Andrew Arbouzov judges drum corps shows differently than most.
The first-year Santa Clara Vanguard drum major doesn't base his opinion on the judges’ scores or how perfect the performance was; he uses the audience.
“If we're performing to our fullest ability, the show shouldn’t end whenever we release that last note,” he said. “It ends whenever the crowd is done cheering.”
Fans have certainly had plenty to cheer for when it comes to Santa Clara Vanguard’s performances this season. At the DCI Southeastern Championship pres. by Lone Star Percussion in Atlanta, the Northern California corps finished in third, boasting a score of 93.250.
While Vanguard still trails both Bluecoats and the Blue Devils, as it has for the last few weeks, the corps made a significant jump in the Peach State that adds some intrigue to the season’s final stretch.
At the first regional of 2019 in San Antonio, Vanguard trailed the second-place Blue Devils by 0.538 points and the champion Bluecoats by nearly three-quarters of a point. In Atlanta, Vanguard cut that deficit. They finished just 0.387 points out of second and just over a half a point out of first, marking the closest Santa Clara has been to the Canton corps all season.
“We're just trying to be the best possible version of Santa Clara Vanguard we possibly can be,” Arbouzov said. “And the phrase that we've been throwing around is ‘Just sweat more.’ So going into this last stretch, we're going to push ourselves as hard as we possibly can to create some beautiful art and leave the fans with something they can remember.”
Santa Clara Vanguard performs at the DCI Southeastern Championship, July 28 in Atlanta.
So far, they have.
Vanguard’s 2019 production, “Vox Eversio,” explores the idea of a counter-culture movement and individuals finding their own voice in today’s society. The corps shines a light on those who have bold and creative ideas and views that are frowned on by society.
The show is all about individuality. You’ll notice, there isn’t a set uniform for the color guard. Members have dyed or changed their hair for the show just to give their character a little extra personality — anything to get their voice to come across.
“At the beginning of the show, we play with the idea of vandalism and being like misfits,” Arbouzov said. “During the big triumphant ending, we're exploring the idea of being appropriate with communication and finding the best way possible to get people on board without, you know, without hurting others.
“And it's just a show about learning your voice.”
Vanguard wanted to elaborate on that voice mid-season, rolling out a series of detailed tarps under their multi-level stage sets to add a different element and environment to their show. They are maroon in color and show bricks, or as Arbouzov said, “A gateway into the underworld.”
“So the whole idea with the tarps is they kind of are a visual portal into that world,” he said. “So there's kind of a mental switch that each member has to flip on and off whenever there are different locations in the field.”
Santa Clara Vanguard performs at the DCI Southeastern Championship, July 28 in Atlanta.
Arbouzov doesn’t believe you can fully explore a drum corps show in three months. Vanguard can add to, and advance, “Vox Eversio” before the upcoming World Championship Finals in Indianapolis, but it’ll never be perfect or complete.
There’s always something to improve.
It’s a mindset that has allowed Santa Clara Vanguard to really focus in and push toward the finish line.
“There are always little changes that you can make as a corps to improve your show,” Arbouzov said. “If you go into that every single rehearsal with that mindset, there's always work to be done.”