The Greater New Orleans Drum Corps Association is proud to announce the winners of the 2010 Tuition Assistance Program awards. In this, the second year of the program, we received several applications from excellent candidates.

The winner in the Guard Division is Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps’ Sashera Pinto. Ms. Pinto is entering her second season marching with Spirit. Sashera impressed the TAP committee with her strong love for marching drum corps: her determination and drive befitting an ideal drum corps member. Spirit’s Guard Caption Head Jude Boughton’s comments agreed with our assessment:

“Sashera is a second year member and embodies the values that are so very important to success in any of the artistic crafts and disciplines that make up the performance world and I applaud her for that. Her hard work and dedication to team work as well as her leadership skills and abilities have set her apart from the other members in the short time that I have the pleasure of knowing her. Her ability to lead by example both in her work and her actions make her a first class and model student, and most importantly her kind and warm hearted gestures as she helps any of the new members get through a long and tiring work day just continues to demonstrate that she is an example to all around her.”

Photo compliments of Jolesch Photography

This year’s winner in the Horn Division is Lawrence Mouille, a first-year trumpet player also with Spirit. We met Lawrence at our New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival fundraiser and were impressed with his enthusiasm for beginning his drum corps life. We all know that rookie seasons can be tough on young members; but we’re confident that, with Lawrence’s personality and discipline, he’ll do just fine. It helps to have a bit of talent too. Brass Co-Caption Head Dr. Todd Snead: “We are very excited to have such a talented musician like Lawrence marching with Spirit this year. It is members like Lawrence whose drive, work ethic, and high performance standard make Spirit a great organization.”

Proudly marching the 2010 season with the Bluecoats is the winner of the Percussion Division: Andre' Wilson. Andre' expressed great excitement in being instructed by the percussion staff at Bluecoats, and the promise that last year's Final's drum placement brings to the year's corps. Reaching the top of that DCI Top Drums-mountain fits right in with Andre's personal drive. Andre is the consummate musician: marching drum corps, performing with the WGI Independent drumline Rhythm X, majoring in music at Nicholls State University, arranging/teaching music at his local high school, with the ultimate goal of eventually passing on all that he's learned to future generations of aspiring musicians.

The GNODCA is proud to support these fine corps members and wish them a successful 2010 season and many great memories.

The Greater New Orleans Drum Corps Association was established to foster positive experiences for all students by promoting education, creativity, and freedom of expression through the drum corps activity. The GNODCA Tuition Assistance Program provides funds to help offset the cost of fees for young performers of our activity who pursue to perform in a competing junior drum and bugle corps

For information about the Tuition Assistance program, please see the application. The GNODCA will begin accepting applications for the 2011 season in the fall of 2010.