This past Sunday, March 5, the Spirit of Atlanta horn line had the honor of performing in front of tens of thousands of NASCAR fans.
The group came together to play “America the Beautiful” as part of the opening ceremonies for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, a stock car race held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway just southeast of Atlanta.
Spirit of Atlanta director Chris Moore said that organizers were on the lookout for local artists for the event’s musical performances, and with the corps’ usual rehearsal site just nine miles from the racetrack, Spirit’s horn line served as a perfect fit. Since the race didn’t fall on a rehearsal camp weekend, Moore says they were able to pull together 58 brass players to participate, mainly from Georgia, but also coming from Alabama, North and South Carolina, Florida and Virginia.
The day was compressed into an eight-hour timeframe with corps members gathering at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday to warm-up, rehearse, and fit uniforms. Following the afternoon performance, they had special access to the track. “Most of us watched the start of the race from directly behind the pit crews,” Moore said.
Though the start of the 2017 Drum Corps International Tour is still more than 100 days away, Moore says that these types of performances are key to his organization’s continued success.
“It is important for us to market Spirit of Atlanta and Drum Corps International locally and nationally every time we get a chance. The kids had a great time, and they had a chance to experience a new audience.”
The group came together to play “America the Beautiful” as part of the opening ceremonies for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, a stock car race held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway just southeast of Atlanta.
Spirit of Atlanta director Chris Moore said that organizers were on the lookout for local artists for the event’s musical performances, and with the corps’ usual rehearsal site just nine miles from the racetrack, Spirit’s horn line served as a perfect fit. Since the race didn’t fall on a rehearsal camp weekend, Moore says they were able to pull together 58 brass players to participate, mainly from Georgia, but also coming from Alabama, North and South Carolina, Florida and Virginia.
Spirit of Atlanta 3-5-17 Atlanta Motor SpeedwayHere's a recording from yesterday's NASCAR performance with a little better audio and video quality. We're incredibly proud of our members for representing Spirit of Atlanta in such a wonderful way! #ComeHomeToSpirit #SOA2017
Posted by Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps on Monday, March 6, 2017
The day was compressed into an eight-hour timeframe with corps members gathering at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday to warm-up, rehearse, and fit uniforms. Following the afternoon performance, they had special access to the track. “Most of us watched the start of the race from directly behind the pit crews,” Moore said.
Though the start of the 2017 Drum Corps International Tour is still more than 100 days away, Moore says that these types of performances are key to his organization’s continued success.
“It is important for us to market Spirit of Atlanta and Drum Corps International locally and nationally every time we get a chance. The kids had a great time, and they had a chance to experience a new audience.”
Highlights from our day as a portion of the Spirit of Atlanta hornline performed "America The Beautiful" as part of the opening ceremonies. What a great honor and experience for our members!
Posted by Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps on Monday, March 6, 2017