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What is ATX Winterguard?
ATX Winterguard is an Independent A class winterguard based in Austin, Texas. It is also a 501©3 non-profit youth education, performing-arts organization dedicated to the development of self-esteem and self-reliance of adolescents. It encourages team work, sportsmanship, civic pride and contributions of one's personal best to a group effort through a musical- and performance-focused activity in which there is a blending of the arts and athletics.
ATX "Senior" is an Independent Senior guard based in Austin, TX. An outreach of the non-profit youth education program, ATX Senior wants to let everyone know that you are "never too old to march"! We are planning to begin the ATX Senior program in 2010, and plan to compete beginning in 2011 Winter season!
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How old do you have to be to join?
Members of ATX Winterguard are between the ages of 14 and 22 years old. Although some of our members are high-school aged, we do not actively recruit from high schools that have a winterguard program. However, if your high school does not have a winterguard program, and you are interested in performing, feel free to contact us for information about our program!
Members of ATX "Senior" are aged 23 and up.
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I don’t have a lot of experience, can I still join?
Most of our members have experience with “younger guards”: Regional A, AAA, AA classes. We will train you in “ATX-technique” so that you can be successful with your responsibilities in the guard! Being in an Independent guard is NOT necessarily harder than spinning in high school. If you were in an "A" class guard, you'll have no problem performing with ATX!
If you were in a "Regional A" or "Novice" guard, you may need to work harder, but we'll help bring you up to a level where you can be successful!
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Can I be in school or work and still perform with ATX Winterguard?
ABSOLUTELY! Almost all of our members are full time students or have jobs. Many of them do both! We recommend that you take your ATX schedule to work and or school to see if there might be any conflicts. You will find that most of the time, things can be worked out. If you find that there is just one day that cannot be worked out, speak with us about it and we will see what can be worked out. Unlike most Independent Guards, we are concerned that you have time to do your schoolwork.
We do everything on our end to make sure that you have that time, but that means you have to plan and do your part! Make sure you are caught up on all your school work before you come to rehearsal. And if you find that you have a lot of conflicts between rehearsals/performances and school or work, you may need to reconsider joining ATX.
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How often does ATX Winterguard rehearse?
Usually, we rehearse one-day per week. This is generally a Sunday afternoon for about 6 hours.
During “Camp” weekends, we rehearse all weekend Before a regional, we often rehearse on Friday evenings. Our rehearsal schedule, along with a schedule of fundraisers and other events, can be found on the Calendar/Events page.
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How much does it cost to perform with your group?
In 2010, most of our members who participated in fundraisers paid under $500 to perform with ATX Winterguard. Some paid much less!
Performer fees are based on the cost of running the organization, which varies based on the cost of props, costumes, rehearsal facilities, competition fees, the number of members we have, and our other costs to run the program that season. Performer fees include the cost of transportation to shows more than an hour from Austin, TX-- including TCGC Championships and WGI World Championships. Our staff does NOT get paid for their work.
We always say, “Do Not Let Worrying about Money Stop You from Participating!” We offer several fundraising opportunities throughout the year. These include working concessions at University of Texas sporting events and concerts, at the new Cedar Park hockey arena, and at Dell Diamond; getting donations/sponsorships from local businesses and friends, family, and fans of the activity; holding fundraising events through local businesses, etc.
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I can’t find the answer to my question. Where can I get the answer?
E-mail, phone (512-788-5306), or find us any on Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter! You can also find us as ATXGUARD on Gtalk, AOL Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or SKYPE (ATXguard)! We’re happy to answer any questions you might have!
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