#SpatsAreBack; Cavaliers Indoor Dressed to Impress!
The Cavaliers Indoor Percussion was on the road this past weekend to Indianapolis, IN for the WGI Indy Regional. In Prelims, CIP was 3rd in the Independent Marching World Class with a score of 83.00 and finished 4th in Finals with a score of 82.30.
In preparation for the BIG weekend, we interviewed a few members from CIP to get an INSIDE look at what's to come for the Indianapolis Regional and the rest of the season.
Hear from the cast
Forrest Budway, 1st year member, tenor
How are you feeling about Indy Regional?
I'm feeling really great about the upcoming weekend. A lot of work has been put in from both the members and the staff, and we're all looking forward to showing off our progress over the last few weekends.
An overview of the season thus far (Dayton to Indy)
Season is going great so far. We're still riding on a lot of momentum from the Dayton regional, which was our first show and a very strong outing for the ensemble. Preparation and maturity of the members has been key in allowing us to complete the show, musically and visually, and there are a lot of other bits and pieces lined up for post-Indy regional rehearsals.
What's the show and what should the fans/audience be looking for?
The show is entitled "Unhinged," and essentially depicts the unraveling of one's inner self as they slowly begin to lose grasp, or the ability to maintain hold of, the thing, or person, they want most. As the show progresses, the audience will begin to realize that everything is not as it seems with our characters, as our initial appearance is deceptively proper, maintained, and composed. As the audience watches the show, some key things to look and listen for are the musical nuances that pair with visual elements of losing one's composure, only to quickly regain it in an instant, as if no one saw a thing. A melody may seem pleasant, with a short burst of dissonance thrown in the mix, only to return back to its original state.
Anthony Cable, 4th year member, snare
An overview of the season thus far (Dayton to Indy)
This season has been incredible so far, and we are building towards the end of the show and everything is starting to come alive. I can't wait for the final product performance in April.
What's the show?
The show is called "Unhinged," and it's about an exterior image of a charismatic and charming character, but as the show progresses, you come to realize that things aren't always as they seem. That's where things start to go downhill from there and portrays a dark and sinister side of the character.
What's your character/role in the show?
It's a deceptively simple character at the beginning. Charming, proper, and classy. But as the show continues, that image becomes twisted when my character deals with heartbreak. Then the character becomes darker and more intimidating, and basically downright crazy.
What should the fans/audience be looking for?
A very thrilling and uncomfortable (in a good way) journey from start to finish.
How are you feeling about Indy?
I am extremely excited for Indy. We have the whole show on the floor now, and I can't wait to put the show and character in front of people and make them kinda lean back in their chair and say "whoa"
Jordan goul, 2nd year member, cymbals
An overview of the season thus far (Dayton to Indy)
This season so far has been great working together as ensemble, I feel like we definitely understand the potential this ensemble has and we're hungry for it. The progress we've already made so far is just making us want more and more. I can't wait to see where this group is going to land when the season is over.
What's the show?
The show is called "Unhinged". The concept is somewhat of the Transformers where "it's more than meets the eye." We look spectacular and dapper but on the inside we're twisted and deranged. We just know how to contain it. It also seems to be a story of "Beauty makes the beast" Where love can turn a person to do crazy unthinkable things.
How are you feeling about the Indy Regional and what should the fans/audience be looking for?
I feel confident with this group's abilities going into Indy. We've got a bunch of changes and new additions to the show and I'm excited to lay them on the floor. Finally getting this production to its full potential is exciting.
Audiences should be ready for some dark twists. I don't quite think they've seen a show quite like a show that Cavaliers Indoor can put on.
Gary Rudolph, 2nd year member, snare
An overview of the season thus far (Dayton to Indy)
Since Dayton we’ve been able to learn the rest of the dots and music and will be performing the full length show for Indy. This is really exciting because we now get to produce and refine what we have for the coming weeks before Dayton again.
What's the show?
The show is "Unhinged," a look into how a character with a hidden dark side simply cannot control himself when pushed too far.
What's your character/role in the show?
My character is the snobby upper-class man who gets what he wants. He pursues a love interest during the show that falls flat and ultimately tears him apart.
How are you feeling about Indy?
I am feeling great going into Indy. Having the full show on the floor puts us in a strong position to compete as well as improve from the feedback we get.
What should the fans/audience be looking for?
The audience should definitely be looking for the emotional intensity that has been enhance in the show through the last few weeks. Adding the rest of the show really brings to life the feeling we want to audience to experience.
Matt james, 7th year member, Bass
How are you feeling about the Indy Regional?
I'm very excited for Indy. I enjoy any chance that I get to go on the road with Cavaliers Indoor and perform our production for the world to witness.
An overview of the season thus far (Dayton to Indy)
The season thus far has been the group's best by far. We have been lucky over the years to have such a consistent membership to have eight, seven, and six year members, and this year its proven to put us at an advantage giving us the strongest group this organization has seen. Putting the show together has been exciting! While there have definitely been challenges along the way the group is handling them well and pushing to a new level of excellence.
What's the show?
The show is called Unhinged, and is by far one of the darkest and most intellectual shows we have done to this date.
What's your character/role in the show?
In the ensemble I am a performer on the bass line, but as an actor I am simply a gentleman who is the embodiment of the phrase "things are not as they seem".
What should the fans/audience be looking for?
While there is a lot for the audience to be on the lookout for this show, they should definitely be looking for what exactly is happening to the character being portrayed. While the show still has a long way to go, the audience will be able to immerse themselves into the set and environment for our story to be portrayed.
Let's talk about the regional
How was the weekend?
The weekend went very well. We made really great use of our time on and off the floor from the second we arrived at our housing site until the very last piece of equipment got loaded onto the truck. As a whole, the weekend was a crescendo of great performances, with Sunday afternoon's performance retaining almost everything that we had worked on during rehearsal. It was also really nice to eat and hang out with Crystal Lake Thunder on Saturday night. - FB
The weekend was a really fun and awesome time. Indy is one of my personal favorite regionals and I have a blast every year. As for the ensemble, we played as best as we could for the weekend and we left this weekend feeling really good about our product so far. - AC
Went out there and had a great performance as ensemble. Putting out more and more is exciting to see. - JG
I think the weekend went well. We built some good consistency from rehearsing Saturday through the show on Sunday. It was also nice to spend some time with the Crystal Lake Thunder crew. - GR
Indy was a really great experience. It's always a pleasure to get in front of an audience to perform our production. - MJ
Anything unexpected?
The warm up for Saturday's show was cut down to only 15 minutes or so, for some reason. Definitely unexpected, but we still made great use of that time to get some quality reps in before heading to the floor. - FB
We actually shattered our picture frame prop we use for the waltz and we actually had to find a new frame before we went on so that was a little bit of a "work with what we have" moment for us, but we managed to get it covered. - AC
We did have a little hiccup during one of our performances but that's just a thing that we have to iron out as an ensemble. - JG
Some of us were not expecting our score to decrease on the second day, since we felt that we had a better run. Hopefully it came with constructive criticism that will help us improve going into the next regional. - GR
There really wasn't much that I found unexpected from the regional, it was relatively straightforward! - MJ
What's next?
The next big show is the Mid-East Power Regional in Kentucky in two weeks, and I'm sure the staff has plenty of additions and modifications to put into the show. We'll probably be getting some more pieces to our set as well, which will definitely add an entirely new dynamic and layer to the show. - FB
Finalizing the product we have, buffing out some things and get ready for Kentucky and then finally WGI Finals. I'm really excited for the end of this season and performing in the Dayton arena. - AC
Next thing is just getting this whole production out on the floor. more props, more dancing, more swagger. It's definitely not going to be what you saw this weekend at the next competition. - JG
Now that we’ve finally put a full-length show on the floor, the coming weeks will be great opportunities for cleaning and refining the show. There are definitely more additions to come, but a majority of the learning phase is over. - GR
What's next is just getting ready for the rest of the season and getting the final product ready! - MJ
Next Stop for Cavaliers Indoor Percussion:
WGI Mid-East Power Regional
About Cavaliers Indoor Percussion
Cavaliers Indoor Percussion (CIP) is the Independent World Class marching percussion ensemble representing The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps. Participating in the Winter Guard International (WGI) circuit, CIP offers serious male percussionists age 14-22 a world-class performance outlet in the Chicagoland area, building on the style, creativity, and excellence of The Cavaliers' award-winning percussion program.
About The Cavaliers
Founded in 1948 from Boy Scout Troop 111, The Cavaliers are one of the most successful drum and bugle corps in history, winning 20 national championships, including seven Drum Corps International world championships since 1992.
The Cavaliers provide a variety of educational and performance programs for young people, including GearWORKS, Cavaliers Indoor Percussion, and Chromium Winds. The organization delivers life-changing experiences that go beyond music and performing arts to build personal accountability, excellence, teamwork, and camaraderie.
The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization sponsored by The Village of Rosemont, Illinois.