Chris Lugo

As we work through our web server issue, here are The Cavaliers' 2015 announcement details: The Cavaliers will raise the bar once again with an amazing display of athleticism in our 2015 production, GAME ON. Contestants are introduced into a grand arena and presented with obstacles that will challenge their strength, speed, agility, flexibility, and mental power. GAME ON will feature an aggressively entertaining and emotional musical score, drawing from the sources "Fetes" from "Nocturnes" by Debussy, "Macrotus" by Zimmer/Newton Howard, and the final movement of "On the Shoulders of Giants" by Peter Graham.

Just a note to clear things up re: Green Thunder Percussion and Cavaliers Indoor Percussion. In 2014 (last winter), Green Thunder Percussion (GTP) had its most successful season yet, which included winning two WGI Percussion regionals in Independent Open Class (Indianapolis and Dayton). After the Dayton regional, GTP was promoted to Independent World Class to finish out the 2014 competitive season...a HUGE testament to the entire GTP team of designers, educators, and performers, but I believe even more so a testament to the growth of this incredible program offered by The Cavaliers since 2008. Green Thunder, competing for the very first time in Independent World Class after the mid-season promotion, finished the 2014 season as a WGI World Championship Independent World Class semifinalist, and we couldn't have been prouder! Coming off of a wonderful season like 2014, the decision was made to continue the growth trajectory of this ensemble and even more closely align our World Class indoor percussion program with The Cavaliers. Cavaliers Indoor Percussion (CIP) picks up and runs with the foundation set by Green Thunder Percussion. Now, this also gives us the opportunity to further invest in the future of GTP as a separate ensemble focused on training and performance for percussionist in the Chicagoland area. With the development of CIP, we felt that taking the time to ensure success and stability with Green Thunder was critical. Thus, our plans are to relaunch GTP in 2016. Hope this helps. And I have to say that there was a LOT of excitement in every room this past weekend at our 2015 Audition Experience event in Chicago. Now, we are focusing on another invigorating weekend in Austin to complete the first round of our 67th anniversary season recruiting!

frankv - Good answers has been presented throughout this thread, but I'll add in my $.02 here. Both Phantom Regiment and The Cavaliers are going to provide an incredible experience. Really. Just ask any of our organizations' alumni. I always suggest that prospective members do their research on their target drum corps, while simultaneously listening to their gut. What first brought you to drum corps? Why Phantom Regiment? Why The Cavaliers? One of the best ways to get to know a drum corps is to attend their audition camp. As a baritone/euphonium player, you'll have auditions available on Dec 12-14 for Regiment (Rockford), or Nov 22-23 (Atlanta), Dec 5-7 (Chicago), or Dec 13-14 (Austin) for The Cavaliers. Phantom Regiment audition info: http://www.regiment.org/howtojoin/ The Cavaliers audition info: http://audition.cavaliers.org I can tell you that we (The Cavaliers) have a talented and dedicated team of designers and educators who are passionate about bringing excellence, artistry, athleticism, and entertainment to the performance field. http://cavaliers.org/news/cavaliers-announce-2015-design-and-caption-leadership-teams http://cavaliers.org/news/cavaliers-announce-2015-educational-staff Our brass team has professional music educators at the collegiate and high school level, freelance and touring musicians, performers with the Boston Symphony and Blast!, a DCI Hall of Famer, and an all-around strong contingency of incredible teachers. Regardless of a brass member’s future musical goals and aspirations, we have a team of educators who will provide quality mentorship and instruction to help our students realize those goals. http://cavaliers.org/cavaliers/staff/brass We have a medical team that has set the standard in our activity. We feed our members well. We travel well. We treat our members with respect and like adults. We expect a LOT from our performing members, but you wouldn't want that any other way. We're going to push you to go beyond your limits. And we're going to do so as a brotherhood. One with more than 60 years of history and tradition behind everything you do. You'll find that the brotherhood and fraternity define The Cavaliers' experience...it's who we are. This video is almost 10 years old, but what's referenced is still as true as ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgYUf3qhnu4 I know the folks over at Phantom, and I'm certain you'll get an awesome experience there, as well. So, work your butt off and get to a camp. See which organization is a fit for YOU. Then make YOUR educated decision. If you want The Cavaliers' brass audition materials, just shoot me an email (Chris.Lugo@cavaliers.org). Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help with your decision to march The Cavaliers...I mean...which ever corps you choose! ;-)

Not public, yet. ;-) Soon!

The Cavaliers have recently announced the full brass and percussion teams for 2014, and I wanted to make sure we share with the DCP community: 2014 Brass Team, under the direction of David McGrath: http://cavaliers.org/news/cavaliers-announce-2014-brass-educational-team 2014 Percussion Team, under the direction of Michael McIntosh: http://cavaliers.org/news/cavaliers-announce-2014-percussion-educational-team

We (The Cavaliers) should be announcing our full brass team in the coming week, and to say the least...we're excited about the caliber of these experienced educators and performers who will be leading our brass students. The Cavaliers have held auditions in Atlanta before, as it's no secret that there are many talented prospective members in the area (and the Southeast). It just so happens that this year, we already had our standard Chicago and Austin camps nailed down prior to David McGrath and his team coming on board. The management then made a decision to add an additional satellite camp in Atlanta to round out our 2014 audition events. Of course, having a mostly local brass leadership team there in Atlanta helps reduce travel and facility expenses significantly, especially since that audition is a brass-only camp, but we are continuously looking at our recruiting and event mix to give more students an opportunity to become part of the Green Machine. Should be a busy audition season for us, with our percussion section's appearance at PASIC and BOA Grand National Championships next weekend in Indy; auditions for Green Thunder Percussion, our indoor percussion ensemble; and our three audition events in Atlanta (11/24 brass only), Chicago (12/6-8), and Austin (12/14-15) for membership in The Cavaliers. Plus, we should be dropping the percussion and guard staff announcements in the short term, as well!

We're excited to have David McGrath and his core brass team on board!

Completely false.

Just an update for DCP that we (The Cavaliers) are 18% of the way toward hitting this $5,000 matching challenge with less than 36 hours to go...which means we have a LOT of ground to make up! One way we could use YOUR help would be sharing this campaign/challenge with your extended network. FB Post: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151687663623996 Read More on Cavaliers.org: http://bit.ly/BYB2013_ClassicsMatch Donate Today: https://give.cavaliers.org/brawl

Appreciate that, Slingerland!

Yes, this is a post highlighting a fundraising campaign -- I wanted to make sure we're letting DCP know what's going on with our efforts and to tell you about a cool match opportunity for the Green Team. The Cavaliers and Phantom Regiment are at it again for this year's Backyard Brawl fundraising challenge. In 2012, Regiment took home the title, bringing in a total of $32,217, which was $3,704.57 ahead of The Cavaliers' total of $28,512.43. All-in-all, the two corps brought in more than $60,000 last year, which was pretty darn impressive for our first go-round at something like this. The Cavaliers have had a very strong start to the 2013 campaign, with the first public report (on July 3) resulting in a $9,352 advantage over Phantom Regiment. We did this by getting some generous alums to put up two $1,000 matches that we used over the first two days of the campaign. The Cavaliers also rolled out a new giving website (give.cavaliers.org) that gave us more control over the donor experience...all in an effort to make it simple to support what we do. [i'd definitely encourage feedback at Chris.Lugo@cavaliers.org regarding this giving site, as we're getting closer to rolling out a new main cavaliers.org experience, as well...and I know there is a LOT of brain power here!] To help ensure the corps continues on with our fundraising momentum, the Classic Cavaliers have step up with a $5,000 matching challenge, which is the largest match opportunity The Cavaliers have received from a single entity. This is HUGE for us. The Classics support The Cavaliers through performing at various events, parades, and festivals in the Midwest, with funds raised helping directly offset a number of expenses incurred by the drum corps. This group of Cavalier (primarily) and drum corps alumni have come through in the clutch with this $5k match, and I hope some of our DCPers can help support this effort to DOUBLE the impact to $10,000. This particular challenge goes through 11:00 pm CST on Saturday, July 6. If you're interested in helping us hit this match, you can give an amount that's comfortable for you at give.cavaliers.org...we're definitely going to need ALL the help we can get to realize a match of this size! Thanks so much for those who took a look at this post -- I really do appreciate the community here on DCP, and I hope to learn more about why many of you are so incredibly passionate about our activity! Let me know if you have any questions about the Backyard Brawl or our $5,000 matching challenge from the Classic Cavaliers.

Ballet Sacra/Holsinger is no longer in The Cavaliers' 2013 rep. Official repertoire listed as: Music of Hans Zimmer, John Mackey, Angelo Badalamenti, and Michael Giacchino. More at Cavaliers.org

The Cavaliers have learned that John L. Opager Jr. (1943-2012) passed away yesterday afternoon after a short, yet courageous battle against liver cancer. Opager marched with the corps from 1959 to 1963, and he was the Green Machine's iconic American flag bearer during the 1961 undefeated season. A memorial fund has been established to honor the memory of John Opager, who is pictured (center) proudly guarding the colors. We ask that you keep the family and friends of John Opager in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. If you wish to make a contribution to The Cavaliers in John's memory, please visit https://www.cavaliers.org/cgi-bin/payments.pl and use the pull-down menu to select a gift in John's honor. Memorial gifts may also be sent to: The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps PO Box 501 Rosemont, IL 60018

GearWORKS: Cavaliers 2013 Clinic/Audition Camp Information - http://bit.ly/2013Auditions HOW TO AUDITION FOR THE 2013 CAVALIERS 1. Complete the Online Membership Questionnaire for complete 2013 Audition & Membership Information 2. Choose to attend a GearWORKS: Cavaliers 2013 Clinic/Audition Camp (dates/locations below) 3. Submit your non-refundable GearWORKS: Cavaliers 2013 Clinic/Audition Camp Fee 4. Prepare with Audition Materials ATTENDEE OPTIONS - NEW for 2013 CLINIC + AUDITION* This option is designed for those wanting to experience The Cavaliers' weekend clinic AND audition for 2013 membership. *Must be a male at least 16 years of age by June 1, 2013 to audition. CLINIC ONLY** This option is designed for those who want the same exact experience of The Cavaliers' full weekend clinic, but without the pressure of an individual audition. Perfect for those getting ready for a future audition with The Cavaliers (2014 and beyond), or for those who want to learn the "Cavalier Way" without the intent of auditioning in 2013. CLINIC ONLY students may increase their participation to include the Audition at any time, by submitting an additional $25 payment online or onsite. **Must be a male at least 14 years old and attending high school to participate in the CLINIC ONLY option. 2013 CLINIC/AUDITION SCHEDULE (choose one) Chicago Clinic/Audition Camp: Dates: November 16-18, 2012 Location: Chicago, IL (Area) Housing: TBD Edmond Clinic/Audition Camp (BRASS & PERCUSSION ONLY): Dates: December 1-2, 2012 Location: Edmond, OK Housing: Sequoyah Middle School Austin Clinic/Audition Camp: Dates: December 8-9, 2012 Location: Austin, TX Housing: McNeil High School-Round Rock ISD 2013 CAMP SCHEDULE January Call-Back Camp (BRASS & PERCUSSION ONLY): Dates: January 11-13, 2013 Location: Chicago area Housing: TBD Winter/Spring Camps: February 8-10, 2013 (BRASS & PERCUSSION - No Color Guard): Chicago, IL Area - TBD 
March 1-3, 2013 (BRASS & PERCUSSION - No Color Guard): Chicago, IL Area - TBD 
April 26-28, 2013 (FULL CORPS - Including Color Guard): Chicago, IL Area - TBD 
May 17, 2013 MOVE IN (FULL CORPS - Including Color Guard): Chicago, IL Area - TBD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Our 2013 clinic/audition process will better incorporate those who want the same exact Cavalier weekend camp, but without the pressure of an individual audition. Perfect for those prepping for a future audition, or for those who want to learn the “Cavalier Way” without the intent of auditioning. This ‘clinic-only’ option also comes at a reduced price point. All male students, regardless of skill-level, are welcome, and our goal is that each student leaves camp having received a world-class training session and the educational experience of a lifetime. We’re adding ‘masterclass’ sessions at each camp with our nationally acclaimed designers and educators, including Michael McIntosh and Brian Tinkel (percussion); Joe Musick and Scott Atchison (brass); and Brady Sanders , Tommy Allen , and Andy Toth (color guard). OFFICIAL POSTER GearWORKS: Cavaliers 2013 Clinic/Audition Camp Information - http://bit.ly/2013Auditions

You're correct. Typically, we've tried to go with shorter "hashtags" to better promote use, but while also staying true to the actual event name. Hence using #DCISWChamps over #DCISanAntonio was not only shorter, but it was closer to the name of the event (DCI Southwestern Championship). Now for Atlanta, the event is DCI Atlanta Southeastern Championship presented by by Lake Oconee & Greene County, GA...not really the best for trying to stay true to the name. #DCIATL is pretty close! Really, we put together what we think is best/what has worked in the past in regard to hashtags, but we also promote whatever the community gravitates towards...usually by observing the use of those particular hashtags.