Guardians aim to use SoundSport as a springboard to Open Class competition

As SoundSport team the Guardians concluded its first season July 20 with a performance at the DCI Southwestern Championship, Director Johnathon Doerr could not believe that the dream he began building in October had come so far. SoundSport is one of Drum Corps International's newest performance initiatives, giving groups of 50 members or less of any age and instrumentation the opportunity to perform in an intense, up-close setting. The Guardians, based in Seguin, Texas, held its first rehearsal camp in March, with just 15 members in attendance, but the corps quickly grew to 50 members from cities across Texas by the start of the summer, according to Doerr, a student pursuing a degree in music education and business at Texas Tech University. "I went to my best friend Isaac Lee, the drum major of the Blue Devils last year and now assistant director of the Guardians, and told him, 'I think Central Texas is in need of a drum corps. I may not be the best person to start it, but I think I might be able to do it,'" Doerr said. A few months later, the Guardians had begun its tour, performing its 2013 production "The Eternal Quest" at baseball games, Crossmen events, and DCI Tour events throughout Texas. "It's been a short ride, but a sweet one at that," Doerr said. "The season's been filled with a lot of emotions." The Guardians are looking to use their start as a SoundSport team in 2013 as a springboard to applying for and becoming an Open Class corps as part of the 2014 Drum Corps International Tour. "SoundSport has really been the ideal way to start a drum corps," Doerr said. "We're so thankful to all of the organizations who made this dream a reality." With minimal drum corps experience, Doerr not only relied on the Guardians' staff and individuals from Open Class corps Legends and Genesis, but also organizations including Drum Corps International, the Crossmen, all-age corps the Vigilantes, Marching USA and Lone Star Percussion to help make his SoundSport team a success. Learn more about the Guardians. Learn more about SoundSport on Facebook. Follow the latest from @SoundSport on Twitter.