Austin Audition Camp Report

Saturday, December 19th, 2009 - 2:53 PM

The Cavaliers hosted its second audition camp of the 2010 season this past weekend in Austin, Texas. We had a great turnout, and if you followed along on Facebook or Twitter, you got live action of the 2010 auditions in the Lone Star State.

The Cavaliers voted into Top 100 of the Chase Community Giving campaign on Facebook, won $25,000 grant over the weekend!

Guard Sergeant Ben Ash, who attended both audition camps said, “There was a great turn out for all sections. I keep getting really excited about the season to come!” Color guard instructor Sheldon Apo was “not only impressed by the talent displayed, but by the marked improvement over the two-day camp.”

The staff shared this sentiment across the board.

“We were very impressed with the group that auditioned this past weekend in Austin. Everyone had great attitudes and appeared to be very well prepared. As we talked at the end of the weekend, it was obvious that everyone, both staff and students, had an incredible time together,” said Battery Coordinator Tim Maynard.

Brass Caption Head Scott-Lee Atchison thought, “It was incredible! Texas talent is like no other place in the country. We could fill nearly the entire horn line with great talent from this satellite camp alone.”

What were we looking for in prospective members?

Maynard stated, “We are looking for both ability and adaptability. We are looking for members who possess strong fundamental techniques, but are also eager to learn and adapt to the Cavalier way.”

2010 Austin Audition Camp photo album

What suggestions do we have to those who auditioned?

For those moving on to the January Call-back camp, run with the new information you learned throughout the weekend. In January, the staff will be assessing improvement in potential members. What can you do with the newly acquired information?

For everyone who attended, kudos for coming out to audition! Many will never take that step out of the box to put themselves in new and challenging situations. By attending this past weekend, you have gained valuable experience which can only bring you closer to achieving your goals.

Veteran members stepping up to the plate.

“A special thank you to the vets for stepping up and assisting wherever possible,” says Director Drum Corps Operations Mark Ackerson. “Everyone was on board and eager to get 2010 underway. We had a very positive meeting with the vets, discussing everything from the past, the future, 2010 tour, staff, and management team.”

The veteran members are doing an outstanding job of adapting to new techniques. Not only have they openly embraced new information, a few even attended both the Rosemont and Austin audition camps in order to best prepare themselves for the upcoming season. “It truly is a pleasure to have such a strong, teachable group of veterans leading the Cavaliers percussion section,” concludes Maynard.

What happens next?

The Cavaliers will hold its January Call-back camp for those brass and percussion performers invited to the next round. Color guard performers invited back will attend the April camp. You can find camp information here.

Note: We are still looking for some talented trumpets and mellophones to finalize The Cavaliers 2010 horn line. Anyone interested should contact Scott-Lee Atchison at cavbrass@cavaliers.org for more information.

If you have any questions about the upcoming January Call-back camp, please contact the office at info@cavaliers.org or 847-685-8412. If you would like to volunteer, please contact volunteering@cavaliers.org.

Special thanks to McNeil High School-Round Rock ISD, host Jason Dimiceli (FMM 1997-1999), and the many volunteers who helped ensure this camp ran smoothly. We cannot thank you enough!