Cavaliers End Pre-Tour Chapter, Begin Summer Tour

Saturday, June 16th, 2012 - 11:20 AM
By Dan Minkel

Through the past month, The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps has been pushing to learn, refine, and field their 2012 program, 15 Minutes of Fame. The Pre-Tour season has been packed with learning experiences both on and off the field - and now it's time to put that work to the test.

Check out Pre-Tour photos on Facebook

Pre-Tour began at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., where The Cavaliers spent roughly 15 hours daily for 16 days to begin shaping their program and building their summer experience. While at Benedictine, the corps fielded the first two movements of the program: "Procession of the Divo" and "The Fame Monster."

The time spent at Benedictine University was not all work, however. Friends, fans, family and alumni of the corps gathered to enjoy the annual Family Day BBQ, where the corps gave a preview of the show at that point. The corps also played for the season opening game of the DuPage County Hounds, DuPage County's new baseball team. Finishing up their stay at Benedictine, the corps took time out to clean laundry and run to local stores before for moving to the second Pre-Tour location.

The Cavaliers traveled 195 miles from Benedictine University to Eastern Illinois University (EIU) to wrap up preparations for the summer tour. The corps spent eleven days in Charleston, Ill., fielding two movements of their production: "Out Here On My Own" and "King of the Mountain." While pushing toward completing as much of the show as possible, the members also found opportunities to learn more about each other, as well as the corps history, to bring Pre-Tour to a healthy close.

The Cavaliers then departed EIU to travel to Leetonia, Ohio, located just outside of Youngstown, Ohio, for the final stretch before the first performance at Innovations of Brass in Akron, Ohio. Members are expressing their excitement for beginning the next stage of the summer and bringing the 'Green Machine' to fans across the country. "Pre-Tour is over for us, and we're ready to move on and start performing," said first-year trumpet player Tyler Easterling. "We've been having our best rehearsals, and tour is starting to feel 'real' to us."

Check out Pre-Tour photos on Facebook

The Cavaliers have a long string of competitions lined up for the next few weeks, starting with the season opener in Akron, Ohio. The event will be broadcast through local movie theaters as part of the Drum Corps at the Movies: 2012 DCI Tour Premiere on Monday, June 18.

From here, The Cavaliers will bring '15 Minutes of Fame' to more 35 venues this season and look to bring fans even closer to the action -- The excitement is just beginning, and we invite you to join us every step of the way this summer right here on Cavaliers.org, as well as on our popular Facebook and Twitter pages!

Check out Pre-Tour photos on Facebook

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.