Fan of the Week: Matt Wood

Friday, August 10th, 2012 - 2:25 PM
By Dan Minkel

Every Friday, The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps will be featuring a Fan of the Week for our Fan Fridays effort! Young, old, far and wide - our incredible fans are at the center why we do what we do! This week, let's meet Matt Wood!

1. Please state your name, age and hometown (and Twitter handle, if you have one).

My name is Matt Wood, I'm 16 years old, and I'm from San Antonio, Texas. My twitter account is @MattWoodWC.

2. How long have you been a Fan of The Cavaliers?

I have been a fan since the second half of my freshmen year in high school (early 2011), I was having a hard time in my high school band, and I wasn't sure if I was going to continue in it for the next school year. Luckily, a friend of mine who has an older brother currently in the corps told me one day to look up DCI, I came across the 2004 program "007" on YouTube, and from there, I have been a fan of the Cavaliers ever since.

3. What is your favorite Cavalier program and why?

My favorite has to be the 2004 program "007". Not only was this the first show I had seen from the Cavaliers, but the music used in it and the drill written for it has to also be my favorite one to date. I watch it usually at least once a week at minimum.

4. What music/show would you like to see The Cavaliers perform?

I really can't think of a show suggestion I would have, but you guys never fail to amaze me year in, and year out. For a musical suggestion, I really enjoy the piece "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin, and I think it would be really cool if you used a selection of it in a show.

5. Are you making it to a drum corps show this summer? If so, which one(s)?

I was lucky enough to see you guys on July 21st this year, for the DCI Southwestern Championships. I had also hoped to go out the next day to watch your members perform at I&E, but unfortunately, I couldn't make it.

6. What do The Cavaliers mean to you?

The Cavaliers are something I look up to. They are a great example of how hard work and determination pays off in the end. I look to them for inspiration, they encourage and motivate me to work hard, not only in a musical sense, but in every aspect of my life. Since my Freshmen year, I have hoped and dreamed of one day becoming a Cavalier, even switching to a brass instrument to one day complete my goal of making the corps. The matter of fact is that the Cavaliers have become a part of my life, I can't go a day without thinking about them, one 12 minute show changed my life forever, now I want to become a part of it myself. Until that day, I will be cheering you on from the stands!

Matt - Thanks for letting us get to know you just a little better during Fan Fridays!

CAVALIER NATION: If YOU would like to be featured on a future Fan Friday, look for a post on our official Facebook and Twitter fan pages!

August 10, 2012 - Justin Protacio

August 3, 2012 - Matthew Fultz

July 27, 2012 - Laurinda Webb

July 20, 2012 - Kane Brantley

July 13, 2012 - Alexandra Doyle

July 6, 2012 - Ashlee Mancuso

June 22, 2012 - Jameson

June 22, 2012 - Mollie Johnson

June 15, 2012 - Tyler Adelman

June 8, 2012 - Erin Holtz

June 1, 2012 - Abraham Moreno

May 25, 2012 - Sarah Shepherd

August 5, 2011 - Erica Hylemon

July 29, 2011 - Andrew Poland

July 22, 2011 - Jessica Graves

July 15, 2011 - Breeanna Menendez

July 8, 2011 - Hillot Rogers

July 1, 2011 - Thomas Stone

June 24, 2011 - Ethan Conrad

June 17, 2011 - Nina Kiritsis

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.