Special Needs Drum Corps to Be Presented With Donation By Weisenberg
June 23, 2016 | News
Makes History as First of its Kind Chosen to Participate in the DCI World Championship
On Tuesday, June 28, at 11:00 a.m. Family Residences and Essential Enterprise (FREE) will be welcoming former New York State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg who will be presenting the FREE Players Drum Corps with a $10,000.00 donation on behalf of the Harvey and Ellen Weisenberg Special Needs Foundation. The funds will go towards sending the entire 65 member Corps plus Staff support to Indianapolis, Indiana to make history as the 1st Special Needs Group to ever perform at the DCI World Championships.
When:
Tuesday 11:00 a.m.
June 28, 2016
Where:
Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE)
Multi-Purpose Room
191 Bethpage Sweet Hollow Rd
Old Bethpage, NY 11804
***Great visuals as members of the drum corps will be present and drumline will be performing***
About the FREE Players Drum Corps
The FREE Players Drum Corps was founded in 2010 and is one of the very first Special Needs Drum Corps to exist in the world. The Corps is part of Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) Theatre Arts Day Program in Old Bethpage, NY. Drum Corps is essentially a professional marching band that requires the musicianship of a symphony, combined with the athleticism of a professional sport, mixed with the pageantry of a Broadway show.
Today our Corps has over 65 members, 20 to 50 plus. All the members of the Corps have intellectual and physical disabilities. The purpose of the Corps is to focus on the member’s talents and abilities, not their disabilities. Our Corps hopes to inspire and demonstrate that anything is possible with heart, hard work and the desire to achieve excellence.
Our Corps is comprised of 3 sections, a Drumline, Color Guard and a Pit (Front Ensemble).Our Corps is active 12 months a year and never takes a season off. We develop programs for Indoor Season (Winter Percussion and Winter Guard), Drum Corps Season, Marching Band Season, as well as halftime entertainment for sporting events. We are capable of customizing our performance for any event and their targeted audience.
Since our inception in 2010 we have made history on several occasions by traveling across the country to perform at world class events, most notably the WGI Percussion World Championships, DCI Eastern Classic, Newsday Marching Band Festival, USBands NY State Championships, Battle In the Apple, Walt Disney World and the NYC Columbus Day Parade.
In the past 6 years the Drum Corps has also been very active in the local community by providing halftime entertainment for sporting events, as well as performing in parades, festivals, competitions and on stages, all across Long Island NY.
The Corps has appeared in various publications such as Modern Drummer, Drum Corps World, Drum Corps International Magazine, and Newsday on several occasions. The Corps has also appeared on ABC, FOX, FIOS 1 and News 12 Long Island several times.
The FREE Players Drum Corps has built an international fan base that spans six continents. Most recently a video of our 2014 WGI Percussion World Championships performance received over 2.2 million views and 50 thousand shares in just a few days.
The Corps wants to show that they share the same passion for the marching arts as their typical mainstream peers. They hope to continue to make history, alleviate prejudice, break down boundaries and show that everyone can communicate through music. By performing in the community, the Drum Corps is helping to dissolve boundaries and educate the community on the abilities of individuals with disabilities rather than focusing on their differences. The program fosters and promotes independence, productivity and individual development in a fun, creative environment.
The Corps is currently sponsored by Mapex and Majestic Percussion, Evans Drum Heads, Pro Mark Sticks, Zildjian Cymbals, Fred J. Miller, Inc., Jarvis Marching Band Products ErgoSonic Marching Percussion, Mayfield Bell Lyres and DSI (Directors Showcase International).
About the Harvey and Ellen Weisenberg Special Needs Foundation
Inspired by their son, Ricky, Harvey and Ellen have been a beacon of love, light, and improved quality of life for developmentally disabled people. Many thousands of caregivers, parents, leaders of organizations that serve the disabled both public and private, and citizens who themselves have disabilities; have offered thank yous to Harvey and Ellen for their help.
Harvey and Ellen are quick to point out that it is Ricky who has been a prime motivating force in their work for citizens with special needs, particularly those with developmental disabilities.
Harvey, Ellen, Ricky, and all of the Weisenberg family and the hardworking staff and colleagues who have worked with them, thank you, the public, for giving them the opportunity to serve.
About Drum Corps International
From modest beginnings more than three decades ago, Drum Corps International (DCI) has developed into a powerful, nonprofit, global youth activity with far-reaching artistic, educational and organizational influence. Through the annual DCI Tour and World Championships, Drum Corps International provides entertainment to millions through live performances and nationally-broadcast events. Drum Corps International is Marching Music’s Major League.