01/29/2026
🔥 MEET THE FOUNDER 🔥
My name is Gonzalo “Gonzo” Islas Jr., and I’m the founder of The Rising Phoenix Drum and Bugle Corps.
This vision didn’t come overnight.
It marched a long road — through doubt, grit, purpose, and faith.
The moment I knew I had to build this was watching my nephew, Owen Islas, play bass drum at Ross Academy of Creative and Media Arts. Seeing him perform took me straight back to 1986, my first year in band at Robert Louis Stevenson Junior High in East Los Angeles.
I remember my band director, Ms. Sarah Kang (RIP), asking me what instrument I wanted to play. I said trumpet — the sound I fell in love with hearing my parents sing mariachi at El Mercadito in East LA. She looked at me and said, “You have trombone lips. I’m putting you on trombone.”
I refused. She put me on a one-week trial.
That week, I practiced harder than ever.
When Owen’s brother, Aiden, followed in his footsteps, that was the cherry on top. It reminded me why music saved me — and why it still matters.
I also need to pause here and say thank you to my parents — Gonzalo Islas (RIP) and Martha Islas.
They were, and still are, my greatest supporters. They loved to sing. Music was always in our home. Music is in our blood. I could have never made it this far without their love, their sacrifices, and their belief in me — even when the road was hard.
Thank you, Mom.
Thank you, Dad.
I know you’re watching over me.
Growing up in East LA, music kept me off the streets when the pressure to go the wrong way was real. Band kept me busy. Music gave me purpose. It carried me through middle school, high school, college, and into professional groups that allowed me to travel and see a world I never imagined.
I chose drum corps because I know the talent that exists in Los Angeles — and I also know how few opportunities there are. I once came close to marching with the Concord Blue Devils. I didn’t have the funds. I was Indigenous, Native American, and the dream felt just out of reach.
So now, I’m building what I once needed.
After years of procrastinating — my biggest obstacle being myself — a close friend told me, “I don’t want to hear it anymore. DO IT.”
So I did.
After corrections, persistence, and faith, The Rising Phoenix Drum & Bugle Corps was officially approved as a nonprofit on January 7, 2026. When it happened, my heart felt like it was going to burst. I thanked the Creator, called my mom, my coworkers, my music family — because I knew this wasn’t just for me.
This is for the youth of Los Angeles.
The Rising Phoenix will never be a place of discrimination.
It will always be a place of humility, respect, discipline, and love.
No one is better than anyone else.
The only time you look down on someone is when you’re helping them up.
If a student brings GANAS, heart, and the willingness to work — they belong here. My hope is that every student who passes through becomes a humble, disciplined human being who gives back without expecting anything in return.
The phoenix symbolizes my life. I’ve fallen many times — but I always got back up. From ashes, we rise.
To the students: we’re here for you.
To the parents: we’re here to help your children rise.
To the educators: we are not competition — we are partners.
Los Angeles deserves to be proud.
We’re here to put our city on the map — the right way.
This is just the beginning. 🐦🔥
—
Gonzalo “Gonzo” Islas Jr.
Founder & Executive Director
The Rising Phoenix Drum & Bugle Corps
