Tempe, AZ United States
Founded: 2001
The Academy drum & bugle corps was originally called “The Academy Brass & Percussion Ensemble” and sponsored by the Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts. Planning for the corps began in 2001 with the formation of a board of directors. Performing standstill concerts in 2001 and 2002, the corps added a bit of marching in 2003 and a color guard in 2004. The corps became competitive in 2004, changing their name to “The Academy”.
The corps' first competitive performance took place in June 2004, in Stockton. Although the corps' 2004 season and tour were relatively short, they remained undefeated in “Division II” during that summer. Academy's uniforms were all black, with a large black "A" on a red background on their back. The 117-member corps performed a program of brass chamber music in their inaugural “Division II” competition.
A unique fundraising inducement, in a program called "Be Instrumental," was the offer to engrave benefactors' names on the brass instruments bought with the benefactors' $2500 donations. The following season saw the corps remain undefeated as they travelled out of state, appearing at the infamous “Drums Along the Rockies” for the first time.
The Corps' first national tour occurred in 2006. With their first ever finals performance they won the Spirit of Disney award, high brass, corps director of the year, and even the DCI “Division II” championship title. In the fall of 2006, they announced they would embark in “Division I” competition for the 2007 season. In their first season of “Division I” standing in 2007, Academy came out strong, placing 13th at the DCI “World Class” semifinals.
The following year, the corps fell out of the semifinalist position, finishing 18th in the quarterfinals. In 2009, “The Academy” was named the official drum and bugle corps of the City of Tempe and performed outside University of Phoenix Stadium prior to the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIX and at the NFL Experience, "an interactive theme park of all things football". They bounced back as a DCI semifinalist with a 14th place finish.
From 2010 to 2015, the corps was a consistent semifinalist at the DCI championships, placing between 14th to 19th position, including three 15th place finishes. In 2016, the Academy had their most successful season since moving to “World Class”, placing in the top 12 at all three DCI regionals. At the DCI championships, the Academy placed 11th, becoming the first corps to make its Finals debut since 2002.
From 2017 to 2019, they returned to semifinalist status with placings from 14th to 15th over the course of those few years before the pandemic in 2020 which halted operations. The parent organization Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts also sponsors summer and winter color guard programs for youth aged 5-14 and provided a home for Phenom, a summer marching band that participated in DCI's SoundSport until becoming a completely independent organization in 2019. The corps, however, was not successful in getting off the ground and disbanded.
The 2020 season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The corps passed on most of the non-competitive 2021 season, performing only at the Indianapolis Finals. The corps resumed competition in 2022 with a 16th placing at the DCI Semifinals and an 18th position finish in 2023.
Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts; Drum Corps World (multiple issues), A History of Drum & Bugle Corps, Vol. 2; Steve Vickers, ed.; DCI Today, Spring '04, p.13; Dave Strickler; Drum Corps
International; Paul Legault (DCX)
Highest Score 0.000
Final show in DCX Archives July 15, 2002 Phoenix AZ
Highest Score 0.000
Final show in DCX Archives July 6, 2003 Southwest Corps Connection Phoenix AZ
Highest Score 75.650
Final show in DCX Archives July 25, 2004 Southwest Corps Connection II Phoenix AZ
Highest Score 84.250
Final show in DCX Archives July 16, 2005 Drums Along the Rockies Denver CO placed 1 with a score of 83.450
Highest Score 96.125
Final show in DCX Archives August 12, 2006 DCI World Championships - Division II & III Finals Madison WI placed 1 with a score of 95.625
Highest Score 84.975
Final show in DCX Archives August 10, 2007 DCI World Championships Semifinals Pasadena CA placed 13 with a score of 84.500
Highest Score 78.900
Final show in DCX Archives August 7, 2008 World Class Quarterfinals Bloomington IN placed 18 with a score of 78.850
Highest Score 83.900
Final show in DCX Archives August 7, 2009 DCI World Championships World Class Semifinals Indianapolis IN placed 14 with a score of 83.750
Highest Score 84.250
Final show in DCX Archives August 13, 2010 World Class Semifinals Indianapolis IN placed 14 with a score of 84.050
Highest Score 84.100
Final show in DCX Archives August 12, 2011 DCI World Championship Semifinals Indianapolis IN placed 15 with a score of 82.650
Highest Score 81.900
Final show in DCX Archives August 10, 2012 DCI World Championship Semifinals Indianapolis IN placed 15 with a score of 81.900
Highest Score 80.550
Final show in DCX Archives August 9, 2013 DCI World Championship Semifinals Indianapolis IN placed 19 with a score of 78.200
Highest Score 81.875
Final show in DCX Archives August 8, 2014 DCI World Championship Semifinals Indianapolis IN placed 16 with a score of 81.875
Highest Score 81.825
Final show in DCX Archives August 7, 2015 DCI World Championship Semifinals Indianapolis IN placed 15 with a score of 81.825
Highest Score 87.225
Final show in DCX Archives August 13, 2016 DCI World Championship Finals Indianapolis IN placed 11 with a score of 86.100
Highest Score 84.188
Final show in DCX Archives August 11, 2017 DCI World Championship Semifinals presented by Earasers Indianapolis IN placed 14 with a score of 84.188
Highest Score 84.563
Final show in DCX Archives August 10, 2018 DCI World Championship Semifinals Indianapolis IN United States placed 15 with a score of 84.563
Highest Score 84.300
Final show in DCX Archives August 9, 2019 DCI World Championship Semifinals Indianapolis IN United States placed 15 with a score of 84.300
Highest Score 0.000
Final show in DCX Archives August 14, 2021 DCI Celebration - Indianapolis Indianapolis IN United States
Highest Score 82.488
Final show in DCX Archives August 12, 2022 DCI World Championship Semifinals Indianapolis IN USA placed 16 with a score of 82.200
Highest Score 82.650
Final show in DCX Archives August 11, 2023 DCI Semifinals Indianapolis IN United States placed 18 with a score of 82.500
Highest Score 82.175
Final show in DCX Archives August 9, 2024 DCI World Class Semi-Finals Indianapolis IN placed 18 with a score of 82.175
Member Name | Section | Years Involved |
---|---|---|
Bierwas, Danny | Drumline | 2004 |
Blum, Ashlin | Trumpet | 2004 |
Boe, Zachary | Trumpet | 2007 |
Brewster, Seth | Trumpet | 2014 to 2015; 2017 |
Britton, Hunter | Contra | 2018 |
Cobbett, Jared | Contra | 2006 |
Cobbett, Jared | BottomLine | 2006 to 2009 |
Cohen-Joppa, Emma | Brass - Baritone | 2004 |
Gryniewicz, Tony | Contra | 2003 to 2004 |
Henderson, Ben | Mellophone | 2004 |
Lee, Alex | Tenors | 2003 to 2004 |
McCrea, Drew | Percussion- Bass Line | 2003 |
Mead, Ryan | Euphonium | 2016 to 2017 |
Morgan, Benjamin | Trumpet | 2021 to 2022 |
Orrantia, Danny | Drum Major | 2003 |
Pasteur, Chris | Baritone | 2002 |
Puckett, Ethan | Euphonium | 2021 to 2022 |
Ronan, Kevin | Contra | 2001 to 2003 |
Shillings, Erin | Pit | 2001 to 2004 |
Simon, Natan | trumpet | 2003 |
Sutton, Jonathan | Bass | 2003 |
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