The tension built in the band hall as students from across Texas came to audition for their favorite prestigious drum corps.
The Cavaliers, based out of Rosemont, Illinois, allows band students from all across the nation to compete in marching band after high school and college. It allows those students the ability t0 keep living their dreams. The Cavaliers consist of 34 percussionists, 82 brass players and 29 colorguard members.
The audition process is difficult and rigorous, and only the top competitors make it. Those who do make the team their summers traveling all around the world competing in top venues, such as the Alamodome in San Antonio and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, home of the Indianapolis Colts.
Participants also compete against the best of the best. Each drum corps gets the best players, so it makes it that more difficult and that more intense. The Cavaliers most recently finished eighth at the 2012 DCI World Championships in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium on Aug. 11.
For the past few years, the Cavaliers have made a stop at McNeil to hold open tryouts for those interested in joining the corps. Auditions were held on Dec. 8, hosted by Assistant Band Director and former Cavalier Jason Dimiceli.
Staff arrived in Round Rock on Friday night to prepare for a long day of auditions beginning the next morning. McNeil band members showed their hospitality to the staff by volunteering to provided food for the day-long event.
Interested students in trying out can get more information at www.cavaliers.org.
