TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Carson Hielscher is a member of the Pride of Arizona's band and a student at the University of Arizona. Over the summer, he competed with a team that won the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championship.
"It's something that I have been dreaming about since I was 9 years old so I'm proud of that," Hielscher explains. "But I'm honestly more proud of the fact that I did it with the people that I love and just doing what I love. I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.”
He plays the mellophone, which is a brass instrument. Each team that competes in the DCI has about 165 members. He was on the 'Bluecoats' team that is based out of Canton, OH. He says spring training lasts for about six weeks, and the team continuously works on perfecting their show until going on tour.
“Something we say a lot at the Pride is how you do anything is how you do everything. So, if you want to be truly great at something, you have to be great at all the other areas of your life," Hielscher says. He gives a lot of credit to his teachers and experiences that he has had with Pride of Arizona. He says it has prepared him for the competition at the DCI World Championships.
“As musicians we’re perfectionists, so we’re always chasing perfection. We’re never gonna get there, because we’re humans. But you chase perfection, and on the way you reach excellence," Hielscher says. He is a junior at the U of A and looks forward to his next two years with the Pride of Arizona.
