DAYGO

Can't wait to hear how this weekends camp goes! Safe travels to all. Crazy to think move ins are less than a month away.

Enjoyed the podcast as well and even got a few laughs from it. 1) Nikki's comment about DCI "giving" The Cadets 5th place last year because they new this was coming. - Yeah, ok. 😅 2) the ballad from 2023 - the comment about only realizing how good it was after recently hearing it added to a clip from Kung Fu Panda - where were you all season last year? I do love the Kung Fu Panda mash up tho...

BUMP! Really looking forward to what Mandarins have in store this summer! My son has 2 HS buddies that will be on the field with Mandarins this summer and I'm excited to follow their first summer with the corp. They've been at our home a few times recently with my son catching up, watching DCI performances and eating up all of my food (🤣). I stay out of their way, but love to hear them talk shop from a distance. Some of us "dinosaurs" tend to think that they don't appreciate the corps and shows of old, but you'd be surprised. They respect and appreciate where the activity came from and how it has evolved. They spend hours watching and listening to performances from the 80's and 90's which tickles my heart because those eras spawned the bug that bit me. They are great kids and I'm excited for them to join the Mandarins family this summer!

Thank you kindly! Hope to see you around in Indy!

Much love, Chief! You know I'll be rooting for Dre and Mandarins all summer!

Love it. I'll be wearing Cadets gear all summer, except on show days. I'm a Crown dad now so gotta support the kid.

So many iconic shows in their history that will live on forever, but for selfish reasons, my favorite was 2023. I followed them closely all summer and got to see my son on the field in his rookie DCI season. When the last formation hit on Final night in Indy as a large part of the crowd erupted, there he stood. Right on the 50 yard line. Nobody knew at the time that it would be the last brass release of one of the most storied corps in the history of the activity. It brings a tear to my eye now just thinking about it. Yesterday was a very tough/emotional day for my son and our family. We'll all move on but as I told my son, he'll always have last summer and those memories. I'm eternally grateful that he had that opportunity. Thank you, Cadets. FHNSAB

I knew it was possible, but still find this heartbreaking and unbelievable.

My personal favorite show of all time...

Boston and Bloo each have 9 former Cadets. SCV has 14. Crown has 18. According to my son, there are 60 that found a new home for this summer.

My son had many highlights last year in his rookie season with the Cadets. A month or so after finals when we were casually taking about his experience and his top moments last summer, he didn't hesitate to say said that wearing the Westpoint uniform for the 4th of July parades and for the retreat in Indy was "by far" his greatest moment of the season. He even claimed that he got emotional when trying it on in his dorm at camp. I was surprised about that but as he explained it, he said felt like a superhero, like a champion. He couldn't believe he was lucky enough to wear the uniform that so many great Cadets before him wore. If those uniforms have to be moved/liquidated, I hope they end up with former Cadets who earned the right to wear them and wore them proudly.

He did. After the Cadets announcement, he decided to put all of his eggs into one basket for auditions. He really wanted to work under Matt Harloff and be a part of the Crown brass line. He worked extremely hard leading up to the first camp and was given a lead mello contract soon after. He's really enjoyed the camps so far and we're all exited for him and the coming season. Here we go again, Chief!

Great to heat that, Chief! One of my son's HS classmates just got a contract with Mandarins so we'll be cheering for the corp once again this coming summer. I'm sure they've got something GREAT cooking for a follow up to last year. 😎

Popcorn ready. Is it June yet?

FEB camp is next weekend and my son can't wait to be there. The Mello sounds that have been coming out of his room the last month have my imagination going crazy. That book is no joke. I can only imagine what the entire brass line will sound like this summer.