From refreshing breezes of light jazz to tropical storms of sonic intensity...
The origins of Gulf Wind date back to
2003 and a small ensemble called GCS Lite. Formed as a small brass ensemble out
of Gulf Coast Sound Drum & Bugle Corps, GCS Lite took 2nd place at the DCA I&E
Brass Ensemble Competition over the 2003 Championship weekend. During the 2004
season the idea of putting together a premier ensemble to locally represent Gulf
Coast Sound started to form. However, the focus of the organization was building
the competitive field Corps and it took until after the 2005 season before the
staff was able to finally come back to the idea. With a large influx of new
members and new talent, we finally had a pool large enough to draw from. The
ensemble was assembled and new name chosen to reflect the groups mission: "Be
the public face of GCS when it's too difficult or too impractical to use the
full Corps." Only the best musicians and performers from GCS are asked to be in
this "mini-Corps".
It
was decided early on that the repertoire should be extremely diverse. This will
keep the members happy and allow the group to play nearly anywhere, anytime, and
for any event. From pop to jazz to classical to Latin to Christmas and
Church services, Gulf Wind does it all. Gulf Wind is putting together a program
that will be approximately 45 minutes in length covering a wide range of
emotions in a setting that is part marching pageantry, part ballet, part rock
concert, part symphony, and ALL DRUM CORPS. This "show" is slated to be ready
for public performance by the fall of 2007. In the meantime, however, the group
is prepared to perform 20-30 minute concerts with several kinds of music. In
addition, the group can perform specific kinds of music for specific events if
contacted far enough in advance.
Gulf Wind is currently comprised of a brass ensemble and a variety of percussion
instruments. Eventually we will add a visual ensemble that is part color guard and part dance troupe.
