Johnathan Doerr, a 19-year-old student at Texas Tech University approached his best friend, Isaac Lee, former drum major of the Blue Devils with the idea of a community-based local touring drum corps in the Central Texas area. On October 28, 2012, Doerr founded the Central Texas Drum Corps Initiative in San Marcos, the organization which would become the Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps. A meeting was held in Seguin in December to gauge community support. With 25 people attending, a decision was made to go forward with developing the future performing unit with its base relocated to Seguin.[2]
When, in early 2013, DCI announced the introduction of two new activities[broken anchor] for small competitive units, DrumLine Battle and SoundSport, Doerr saw that he could use SoundSport as a means of helping to start the new corps.[3]
The inaugural membership/rehearsal meeting of the Guardians was held in Seguin in March. Fifteen potential members were in attendance. Aid and assistance was soon forthcoming from established drum corps such as Open Class corps Genesis and Legends, Texas' World Class corps the Crossmen, and all-age corps the Vigilantes, as well as music businesses, interested individuals, and DCI. The corps also grew in size, rapidly approaching the SoundSport maximum of 50, with members coming from throughout Texas.
In June, the Guardians Drum and Bugle Corps undertook a short, in-state tour, giving several performances and concluding with a SoundSport exhibition at the DCI Southwestern Championship regional competition at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Continuing to develop slowly, with an eye focused on the financial bottom line, the Guardians entered DCI Open Class competition in 2014. Fielding a corps of 112 members (56 brass, 16 battery percussion, 12 front ensemble, 24 auxiliary/guard, 4 drum majors), the unit entered only two contests, both in its home state of Texas, at Round Rock (which was rained out) and San Antonio.
In April 2015, the Guardians again relocated, this time to Houston.
In 2016, the corps had a much longer season, including a three-week-long spring training and eight competitions, including both open class and world class finals, as opposed to the previous year's three. In addition, the corps received a sponsorship from System Blue, and as such, got new instruments from them.
Light blue background indicates DCI Open Class Finalist
Pale green background indicates DCI World Class Semifinalist
Year
Repertoire
World Championships
Score
Placement
2013
The Eternal Quest Apocalyptic (Symphony No. 8) by Anton Bruckner / Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) by Gustav Mahler / Nimrod (from Enigma Variations) by Edward Elgar / Children's March (Over the Hills and Far Away) by Percy Grainger
Did not attend World Championships
2014
Terra Nova Ecstatic Waters by Steven Bryant / Third Symphony, Mvt. 2 Allegro Molto by Aaron Copland / Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) by Gustav Mahler / Daphnis and Chloé - Scene 3 by Maurice Ravel / Old Hundredth (Doxology) by Loys Bourgeois / Original Music by Daniel Montoya Jr. & Sarah Santa Cruz
2015
Light of Gold Grand Piano Music, Part II: On the Dominant Divide by John Adams / Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach / Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre / Original Music by Daniel Montoya Jr. & Robbie Green
2016
Radioactive Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 by Hector Berlioz / Radioactive by Melvyn Gonzalez, Alexander Grant, Ben McKee. Josh Mosser, Dan Platzman, Dan Reynolds & Wayne Sermon (Imagine Dragons) / Radioactive by Daniel Montoya Jr. & Benjamin Pyles / The Adoration of Veless and Ala (from Scythian Suite) by Sergei Prokofiev / Creep by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien & Phil Selway (Radiohead); Albert Hammond & Mike Hazlewood / Everything In Its Right Place by Thom Yorke (Radiohead) / The National Anthem by Thom Yorke, Colin Greenwood & Phil Selway (Radiohead) / Church Windows, Mvt. II by Ottorino Respighi / Toxic by Cathy Dennis, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg & Henrik Jonback / Original Music by Daniel Montoya Jr. & Robbie Green
From Scratch... Turning Tables by Adele / Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler / Y'all Get Back Now by Big Freedia / Original Music by Ben Hylton, Matt Penland & Tyler Sammons
79.213
5th Place Open Class Finalist
73.925
24th Place World Class Semifinalist
2023
i know the end. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes / X. Adjuah (I Own The Night) by Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (Christian Scott) / Everything in its Right Place by Radiohead / Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance / Original Music by Ben Hylton, Matt Penland & Tyler Sammons
72.688
6th Place Open Class Finalist
74.575
27th Place World Class
2024
Going Places Clutch by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Like Kids (from Cirque du Soleil's “Volta”) by M83 / The Beating of our Hearts (from The Symphony of Us) by Pinar Toprak / What You Mean to Me (from Finding Neverland) by Scott Frankel
Did not attend World Championships
References
^"Corps". Drum Corps International. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
