Two Gateway High School band members received contracts to compete this upcoming summer with a decorated junior drum and bugle corps from Wisconsin.

Josh Burns and Nick Nikou, a trumpet and euphonium player respectively, were chosen after auditioning in November for the Madison Scouts, which travels the country from June to August to compete as part of Drum Corps International (DCI).

“Nick and Josh are the first instrumentalists to participate in DCI since I believe 2008 or 2009,” said James Hoeltje, director of bands at Gateway. “I don’t remember exactly the year, but it’s been quite some time since we’ve had an instrumentalist. We’ve had a couple color guard members go on and participate in DCI, but not any instrumentalists.”

DCI considers itself “marching music’s major league.” It was founded in 1971, when 13 organizations formed the Drum Corps International collective to organize youth-focused competitive drum corps events in North America.

An audition camp was held Nov. 19-21 in Milton, Wisc., located about 40 miles south of Madison. Nikou and Burns were told they were accepted Nov. 22.

“I’m pretty excited,” said Nikou, 17. “We both kind of had ambitions of doing drum corps. We like school marching band. We always felt that we’re pretty good and we like to perform at a high level, and surround ourselves with people that are also pretty good.

“It’s really exciting to be with a group of like-minded people who really like to do what we like to do. I got a sense of that when I was at the audition camp.”

Burns, 17, said he thinks the experience will do more than help him progress with the trumpet.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of a higher-level group that just makes music on the same level that I’m at,” Josh said. “It helps me grow as a musician and just as a person. Just learn more important life skills that I haven’t really learned.”

Burns and Nikou, both juniors at Gateway, said they have been interested in band since a young age.

Nikou first began practicing the piano in kindergarten until the third grade. After expressing frustration with the lessons, his father allowed him to transition away from the piano if Nikou chose a band instrument in the fourth grade.

“I took that opportunity,” Nikou said. “I couldn’t decide on an instrument, but I guess my dad forced me to play one. So, I’ve liked band ever since. I initially joined just to get out of piano lessons. But it’s become something I really enjoy.”

Burns followed in the footsteps of his two older sisters, who he said were each involved with band. He became more motivated after watching the Bluecoats, a competitive drum and bugle corps, in 2019.

“Ever since I saw that first show, I knew I wanted to be part of a group similar to them, that had an incredible level of musicianship,” Burns said.

Family members are planning to watch at least one of the Madison Scouts’ performances in the summer.

Nikou said his brother, who plays the saxophone in Gateway’s band, is trying to convince their parents to let him drive to the 2022 DCI Eastern Classic on Aug. 5 and 6 in Allentown. Burns said his grandparents are attempting to travel to at least one show.

Having Burns and Nikou involved with DCI could help highlight Gateway’s band overall, Hoeltje said. He also hopes it could convince more students to become involved with drum corps.

“It’s a great thing for our program,” he said. “It sends two of our best musicians and two of our best leaders out into the field to participate in the highest level of this activity, so when they come back, it’s only going to make our program here stronger. My hope is that it will instill a love of it within our group and perhaps we can get some more kids going out and doing Madison Scouts and some of these other groups.”

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