FHNSABCONTRA

Hello my name is DanielEldred. I am a sophomore at Anne Arundel CommunityCollege in Annapolis, MD. I am a music education major. This will be myfourth year marching in Drum Corps. I marched contra in the 2009 and 2010Jersey Surf and the 2011 Cadets Drum and Bugle Corp. I grew up all around theworld; I was born in Bellevue, Nebraska. My father was in the Air Force so wemoved all around the country, I was raised mostly in Hawaii until he retiredand moved us to Maryland, which is where I first joined band and learned mypassion for music. In high school my sophomore year I went to a “Music is Cool”camp with no knowledge of DCI or the Cadets. I saw "This I Believe"live. To this day I can still remember how much excitement I felt watching thatcorps move so fast and precisely; when I heard the horn line play, not only didI want to be a Cadet, I swore that one day I’d be on that field proudly wearingthe Cadet uniform. Just like the 77 years of Cadets before me did. So Ipracticed tuba, marched two great years at Surf being taught by Gino (who hastaught Cadets since 2000), and Cadet alums such as Shorty, Mike Shainer, MikeAshmead, and JP Crowley. In November of 2010 I tried out at Cadets for my firsttime and got two ones; I was so happy I called my mom immediately and told herI made it, that I was now a Cadet! I marched the 2011 season thanks to the helpof my mother and won a DCI world championship title. Already the experience Ihave gotten out of one year at the Cadets has taught me so much, not only aboutmarching, but who I am. So I want to go back this year to learn and grow evenmore than I did last year. Sadly though my mother, a widow from my father’spassing in 2007 followed by my brother’s passing in 2008 at the age of 22 of Leiomyosarcoma, was just diagnosed with stage twobreast cancer the day before this Thanksgiving; she cannot support me this yearthrough my journey as a Cadet, especially with college this spring semester.All of her time and money has to go into her fight with cancer; her firstoperation is the 29th of December, when I will be there for her. This year itwill be hard but possible for me to march another year with the Cadets (I havethis and next year left.) The fees this year are $3,463.00 dollars. Plus Springtraining expenses, laundry, travel and out of pocket expenses, etc. I live over100 miles from camps, and if you’ve ever driven on the Jersey Turnpike, youknow how many tolls there are back and forth, ha,ha. I am working a full timejob at Panera Bread (more than 40 hours per week making sandwiches to pay asmuch as I can. But I’m also a full timestudent (18 credits). In College I play in the concert band, symphonyorchestra, and I sing bass in the Chamber Ensemble, which is helping me becomea well-rounded musician and gives me great experience so I can be a High SchoolBand Director. I know in the economy music education is a bad career field, butI chose music education to give back all the experience and life lessons myband director gave me and one day make a connection that my band director and Ihave. I am here to beg for support, so that one day with the experience I takefrom my second year at Cadets, I can make that connection with a futurestudent. I am hoping that with your help, I will be closer to my goal ofmarching this year. Whether a donation of five dollars or five hundred,everything helps. Thank you all for reading this. You can contact me throughhere or my email Dweldred92@gmail.comThank you so much for your help. You can make donations by sending a check. Butlet me know you are donating so I can personally thank you! 1. Make checkspayable to “YEA!” 2. Clearly mark “Cadets2012 Tuition – Daniel Eldred” in the memo line of the check. 3. Send check to: The Cadets – Melissa Barlow 601 West Hamilton Street Allentown, PA 18101 Thank you in advance for your time and support. Yours in music and marching, Daniel W. Eldred

What! How about the Cadets this year? Their uniforms didn't match the show concept?