Main fundraiser photo

Help Tyler Come Home To Spirit


For those who are new to this campaign, I am Tyler Middleton, a Junior at Statesboro High I've been playing tuba since 6th grade and been a Marching Blue Devils for 3 years. The summer following my sophomore year, I set out to conquer the goal of being one of the few students in my high school to march a World Class Corps, and I achieved it thanks to many of you.

I do not even know where to begin... The first words that come to mind are WOW & THANKS! You who were so instrumental in making my dream of marching with the Spirit of Atlanta a reality.


The next thing that comes to mind is what a mind-blowing, gut-wrenching, exhausting, rewarding, powerful, inspiring, relentless, exciting, enigmatic, surreal and worthwhile experience this was. The 12 hours of rehearsals, 20 shows, sleeping on air beds, sleeping on buses and waking up in 14 different states, performing back to back shows with no time to stop and smell the roses all pales in comparison to the amazing brothers and sisters, I gained through the process, the experiences we shared, the superb instruction I received or the simple fact that my family, friends, and community supported me on a far-fetched dream to march with a World Class Corps and I did it!


Today, I have come to you with a similar request, I ask that you help me come home to spirit, help me return to my Baby Blue family this summer, I am auditioning so I can show our newest members the same amazing leadership that was shown to me. I hope to be another member's big brother or to gain a new sister and be reunited with the rest of my corps family. It goes without saying that the selection process is hard & only the cream of the crop will be chosen, but I hope that my unending efforts on and off the field, along with my skills, were proof to the staff that I deserve to return.
The experience is not cheap by any means, tuition ranges between $3500-$4000 dollars for the summer and covers room & board, materials, tuition, registration fees and so on. And then there are about $1000 of incidentals (which I was not really prepared for last year and learned the hard way, to include in my budget). I humbly ask you, my friends and family, if you can spare a few dollars to assist me in fulfilling of this amazing opportunity, please do so. No donation is too small!


Thank you for supporting during what turned out to be an amazing rookie season and actually get to play in front of a record-breaking crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium, it is an experience and a dream I will not soon forget and am aching to repeat.


We had our first audition camp December 2nd - 4th, with the second one happening on December 17th and from then on, there are monthly camps during the spring until move in time in May.


If you are not familiar with Drum Corps- it's a national phenomenon where young people (who love band a little too much) tour the US in a competitive performance group representing the marching band arts both musically and athletically at a near professional level. In other words, a group of the best of the best who come together, train hard and compete nationally while putting their best effort on the field all based on the Military roots of a Drum and Bugle Corps.

Below is a link for a short video of an initiative Drum Corps had Spirit of Atlanta help to encourage more participation in music-related activities at a young age, This is so important in a day and age where the performing arts are taking so many cuts in schools. These kids were so inspired by us and our dedication, we really had a blast with all of the students. Bandtastic Georgia Honor Band I appear in the video at around 17 seconds in and a few other times.

In case you want to check out our semi-final performance this summer, get comfy, grab some popcorn and a drink and get ready to enjoy a 12-minute video of our production Georgia. I am the Contra (or tuba) second from the right just about every time... Even get some close ups every now and again. 


Click here to see our Bravelets Fundraiser Click here to see our T-shirt Fundraiser

If you are not familiar with Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps and their rich history in the state dating back to 1976, click here to learn more.

Spirit is a member of Drum Corps International (DCI) , a governing body that facilitates summer educational events, performances, and competitions for drum and bugle corps throughout the summer all across the United States. The season ends in August with the weeklong DCI World Championships. SOA proudly represents the city of Atlanta at more than 30 competitions and exhibitions before a combined audience of over 300,000 fans. SOA first competed in 1977 and has since enjoyed DCI’s coveted “Top 12 Finalist” status 18 times.

With a gratitude filled heart!
Tyler

Organizer

Perla Middleton
Organizer
Statesboro, GA

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.