Tiger Senior Nicholas Sauceda Selected to the Prestigious Academy Drum and Bugle Corp

Nicholas Sauceda, a 17 year Alamogordo High School Tiger Seniod has been selected for a run with the prestigious Academy Drum and Bugle Corps. The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class junior competitive drum and bugle corpsbased in Tempe, Arizona. The corps is a member of Drum Corps International.

It's history began in 2001 when a group gathered in the Phoenix, Arizona, area with the intent of starting a drum and bugle corps. They formed the Board of Directors of the Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts, a non-profit organization with the goal of "enhancing the culture of music, dance, and the performing arts in Arizona." They then formed The Academy Brass & Percussion Ensemble, which made numerous local appearances from 2001 to 2003, including at the Southwest Corps Connection.

In the summer of 2004, the corps added a color guard, changed the name to The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, and entered the field of competition. They marched a short season of only four weeks and six shows in Arizona and California. The next year, the corps expanded its boundaries, performing in ten shows. In 2006, The Academy appeared in seven states, including the DCI Division II & III World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin, where the corps capped their season with the Division II title.

In 2007, The Academy moved into Division I (World Class) competition. In 2016, The Academy had their most successful season since moving to World Class and continues to awe audiences with performances around the nation.

We caught up with Nicholas Sauceda to congratulate him on the selection to this prestigious group and asked him what to expect this summer with this honor.

AlamogordoTownNews.org - Congratulations on your success. What got your interest in band and playing the Tuba? 

Nicholas Sauceda Response: "I’ve been playing tuba for about 7 years now but when I first started I didn’t really have a choice. The tuba was the only option available at the time,  so I took it. I can play a bunch of other instruments now like trombone, euphonium, trumpet, mellophone, and some percussion instruments but tuba will always been my favorite and main instrument."

Nicholas Sauceda plays a variety of instruments- AlamogordoTownNews.org

AlamogordoTownNews.org - What inspires your playing?

Nicholas Sauceda Response: "What mainly inspires me to play is not only the music itself but the people and being able to play in front of an audience. Playing before an audience is big adrenaline rush,  that feels too good to be true. When I play music, I imagine it like gears, all working together and playing there role and making a beautiful sound together."

AlamogordoTownNews.org - What is your expection for your run with the Academy Bugle Court? 

Nicholas Sauceda Response: "I’m expecting a lot from academy, from long 12 hour rehearsal days,  for 3 weeks straight, to the lifelong friends I’ll be making. It’s gonna be really hard, as it’s an activity that most people can’t or won’t do, and it was competitive getting to this level, but I’m willing to put in that effort to come out stronger and better."

AlamogordoTownNews.org - How long is the season and performances and what was the competitive process for selection?

Nicholas Sauceda Response: "An average season of drum corps for a world class group is 70-80 days starting in the last one or two weeks of May and ending on the second Saturday of August. During that touring season, I’ll be traveling around from place to place, coast to coast, south and north all around the country and we will be performing nonstop. All in the span of just 3 months, the time is compressed which can be really hard on you mentally.  I know that it will go by super fast. The academy will start their season in Phoenix on May 27th, 2025. The training will last for about 3 weeks before we have our first on the road show in California. Then from there we’ll move our way around the country performing through the southwest to the south, making our east and way up north to Pennsylvania. The season of performances will end in the Midwest at Lucas Oil in Indianapolis. I’m super excited to start my new music journey and can’t wait for what’s to come.

Nicholas Sauceda is the grandsom to Charles Gonzales who is a very proud grandfather and who celebrates his grandsons success both in academic achievement and in the recognition he has received as a part of the Alamogordo Tiger Hogh School Band...

Nicholas Sauceda Awarded for Excellence at Alamogordo High School

Nicholas Sauceda with grandfather Charles Gonzales

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