Santa Clara, CA- (September 2022) After much consideration and internal discussion amongst executive leadership, program leadership, and the Board of Directors, Vanguard Music and Performing Arts (VMAPA) is placing The Vanguard Cadets on hiatus.
While the summer of 2022 was a historic and successful season for The Vanguard Cadets, it was also the most expensive year to run a drum corps in the history of the activity. Like many other organizations, VMAPA experienced dramatically increased operational costs due to skyrocketing gas prices, nationwide vehicle and equipment shortages, decreased accessibility of affordable housing, Covid-related PPE, and more. These factors, in combination with the current economic climate in the United States, have unfortunately created a financial burden too great for VMAPA to shoulder while running not one, but two incredibly high performing drum corps.
“This is not a decision we arrived at lightly,” said Jeremy C Van Wert, Executive Director of VMAPA. “We could never have anticipated the astronomical costs associated with the 2022 season. Everything- from basic food staples, to the buses that transport our members, was twice or three-times as expensive this year. We did our jobs to provide a World Class experience to the members of The Vanguard Cadets this summer and we are incredibly proud of all that they accomplished. Now that we have had time to reflect and take a close look at our financial situation, it is clear that we must place The Vanguard Cadets on a hiatus to protect the future of VMAPA. The Vanguard Cadets have achieved incredible things and it has taken diligent work to produce this excellent performer experience. A scaled back and drastically reduced experience would not have been consistent with the work done to build The Vanguard Cadets brand.”
As to the future of the program, Mr. Van Wert said, “It is our hope that economic conditions will improve, and that it will be possible for The Vanguard Cadets to return to the field in the near future. However, as we learned this year, we cannot predict what comes next in today’s world. Our plan is to continue to do everything we can to bring in more funding and to revisit the future of The Vanguard Cadets program at the end of the 2023 season..”