Arizona Musketeers

Phoenix, AZ United States
Founded: 1983

Inactive Junior
YearPositionScoreTheme/Songs
1985 313 39.000 Spirit of Spain * Steam Heat (from The Pajama Game) * On Broadway * Finlandia  
1986 212 51.200 Fanfare for the Common Man * Dreams of a Psychopath  
1987 213 47.000 Aqualung * Bouree * Elegy * Fly By Night * Locomotive Breath  
Position 200+ indicates Division II, Position 300+ indicates Division III, Position 400+ indicates Mini Corps.

CORPS Photos

The Arizona Musketeers drum and bugle corps was founded in 1983. They started out as a 9-member horn ensemble that performed a few exhibition shows in California. 

By 1984, the corps expanded to a full corps, again performing exhibitions in California. By 1985, the Musketeers were to enter the competitive arena. They performed in California, where they were unfortunately matched against finalist corps such as the Blue Devils and the Santa Clara Vanguard. They headed east to compete in the 1985 DCI World championships in Madison as a "Class A/60" corps, placing 13th in the prelims. They would return again in 1986, moving up to the “Class A” division, finishing 12th in the preliminary round and finally in 1987, to a 13th place finish.

Several factors led to the corps' demise. Leadership was the one of the earliest sings of trouble. Word was that 180 people showed up to the first full corps rehearsal in 1983, but that they were discouraged by the tempers of some staff members. Another was that the corps had no real means for external funding. Most of the funds had to come from the members themselves, with high tour fees being protested by the parents. It could only accommodate a volunteer only staff, which did not have the time to dedicate to a full rehearsal schedule to make the corps competitive. 

The corps used borrowed or used equipment, and as late as 1986, were still using the piston-rotor horns instead of the two-valve standard that was used at the time. The corps could not afford to stay on the road and had to rehearse in the harsh Arizona heat. These challenges and staff infighting led to the corps being disbanded in 1988, with many members being "farmed out" to DCI member corps.


From drumcorpswiki.com

Members (15)

Member Name Section Years Involved
Cunningham, Sean percussion 1985 to 1987
Dibbern, Sean Percussion 1985 to 1986
Fitch, Scott Percussion 1984 to 1986
Hooven, Paul Percussion 1986 to 1988
hughes-siegert, debbie color guard 1985
McCann, Mike Baritone; Drum Major 1985 to 1988
Michael, Steve Mellophone 1984
Nissen, Eric percussion 1984 to 1988
Poole, Jason snare line 1985
prezzia, vicki colorguard 1984 to 1985
Roels, Dave Horn Line 1986 to 1987
Roels, David Brass 1984 to 1987
Sabonis, Kate color guard 1986
Spencer, Earl Percussion 1985 to 1986
thorpe, Ron percussion 1986 to 1987

CORPS 1 items

Arizona Musketeers

Musketeers,Phoenix,AZ,Pin1-RedLettersOnWhite(RCR)J_U_S from the Richard Elmquist Collection

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