Cavaliers Push Hard Past Pre-Tour Midway Point

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 - 9:49 PM
By Dan Minkel

Now more than halfway through the four-week rigorous training period known as Pre-Tour, The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps has left the Chicagoland area to spend the better part of two weeks at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill. The days leading up to the June 16 season opener in Akron, Ohio, will consist of 12-hour rehearsals as the entire organization makes its final preparations for what is sure to be another unforgettable experience in 2012.

Check out Pre-Tour photos on Facebook

Cavaliers Wrap Up Stay at Benedictine University.

On Sunday, June 3, The Cavaliers packed up and said 'goodbye' to Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill, marking three years of utilizing the nearby Catholic university as a top-notch facility to kick off the summer. While housed at Benedictine University, the corps spent just over two weeks learning the show and refining technique.

Pre-Tour has been nothing short of productive, with drill being learned at an intense pace, choreography and visuals being taught and retained, and music being fine-tuned for early excellence. More than four minutes of drill, choreography and music is now on the field as an ensemble, with the members having learned 84 individual sets of drill so far.

Check out Pre-Tour photos on Facebook

Before heading south to the corps' next Pre-Tour location, The Cavaliers were invited to perform a short standstill concert for the opening night of the DuPage County Hounds, DuPage County's new baseball team. Before the team's inaugural game began, members of the front ensemble warmed up the crowd with their always-entertaining musical pieces. The brass and drum line took to the outfield and performed a Bach chorale, as well as the opener to the 2012 production, '15 Minutes of Fame.'

Those in attendance enjoyed the corps' brief performance, and members of the crowd were eligible to win tickets to the Hounds season games, as well as the 29th Annual Cavalcade of Brass, to be held July 13, at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex.

After the performance, the corps left for its first laundry day of the summer. Brass, percussion and color guard buses left to different laundromats in the Lisle area for a well-deserved break from rehearsal. Members finished their time off with a run to Walmart to pick up any essentials (and not-so essentials) that might be needed for the final stretch of Pre-Tour.

The Green Machine Moves to Eastern Illinois University.

For the first official bus ride of the season, The Cavaliers traveled 195 miles south from Benedictine University to the second housing facility of 2012, Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill. The large and picturesque 320-acre campus has been a familiar stop for the corps over the years, and members are quickly adjusting to the new rehearsal routine and environment.

Check out Pre-Tour photos on Facebook

With 11 days until the first competition of the season, The Cavaliers are pushing hard to produce, enhance and field their 2012 program. The organization is excited to present its show to the world and to give fans of all ages an unforgettable experience.

By Dan Minkel, Marketing Communications Intern

Founded in 1948, The Cavaliers are one of the most successful drum and bugle corps in history, winning 20 national championships, including seven Drum Corps International world championships since 1992. Each summer, 150 male brass, percussion and color guard performers aged 16-22 present a marching music show considered among the most challenging and original in the world.

The group performs at more than 30 competitions across the US and for more than 100,000 fans. Along the way, the young men not only learn about music and performing, but have a life-changing experience based on excellence, teamwork and camaraderie.

The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization sponsored by The Village of Rosemont, Illinois.