The Academy

Other Names:Arizona Academy

Tempe, AZ United States
Founded: 2001

Active Junior
World Class

Year	Position	Score	Theme/Songs
2001			Excerpts from Drum Corps Past - Malambo (Finale from Estancia) * Amber Waves * When a Man Loves a Woman
2002			Ya Gotta Try * Grand Canyon Fanfare * Cadillac of the Skies (from Empire of the Sun)
2003			A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra * Vide Cor Meum (from Hannibal) * The Challenge (from Millennium Celebration) * Promise (from Millennium Celebration)
2004			Debut - Symphony for Brass and Percussion (mvt III) * Chanson Melancolique * Jubilation from Symphony for Brass and Timpani
2005			Piano Concerto No. 2
2006	201	95.625	¡danzón! - Huapango * Patria * El Cumbanchero
2007	13	84.500	The Chase - The Chase * The Villain * The Hero * The Woman * At the Jitterbug Club * The Love Theme * The Chase/Conclusion
2008	18	78.850	Vienna Nights - Freud's Dream (from Vienna Nights) * Mozart's Theme (from Vienna Nights) * Café Life (from Vienna Nights) * Gallop (from Vienna Nights) * Notturno (from Vienna Nights) * Finale-Alla Turka (from Vienna Nights)
2009	14	83.750	The Ascent - Call of the Mountain (from Gates of Gold) * An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64 * Kingfishers Catch Fire
2010	14	84.050	Strangers in Paradise - Prince Igor Overture * Aquarium (from Carnival of the Animals) * Selections from the Prince Igor Opera * Polovstian Dances and Chorus (from Prince Igor)
2011	15	82.650	(RE) - Little Fugue in G minor * Lux Arumque * Fly * Lollapalooza
2012	15	81.900	Left of Spring: Stravinsky Revisited - Rite of Spring * The Song of Purple Summer (from Spring Awakening)
2013	19	78.200	Piano Man - Cabaret * Alabama Song * Falling in Love Again * Piano Concerto No 2, Mvmt 1 * Piano Man
2014	16	81.875	Vanity Fair - Rondeau * Crown Imperial * What a Wonderful World * Dance of the Hours * Waltz No 2 from Jazz Suite No. 2 * Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 * Mvt 2 from Symphony No 7 * Paris Sketches * What a Wonderful World
2015	15	81.825	A Step in Time - Introduction (from Mary Poppins) * Chim Chim Cher-ee (from Mary Poppins) * A Shooting Star (from Mary Poppins) * A Spoonful of Sugar (from Mary Poppins) * Practically Perfect (from Mary Poppins) * Galop (from Masquerade Suite) * Step in Time (from Mary Poppins) * Feed the Birds (from Mary Poppins) * Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (from Mary Poppins)
2016	11	86.100	Drum Corpse Bride - Main Titles from Corpse Bride * Romeo and Juliet * Sorcerer's Apprentice * Suggestion Diabolique * Unchained Melody * Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 (The Funeral March)
2017	14	84.188	By a Hare - Morning Mood from Peer Gynt Suite * Hunting Wabbits * Overture to the Barber of Seville * Danse Boheme from Carmen * Ride of the Valkyries * Habanera from Carmen * Hungarian Rhapsody * Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore
2018	15	84.563	Academic - The Imitation Game * Annie Lisle * Academic Festival Overture * The School for Scandal (Overture) * The Four Sections * Keating's Triumph
2019	15	84.300	The Bridge Between - Dance 1. First Movement * Equilibrium * London Bridge Is Falling Down * Bridge Over Troubled Water * Horizons * Original Music

Position 200+ indicates Division II, Position 300+ indicates Division III, Position 400+ indicates Mini Corps.

The Academy is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps based in Tempe, Arizona.

The corps is sponsored by the Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts and was originally called The Academy Brass & Percussion Ensemble. Planning for the corps began in 2001 with the formation of a board of directors. Performing standstill concerts in 2001 and 2002, the corps added a bit of marching in 2003 and a color guard in 2004.

The corps' first competitive performance took place on June 19, 2004, in Stockton, California, where the corps received a score of 64.30. Although the corps' 2004 season and tour were relatively short, they were undefeated in Division II during that summer. The group's high score for the season was 75.65. Academy's uniforms were all black, with a large black "A" on a red background on their back. The 117-member corps performed a program of brass chamber music in their inaugural Division II competition.

A unique fundraising inducement, in a program called "Be Instrumental," was the offer to engrave benefactors' names on the brass instruments bought with the benefactors' $2500 donations.

The Academy made its first appearance at the DCI World Championships in 2006, finishing their third consecutive season undefeated in Division II with the DCI Division II World Championship crown.

In 2007, the corps moved up to Division I, placing 13th and raising expectations that they would be the next corps to make its first Finals appearance. However, the next year (the first under the name World Class), the corps missed advancing to semifinals, finishing in 18th while ony 17 advanced. The Academy has made World Class semifinals every year since 2009, and in 2016, the corps finally reached its first Finals, placing 11th with the crowd-pleasing "Drum Corpse Bride" program.

The parent organization Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts also sponsors summer and winter color guard programs for youth aged 5-14 and Phenom, a summer marching band that participates in DCI's SoundSport.

[Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts; Drum Corps World (multiple issuae), A History of Drum & Bugle Corps, Vol. 2; Steve Vickers, ed.; DCI Today, Spring '04, p.13; Dave Strickler; Drum Corps Internationa]

Members (18)

Member Name	Section	Years Involved
Bierwas, Danny	Drumline	2004
Blum, Ashlin	Trumpet	2004
Boe, Zachary	Trumpet	2007
Brewster, Seth	Trumpet	2014 to 2015; 2017
Cobbett, Jared	Contra	2006
Cobbett, Jared	BottomLine	2006 to 2009
Cohen-Joppa, Emma	Brass - Baritone	2004
Gryniewicz, Tony	Contra	2003 to 2004
Henderson, Ben	Mellophone	2004
Lee, Alex	Tenors	2003 to 2004
McCrea, Drew	Percussion- Bass Line	2003
Mead, Ryan	Euphonium	2016 to 2017
Orrantia, Danny	Drum Major	2003
Pasteur, Chris	Baritone	2002
Ronan, Kevin	Contra	2001 to 2003
Shillings, Erin	Pit	2001 to 2004
Simon, Natan	trumpet	2003
Sutton, Jonathan	Bass	2003