Heat Wave Drum and Bugle Corps


Heat Wave Drum & Bugle Corps is an Open Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps based in Tampa Bay, Florida. The corps is a member of Drum Corps International..

History

In June 2014, it was announced that a new drum and bugle corps was starting in west central Florida, based in Inverness. The hope was to be somewhat "old school," building both a cadet corps and a junior corps to march in DCI competition. It was also admitted that they were just getting started and had much work to do.
In January 2015, DCI announced that Heat Wave was one of five corps being evaluated for possible inclusion in DCI Open Class competition for 2015. On May 5, 2015, following a period of evaluation of the unit's finances, staffing, and tour plans by DCI's staff, Heat Wave, River City Rhythm, and Southwind were added to the list of competing Open Class corps. The corps was added to DCI's summer schedule for two shows in Alabama and Georgia.
In 2016, Heat Wave performed in seven DCI competitions in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida.
In 2017, the corps performed at five DCI competitions. For the first time since they began competing in 2015, they did not perform at the DCI Southeastern Championship. Although the corps did not attend Open Class Championships, they ended their season on July 19th in 18th place in overall Open Class.
In 2018, the corps made its first trip to the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis, IN, where they placed 40th overall at DCI World Championship Prelims.
In 2019, Heat Wave returned to Indianapolis after a scheduled tour of 18 shows, where they placed 14th in Open Class and 35th overall at DCI World Championship Prelims.

Sponsorship

Heat Wave of Florida is a 501 musical organization that has a Board of Directors, Executive Director, and staff assigned to carry out the organization's mission. Ed Wackerle is President of the Board of Directors and Jeff Carstensen is the Corps Director.

Show summary (2015–2020)

Source=
Gold background indicates DCI Championship; pale blue background indicates DCI Class Finalist; pale green background indicates DCI semifinalist.
YearThemeRepertoireScoreDCI Placement
2015Cuban Fire!Fuego Cubano, El Congo Valiente & La Suerte de los Tontos
All from Cuban Fire! by Johnny Richards		Did not attend
2016SaharaMain Theme from Lawrence of Arabia by Maurice Jarre / Heat of the Day by Pat Metheny /
Paradise by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin / Desert Rose by Sting		Did not attend
2017Project ApolloOlympiada by Samuel Hazo / Enterprising Young Men by Michael Giacchino /
12 Seconds to the Moon by Robert W. Smith / Fly Me to the Moon by Bart Howard / Ride by Samuel Hazo		Did not attend
2018The World
Keeps Spinning		New World Symphony by Antonín Dvořák / The Times They Are a-Changin' by Bob Dylan /
What a Wonderful World by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss /
Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland / There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow by the Sherman Brothers		60.950
58.700		15th Open Class
40th World Class
2019Nature BoyNature Boy by eden ahbez / Scherzo from Midsummer's Night's Dream by Felix Mendelssohn /
Changes by Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, and Alan White
Fix You by Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion 		62.550
60.050		14th Open Class
36th World Class
2020Season cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic