The summer of 2024 offered a brand-new experience for Sunrisers.
Of course, that’s true for all corps participating in the DCI All-Age classification, as last summer served as the inaugural season for their respective division as part of the Drum Corps International Summer Tour.
But in addition for the Sunrisers, 2024 was the corps’ first time on tour since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were all learning from that experience,” director David Hobart said, “working through the policies, procedures, making sure that we’re up to date with everything we need to be up to date with. The members and staff embraced the challenge, and that’s why we’re seeing even more momentum this year."
Year one of the reboot is in the books. Year two is full speed ahead.
Sunrisers’ 2025 production, “Move” — a program that’s “all about that basic principle of movement,” according to program coordinator Ken Kamping — will incorporate engaging music and colorful visual elements to ring in the New York corps’ second year as part of DCI’s All-Age Class.
And the aim, Kamping said, is that “Move” will capitalize on what he sees as a corps membership that is growing both in size and in talent.
"The expectation level is very high," Kamping said. "We’re constantly growing, constantly trying to get better, and I think everyone’s on board for the right reasons."
According to Hobart and Kamping alike, as an All-Age organization, the corps has been able to take a unique approach to recruiting and membership-building in recent years.
Beneficiaries of a large, thriving marching band hotbed on Long Island, the Sunrisers have been able to walk in step with their local community to serve as the drum corps home for many students from a younger age bracket.
"We started out last year with the premise that we’re here to help build the marching arts across Long Island," Hobart said. "We bring performers in, train them, and send them back to their programs stronger. That creates a great synergy between us and local directors, many of whom are on our staff."
"Many of our kids talk like they’re all in a big group chat together," Kamping added. "They all know each other, so it’s really like, ‘Hey, you have friends in another group? Come march with them.’ That built-in camaraderie fuels our growth."
And as Kamping described, those members are quite excited for the show they’ll be bringing to the field this summer.
"It really has felt like the members are really buying into it," he said. "They’re all over our BAND app, constantly asking, ‘When are we getting this? When are we getting that?’ They’re hungry for it."
"They’re feeding off each other," Hobart added. "They just want to achieve."
Audition for Sunrisers in 2025
Behind the design of “Move”
Musically speaking, Kamping said the show offers a variety of modern selections throughout a high-energy timeline. A first movement that features “Partita for Eight Voices” — written by American composer Caroline Shaw in the early 2010s — will set the tone with a powerful opening statement.
"We have a very strong percussion section this year, so we wanted to make sure we showcase them right away,” Kamping said. “You’re going to be hit in the face with movement and percussion at the beginning of the show."
"From the first note, the field is alive," he added. "The music is layered, the movement is constant, and you can feel the momentum building."
From there, the show will “expand” to explore concepts of momentum and aggression. Utilizing English composer Oliver Davis’ 2022 piece, “2 Pieces for 4 Brothers,” Sunrisers will continue building intensity. Then, for the production’s ballad movement, the show will delve into feelings of “stillness,” offering a complement to the frenetic pace of previous sections.
"What I’m really excited about is, with all this movement and all this energy, the total contrast of movement is stillness," Kamping said. "We actually have a part of our show where there’s no metronome happening — just fermatas, solos, and an atmosphere that draws the audience in. We’re breaking out of the mold and exploring space in a way we’ve never done before."
Finally, the corps’ closing movement — the music for which has not yet been revealed — will offer an “explosive” culmination to all of the sensations explored throughout the production.
"By the end of the show, the entire field transforms," Kamping said. "Our tarps reveal bold directional visuals, the movement is nonstop, and the momentum drives straight to the finish. We’re running, we’re gunning, and we’re throwing everything we have into the final moments."
Sunrisers will debut “Move” early in the summer, kicking off their DCI Tour schedule on June 28 in Shelton, Connecticut.
And when they do, Kamping is confident they’ll be more than ready to hit the ground running.
"We’re not just maintaining — we’re leveling up in every way," he said. "The members are locked in, the energy is high, and we’re ready to push even further."