Calgary Stampede Showband looks to “evolving” future as it names its new director

Drum Corps International Hall of Fame member John Meehan has been named the new director of the Calgary Stampede Showband, the Canadian-based marching music ensemble announced earlier this summer.

Meehan, the longtime arranger and brass caption head of the Blue Devils, comes on board as the manager of bands for the Calgary Stampede Foundation, a position that oversees the approximately 150-member Showband, in addition to two other performing groups including the Calgary Stampede Showriders and the Band of Outriders.

“To have the opportunity to lead an incredible ensemble such as the Calgary Stampede Showband is a true honor, and one I look to embrace and dedicate myself to for years to come,” Meehan said as part of the organization's introductory announcement in May.

 

The Calgary Stampede, billed as the “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” is a 10-day festival and rodeo hosted in Canada each July that draws more than a million visitors. Founded as the official ambassador of the Calgary Stampede in 1971, the Showband has established itself not only as a mainstay for Stampede festivities, but also as a must-see performing group around the globe.

In addition to hundreds of annual performances for the Calgary Stampede alone, the ensemble has a jam-packed schedule. In 2019, the group participated in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena and historically has toured around the world including Japan, Brazil, Amsterdam, and the United States, including the SoundSport International Music & Food Festival during DCI World Championships Week in Indianapolis.

While the Calgary Stampede Showband already has ties to the drum corps activity — including a creative staff of familiar names like Michael Klesh, Colin McNutt, Jamey Thompson, Keith Potter and Heather Graham — Meehan’s hiring highlights the group’s strong and continued ties to the Drum Corps International and marching arts communities.

“With the range that John brings, the focus on community and performer experience was really important to us,” said Aaron Park, manager of community learning and engagement for the Calgary Stampede Foundation.

 

A member of the DCI Hall of Fame’s 2019 class, Meehan has served as a member of the Blue Devils’ educational brass staff since 1994. During his tenure with the Concord, California organization, the corps has won a host of Jim Ott Best Brass Performance awards and 14 DCI World Championship titles.

But Meehan’s extensive drum corps experience wasn’t the only reason the Stampede Showband wanted him as its new director. His desire to evolve the activity aligned with the organization’s vision.

“We are an organization with a lot of history and tradition, but also we are now at a point where we’re looking to grow and evolve,” Park said. “It’s just a perfect fit to have John come in with that mindset.”

 

For Meehan, the Calgary Stampede and Blue Devils’ similar community-based mindsets made the choice to uproot his life in northern California and relocate to Calgary that much easier.

“The parallels between the two organizations really made it something that felt comfortable to me,” Meehan said. “My wife and I fell in love with the city. We both fell in love with the people and it was a quick and easy decision.”

Outside of their performances at the Calgary Stampede, which this year took place July 7-16, the Showband annually undertakes an ancillary tour schedule of marching music-related events.

While the group won’t perform at the 2023 SoundSport International Music & Food Festival as part of DCI World Championships Week in Indianapolis as they did last summer, the Stampede does have two DCI Tour events on the docket including the DCI New Hampshire event in Manchester, New Hampshire (July 25) and the Brigadier’s Pageant of Drums in Syracuse, New York (July 26).

“We’re keeping that kind of pulse going with being involved in important pageantry arts events and staying relevant,” Meehan said. “So, the next time we do go to Indianapolis, we’re still fresh in the minds of the judges, fans, other corps and everything else.”

 

This summer the Calgary Stampede had the opportunity to attend the World Association of Marching Show Bands (WAMSB) 2023 World Championships in Brockhampton, West Virginia. As part of the week-long event the group won its seventh WAMSB championship Saturday, July 22.

At these various events, marching arts fans can catch the Calgary Stampede’s 2023 field show titled “Sonic Playground.” During the ensemble’s performance, the field will be filled with different pieces of playground equipment that the corps will utilize to create different audio and visual effects.

The show will feature several moments where the brass and percussion sections try to mimic the sound of any given prop being used by the color guard; for example, a trombone feature will include musical representations that mimic someone sliding down a slide.

 

“When you hear something, you see something,” Meehan said to describe the production. “It’s a very cool coordinated use of music and the props to give that sense of sonic flavor.”

While the corps is exploring other avenues to connect with the marching arts community, the Showband does look forward to the day it’ll return to the DCI World Championships and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“Returning to the DCI World Championships is high on our list,” Meehan said. “We’re hoping to be there in the next two or three years.”

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