It’s been 10 years since Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in Texas. What started out as a SoundSport team has now grown into a fully-fledged Open Class corps.
Once a fan of the corps herself, Guardians drum major Em Valadez says that being a part of the Dallas/Ft. Worth-based organization as it celebrates its 10th anniversary is an honor.
“I have seen a lot more alumni, especially founding members, that have come by (rehearsals),” Valadez said after the corps’ performance in San Antonio on July 22. “Seeing the corps evolve over these past 10 years, especially from being a fan from a long time ago, to now, it’s a privilege to be a part of the 10th anniversary show.”
The foundation for Guardians’ 2023 production, “I Know the End,” is the moment right before a person knows their life is ending.
In what Valadez calls a “bittersweet” production, the corps recollects on those important moments in one’s life before the inevitable end. The retelling of those moments, in Valadez’s opinion, makes the production a special one to follow.
“The show goes through the little light moment you experience before the end of your life,” Valadez said. “It is a bittersweet show, but it’s definitely one to see.”
Before the corps made the trek to San Antonio for this year’s DCI Southwestern Championship, Guardians started off their season a few days earlier at the DCI Little Rock event in Alabama. The corps posted a score of 60.600 and used that performance as the initial benchmark for improvement.
“It starts with the members themselves,” Valadez said. “They have improved a lot as individuals and it has translated in terms of their musicality, their teamwork and the effort they put toward the show. It's honestly such a privilege to experience.”
The current membership’s willingness to improve each day paid dividends in San Antonio with a score of 65.475, nearly five points higher than the corps’ 2023 debut score and one point higher than the corps’ score at the same venue in 2022.
They'll look to capitalize on that 2023 success at the upcoming DCI World Championships, where in 2022 they achieved their best finish in the corps' history (fifth place) before earning their very first Semifinalist berth (24th place) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
After a short break after July 22’s show in San Antonio, Guardians will be back in action on the DCI Tour August 4 in Orrville, Ohio and August 5 in Avon Lake, Ohio. Before the Open Class DCI World Championships get underway in Marion, Indiana, August 7, the corps will likely utilize those newfound connections with Guardians alumni for extra motivation during the final days of the season.
“We have made a lot of connections,” Valadez said. “It has been such a pleasant experience to have them come back and see that we are working to make them proud every day.”
View Guardians’ 2023 DCI Tour schedule