Help Matthew Estrada March Drum Corps !

Dear Family and Friends,

I’m excited to announce that I was selected to participate in The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps for the upcoming 2022 Drum Corps International (DCI) season as the front ensemble Xylophone player.

I can clearly remember watching my first DCI show with my Dad in San Antonio, Texas, in 2015 at the Alamodome. At that time, I could only imagine being part of the incredible experience, and now I get to do it as part of the Troopers family. Watching all the groups with their high-level performing drumlines, frontlines, and horn lines inspired me to continue music to a higher level. I was in band all four years in high school as a percussionist in drumline, jazz band, and concert band. In 2018, I was able to march with a smaller DCI corps called Arsenal Drum and Bugle corps, allowing me to grow as a musician. Since then, I have been attending the University of North Texas where in the near future I plan on graduating with my music education degree and moving on to become a band director. Marching as a member of the Troopers will be a massive benefit for me. It will help further develop my musicianship as a player, but it will also enhance valuable life skills such as leadership, goal-setting and teamwork, among others. It will assist in building my resume as I go out into the education field for music.

Drum Corps International is a nationwide music activity that is both physically

and mentally demanding. Over 10,000+ highly skilled musicians audition every year from across the world to join these corps who range from 14 to 21 years old. All of these corps create a field production that perform for crowds all over the United States from June through August. Through this drum corps experience, I’ll meet new people and develop unique relationships that last even when the season is over.

With drum corps being a high-level activity, there are a lot of financial obligations that come along with being a member of the Troopers program. Your financial help would be greatly appreciated for me to pursue this opportunity. The total amount of money for me to march this summer with the Troopers is $5,500 which is due by June 1, 2022. My tuition fee goes towards the fuel cost for our buses as we’ll tour across the U.S, my personalized uniform for the upcoming show, my required mandatory packing list and all of the other services such as my food cost, athletic trainer fees, my housing locations and additional costs that arise during the tour. Additionally, one weekend a month I have had to travel to Indianapolis, IN for mandatory camps so that the Troopers can get a head start with music technicalities before the season begins. With this has come pretty expensive travel costs that my parents, Edward and Crystal, have already had to accrue but are having a hard time keeping up with because of the increase of jet fuel. My flight costs have only gone up with round-trip tickets for my route, averaging over $550+.

Overall, any generous donation you can make towards my tuition fee of $5,500 will help pay for me to march with the Troopers this season, travel costs to and from the preseason.