Day 28

Date: June 11, 2011
Time: 11:30pm
Playing on iTunes: "Stonehenge" performed by the 1998 Cadets








Location: Allendale, NJ
Recent Trip: 108 miles

The Cadets arrived in Allendale, NJ around 1am. It was pouring rain, but luckily we all got inside rather quickly. We woke up at 8:30 which meant we got 7 1/2 hours of floor time...unbelievable. Felt great to get that much sleep. Today was our first outside public performance in full uniform. The pit needed to get refitted for some pants so that took up a good chunk of the morning and by the time we were done setting up, we warmed up for a half hour and it was lunch...Then it was time to get ready for ensemble.


From my stand point if someone else in the pit is being worked with on a specific part and I'm just relaxing waiting to get worked with, I highly enjoy just listening to the brass line play the show. It's really inspiring and beautiful to hear the sounds they can make. I just really wish I could play a brass instrument. It sounds so good from far away...and from close up. That's probably one of my favorite things about my days in drum coprs other than performing.


Tonight's performance was very important for the corps because the Cadets are originally from New Jersey so there were a lot of alumni there. Everyone absolutely loved the show. In the percussion feature of the show, the pit has a feature and so far we have been getting cheers after we have our pit feature. We have been having debates in the pit whether or not we'll get cheers after the feature. Because honestly, the audience usually pays attention to the drum line and the brass line. But THIS YEAR, there is so much pit exposure. Aside from 3 pit features in the opener, our extreme pit feature in the percussion production of the show lasts 45 seconds long and so far we've gotten applause after every time we've performed it. Makes me feel great because the pit usually does not get a lot of exposure. I'm glad the audience can start see what the pit can do!

After the performance, as per tradition, the alumni and current Cadets get together and have pizza and ice cream. The alumni got us personalized hats strictly for the 2011 Cadets. It was awesome. So glad I can have something that is special to me and something that I can only get from being in the Cadets.








Welcome another member to the pit family!! CHURCH BELLS!! So earlier during spring training, we got rid of concert chimes (tall chime bells that you hit with mallets) and now we just got in these monsters:

Not exactly sure where we're gonna use them but I'm pretty sure they may be used during the climax of the finale. This is gonna be awesome because they're really loud and so authentic. As I said with electronics taking over all authentic sounds it gets kind of ridiculous the sounds you can replicate, but you can never replace actual sounds. And this is great being able to have some church bells. Not to mention how cool it's gonna look in the pit. Each church bells weighs over 100 pounds and we have 6 of them with the rack you see above!! They swing and you just push them to get a sound, just like an authentic church bell. Whoever gets to play them is gonna have soo much fun!


The show is coming together and is almost done with drill. Soon enough!




See you in Mount Pleasant, PA!!




Thought of the Day: "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Matthew 12:36-37