Buell-1998, Jill Sturgess-1999, Josh Vogelsang-1999, Jonathan Arevalo-2000, Fernando Vargas-2001, Courtney Ginn-2002, Amy Inouye-2003, Megan Munoz-2004, Andrew Heathman-2005, Jacquelyn Wong-2006, Anna Keck-2007, and Jessica Gonzalez-2008

The Sacramento Mandarins recently announced their 2010 management team. Ray Mar will assume the position of Executive Director, responsible for the overall operation, management and direction of the organization. Jim Tabuchi has been appointed to the role of Corps Director. In his new position he is responsible for member recruiting, staff development, facility management, development of alternate funding sources, the Mandarins Scholarship Program and alumni and community outreach. This arrangement will insure the corps' long term success and adherence to the corps' philosophy of "Celebrating Youth, Transforming Lives", while at the same time giving the necessary attention to all the daily tasks that come with running a DCI World Class drum corps.

Ray Mar stated. "I've known Jim for a long time now, and given his drum corps and management background, he is a perfect fit for his new role in the organization. He will do a great job in making sure we run smoothly and efficiently, especially as the corps continues to grow." Jim Tabuchi responded by saying "I have been involved with the Mandarins since the late 70s as a marching member, brass instructor and parent of kids in the corps. The Mandarins values have played a huge part in my life and I look forward to this opportunity to give back to those following in our footsteps. I am confident that Ray and I will make a great team as the Mandarins take the next step forward in our development as a World Class drum corps."

Ray Mar, or "Mr. Mar", as he is known to the marching members, enters his 27th year as the leader of the Mandarins. He started his involvement as a parent booster in 1982 and became corps director in 1983. At the time, the corps was in the midst of a rebuilding period and was functioning solely as a parade corps. Under Ray’s leadership, the Mandarins returned to the field in 1984 and made an appearance at the DCI Championships in 1986. While narrowly missing finals that year, the experience provided a base upon which to build for the future. The Mandarins went on to win eight DCI World Championships including seven in Division III and one in Division II in 2001. The corps was also twice awarded the prestigious Spirit of Disney award, signifying outstanding achievement in educational and entertainment programs for youth. Under Ray’s direction, the Mandarins entered the Division One ranks, making a successful debut in 2003.

Jim Tabuchi marched in the Mandarins and the Seattle Imperials as a lead soprano, mellophone and flugelhorn in the late 70s and early 80s and is known as one of the first non-Chinese members of the Mandarins. He went on to earn Electrical Engineering and MBA degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Washington, respectively. He then worked at Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies and held numerous positions such as the Asia Region Manager, Business Development Manager, Worldwide Marketing Manager and Strategic Planning Manager. He then entered early retirement, which allows him to spend more time on his passion – the Mandarins. Jim continues to perform as a trumpet player and most recently was on the brass staff from 2005 until present. Jim is married to Jo Ann and has twin boys who are members of the Mandarins Brass line.

Look for more staff and program announcements in the coming weeks. For real time updates, check the Mandarins on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/dcimandarins

Rob Stewart, of KVIE Public Television, produces "Rob on the Road", which discovers stories that capture the unique spirit of Northern California. Rob visited the Mandarins at one of their last rehearsals before DCI tour, and interviewed Brass instructor and Mandarins Brass Academy head Jim Tabuchi. See Rob's video here.

The Mandarins' Strength & Conditioning guru, Christopher DaPrato, DPT, CSCS presents a series of conditioning and wellness tips for corps members and anyone else who is interested in his/her overall health. Download Christopher's monthly tips as follows, in Word format.

The World Class ensembles of Drum Corps International have come together to bring new options, new features and new digital content directly to fans, adding to the largest collection of online drum corps media anywhere!

Drum Corps International and the Mandarins are incredibly pleased to announce the return and expansion of one of the most ambitious Web-based undertakings since DCI's founding some 37 years ago. The Mandarins, along with the other DCI World Class corps have come together in a collaborative effort to take the wraps off of the totally redesigned and wildly expanded “Fan Network,” which now gives fans of drum corps across the world the chance to enjoy a spectacular, dizzying array of media options unlike anything ever offered before. Featuring unlimited and exclusive access to ALL of the action from the Mandarins and ALL of the World Class corps on the 2009 Drum Corps International Tour, great new features will help you catch every note of the excitement. But that's just the beginning!

Giving you ultimate access to the Mandarins and the other World Class corps of DCI… At your fingertips… 24 hours a day…

Organized into several different content sections, the Fan Network is set up for easy viewing and direct access to all available digital assets from the Mandarins and the other participating corps.

Spotlight ’09 & Off the Field (FREE viral videos) • Daily features, with up-to-the-minute exclusive drum corps news and entertaining glimpses from the 2009 DCI Tour • Exclusive backstage features posted from “embedded” corps video crews crisscrossing the country as they take to the road with the Mandarins and other corps. Now offered absolutely FREE to all drum corps fans for 2009!

On Demand ’09 & On the Field (subscription based) • Webcasts from select 2009 DCI Tour events tentatively scheduled for Annapolis, MD; Stanford, CA; Denver, CO; San Antonio, TX; Atlanta, GA and Indianapolis, IN … subject to change with the addition of more events • Post-show replay available for on-demand viewing of complete corps performances from select locations – including all Webcast events and more • Unlimited access to the entire Drum Corps International audio/video vault – including all of the Top 12 World Championship performances since 1974 • Audio and Video downloads of your all-time favorite performances – from “the classics” to the current day

Your favorite Fan Network features in a new user-friendly interface…

Fan Network programmers have been hard at work during the off-season developing a new user-interface to give fans the ultimate online drum corps experience. Among some of the new features you'll see: • A streamlined browsing experience to access and switch between your favorite corps channels with ease • Improved video filtering and search functionality • BIGGER and better video quality

Now available in two affordable subscription options…

The $39 Fan Network Subscription will give you access to Video on Demand of corps performances from select 2009 events, access to all current-year and historical video archives, discounts on audio and video downloads, in addition to all of the free content provided by your favorite corps.

The $59 Fan Network Plus Subscription will give you all of the great features of a regular subscription, PLUS access to all live Webcasts of some of Drum Corps International’s biggest events, and more!

The new Mandarins Fan Network gives you complete access to this impressive display of media content for 365 days a year. Can't get enough drum corps action? Well, NOW is the time to join! And, when you subscribe through the Mandarins Website, the corps receives a percentage of the subscription fee.

Check it out -- and subscribe today to some incredible drum corps content, while helping the Mandarins at the same time!

If your are marching with us in 2011, you and/or your supporters can work your required three Bingo shifts now, even before you join!

To support the Corps, all members are required to work 3 bingo shifts within 60 days of joining the corps. Bingo is our main fundraiser. Remember that to put you on the field will take several thousand dollars beyond what you will pay. Bingo provides that money.

Our bingo sessions are every week on Saturday afternoons and Monday evenings. A shift is about 5 hours long, and you work with other members and volunteers. You must be 18 or older to work in the Bingo Hall. If you are under 18, family members and friends who are over 18 can work for you.

After you work your required 3 sessions, you can earn travel credits for each full session that you or your supporters work that will help defray your Tour and Participation Fee.

To get more information, download the 2009 Membership Packet here.To schedule your Bingo, you must call or email our Bingo Manager, Janet Wong, BEFORE you work. Her email is janbucky@comcast.net, and her phone number is (916) 421-4052.

Most of us find working bingo to be an enjoyable time. And the more sessions you work, the more credit you earn! Call or email now!

Sacramento Magazine hosted the Best of Sacramento Party in November at the Sacramento Convention Center, showcasing subscribers' picks for best local restaurants, entertainment, personalities, specialty shops, service providers, and more. The Mandarins won the Best Bang for Your Buck award. Over 7,400 attendees sampled various foods, drinks, and the Mandarins' performance. The corps was featured as one of the evening's highlights and were pleased to participate in this event, where $235,000 was raised for the March of Dimes.

If you wish to have a visit at your school by our Mandarins Recruitment Team, contact Dan Fong at dkfongod@yahoo.com. A short video presentation followed by a question and answer period is available to all students in your performing arts program. Arrangements can be made to best suit your school schedule.

We need the help of parents, alumni, and supporters to help staff our Bingo games. Bingo funds the expense of operating a world-class, touring champion drum and bugle corps. Even with our all-volunteer Administrative Staff, it takes lots of money to support the Mandarins' winter training and summer competition programs.

Please volunteer to help at our Monday evening and/or Saturday afternoon games, held at the Mayhew Bingo Center, 9333 Tech Center Drive, near Folsom Blvd, and Highway 50. It's fun, plus you'll get the satisfaction of knowing your participation helps sustain our unique youth activity. Friends and alumni are welcome to help, too! No experience necessary, because we will train you.

Please contact Bingo Manager Janet Wong for times and scheduling. Thanks in advance, for your help!