Austin Stars Drum and Bugle Corps

The Austin Stars Performing Arts Association (ASPAA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in the fall of 2005 by Brent Unger and Evan Morgan, both alumni of Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps, and Cathy Benford, former board member of Revolution Drum and Bugle Corps with the initial intention of creating an all-age drum and bugle corps in Central Texas. Efforts to form any kind of ensemble in 2006 were postponed when Mr. Morgan, a captain in the U.S. Air Force, was sent to serve in Afghanistan and Mr. Unger toured with the Blue Stars that summer filling in the baritone/euphonium tech position.

In the fall of 2006, planning continued for the 2007 season and their first ensemble was a 6-man brass ensemble. Their debut was at the Texas Drum Corps Preview on June 16, 2007. The brass ensemble performed two more times during that summer at Brass Hysteria in Bedford and Brass On The Bayou in Houston. Evan Morgan returned home safely in late July from his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

In 2008, the corps grew to 20 members and produced its first ever field show entitled "Stars In The Spotlight: On Stage, Screen and Field". The corps performed in exhibition at the Texas Drum Corps Preview in Austin, Brass Hysteria in Denton, Brass On The Bayou in Houston and will made its first out-of-state trip to Douglasville, Georgia to perform at DCA Rocks The South.

As preparation for the 2009 season was underway, Brent Unger stepped down from the director role and Michael J. Vazquez, the director of independent performing group ATX Winterguard was brought in as acting director. It is also in this year that the Austin Stars DBC chose to fold as an active drum corps. From 2009 to 2013 the primary function of the ASPAA was to support their sole group, ATX Winterguards.

Currently the ASPAA continues to support local performance based groups in Austin, TX. They maintain both an executive board as well as multiple members at large, spanning across the state. In June 2013, Michael J. Vasquez stepped down as director, and Meghan Wleczyk took up the position as Executive Director for the ASPAA. Since that time, there has been the restructuring of an executive board, along with many progressions for providing outreach to the performing arts community in Texas. They are currently in the process of hosting their 10th Annual Texas Drum Corps Preview, located on the south steps of the State Capitol building, in Austin, TX.

The name "Austin Stars" was selected for three reasons:

1. Five-point stars can be found all over Austin, especially downtown and at the Texas State Capitol Building.
2. Austin is home (or second home) to many "stars" in the entertainment world. The city is known as the Live Music Capital of the World and is famous for its 6th Street district, South by Southwest Music Festival, the popular PBS television program Austin City Limits, and another major music festival by the same name.
3. The city of Austin is located in the heart of Texas, where "the stars at night are big and bright," according to the traditional song "Deep in the Heart of Texas."

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• DrumCorpsWiki