St. Paul, MN · DRUMCORPS.NET PROFILE
St. Paul, Minnesota • DCI All-Age • Minnesota Brass • 2011 DCA champion
MBI, also known as Minnesota Brass, combines a long competitive legacy with a renewed place in DCI All-Age. Its part-time model supports performers balancing music with school, careers, and family. The wider MBI Arts organization also operates winter and entertainment ensembles, whose auditions and fees must be distinguished from the summer corps.
Championship legacy and the return to a full field
The official corps archive records the 2011 DCA world championship, plus silver medals in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014. Its caption record includes brass titles in 2010, 2011, and 2015; percussion titles in 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2013; frontline awards in 2001, 2004, and 2005; and guard in 2011. More recent listed milestones include SoundSport Best of Show in 2022 and DCI All-Age Open Class percussion in 2025. Official corps legacy and 2027 status
An anniversary production: The Oak
The 2026 program, The Oak, uses the life of a tree as an image of an eighty-year organization. Roots establish continuity; the trunk suggests strength and endurance; branches evoke connection and ancestry; leaves represent future growth. The official explanation links repeated musical ideas, changing backdrop stages, wood sounds, physical branches, and green flags with those images. It references Golden Hour and Iris within the production’s development. The Oak: 2026 production
That concept provides a useful viewing guide: watch how a seemingly static tree image becomes a sequence of changes in sound, height, shape, and color. For archival research, keep the anniversary year attached to the show title and distinguish a design explanation from a final judged performance or complete repertoire listing.
Safety, access, and reporting
MBI’s organizational policy library covers accessibility/accommodation, acceptable behavior, background checks, fraternization and abuse of power, hazing/bullying, nondiscrimination, sexual misconduct, reporting/anti-retaliation, and weather for activities and travel. It links behavior and incident reporting forms and identifies director@mnbrass.org for policy questions. Read the governing documents rather than treating a policy title as a complete explanation. Organizational policies
Prospective members should also confirm medical coverage, medication handling, allergies, overnight supervision, emergency communication, and who makes weather decisions at each event. For a minor, establish the parent’s required involvement before the first rehearsal. Accommodation requests are best discussed early enough for a useful plan to be made.
Sources and update record
1. Official corps legacy and 2027 status
8. Organization and volunteer routes
← Return to the corps directory
Current information
Participation requirements, costs, schedules, staffing, volunteer opportunities, and contact routes change over time. Use each organization’s official website for current details; this archive focuses on the corps’ lasting history, identity, traditions, and documented milestones.