Hi! My name is Seth Koons and I am a current freshman at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music studying Music Education. I am 18 years old and I hope to one day become a music teacher. In high school, I attended a marching band camp called the Music For All Summer Symposium as my band directors were staff there. At this camp, I discovered my love for the activity known as Drum & Bugle Corps after hearing a real drum corps show for the first time in my life. For those who don't know what this is, imagine the NFL but for marching band. Corps around the country work for months to perfect their show, putting on performances all around the country. At that point, I already knew how important music was in my life, but something about this event made something click. My brain told me that I needed to one day be a part of this.

So, after a lot of hard work and auditions, I was finally able to secure a tuba contract with the prestigious Santa Clara Vanguard for their 2024 season. After just one summer with the ensemble, I learned so much more than I could've ever imagined about music education, my instrument, and the people around me. It genuinely shaped me into the person I am today. The bad news is, you must pay to march a season, with the fees stacking up to $5,500. This amount covers everything from gas, food, uniforms, and paying the faculty that comes with us on this cross-country adventure. Santa Clara Vanguard has almost become a second family to me and your help would be so greatly appreciated. Doing this will help me reach my education goals that I strive for every day, giving me the knowledge I need to be a better teacher and person for my students in the future. ANY amount helps me immensely!

If you aren't able to donate, that's ok! Sharing this GoFundMe with your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or even your social media can help out just as much as a donation. Thank you so much for helping me take this step forward in my life.