- What is ATX Winterguard?
- History
- How old do you have to be to join?
- I don’t have a lot of experience, can I still join?
- Can I be in school or work and still perform with ATX Winterguard?
- How often does ATX Winterguard rehearse?
- How much does it cost to perform with your group?
- What does performer tuition pay for?
- I can’t find the answer to my question. Where can I get the answer?
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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! Back to Top -
HistoryATX Winterguard was started in the spring of 2008. We took the floor in January of 2009 with 9 members performing to "The Dance" by Charlotte Martin. ATX made finals in the Austin WGI Regional, finishing in 3rd place, and was 2009 TCGC Bronze Medalist.
In 2010 ATX Winterguard performed "From the Inside" using the song "In Your Eyes" by Sarah Bareillis. 15 members began the season. William Pichette was named the first captain of ATX Winterguard. ATX made finals at the Austin WGI Regional, finishing in 3rd place, and was 2009 TCGC Bronze Medalist. The 2010 season ended with 11 performers attending WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio.
2011 - check back later! Back to Top -
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. Back to Top -
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! Back to Top -
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. Back to Top -
How often does ATX Winterguard rehearse?During the training season we rehearse one-day per week. This is generally a Sunday afternoon for about 6 hours.
Once we begin staging the show (in December) we rehearse two days per week (Saturdays and Sunday afternoons)
During “Camp” weekends, and WGI regional weekends we often rehearse on Friday evenings in addition to Saturdays and Sundays.
We also do spin camps over the summer, which can help you learn our technique prior to auditions! These are held once a month.
Our rehearsal schedule, along with a schedule of spin camps and other events, can be found on the Calendar/Events page. Back to Top -
How much does it cost to perform with your group?In 2010, the tuition cost was $800, which included transportation to the Dallas and Houston WGI Regionals and transportation and housing for WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. Performers were also required to fundraise $300 each.
We offer several fundraising opportunities throughout the year. These include working concessions at University of Texas sporting events and concerts, concessions at the Cedar Park hockey arena, bake sales, gift wrapping during the holidays, etc.
Most who participated in fundraisers paid under $300 out of their own money. Some covered their entire tuition by doing fundraisers!
“Do Not Let Worrying about Money Stop You from Participating!" If you really want to perform with ATX, we'll help you find a way!
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What does performer tuition pay for?Tuition is based on the cost of putting together one season of instruction and performances.
Insurance, Rehearsal Sites, Transportation, Costumes/Uniforms, Equipment/Props, Performance Fees, and other administrative costs are included. Staff members do not get paid!
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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 on Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter!
You can also find us as ATXGUARD on Gtalk, AOL Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or SKYPE! We’re happy to answer any questions you might have! Back to Top