Talk about discipline. They wake up at 7 a.m. and work until midnight. They generally have a performance or competition daily. For three months, they sleep in school gymnasiums in a different city each night. And they love it.
The Magic Drum and Bugle Corps is made up of 135 members, ages 14 to 21, who audition each winter to become part of the elite performing group.
“They fly in from all over the world,” Tim Hoffman, brass staff, said.
The corps made an overnight stop in Medina on Tuesday, where they camped out at the Wise Middle School gym. Up early on Wednesday, the torrential rain kept them from rehearsing outside, so they marched in place and practiced indoors.
Several members of the Medina Mustangs Marching Band, along with their director, watched as the group went through their rehearsal drills, occasionally stopping to do push-ups and exercises. It looked more like an army boot-camp than a band at some points, but the members can’t get enough.
Shane Cheatle, color guard staff, has participated in color guard since he was in high school. After “aging out” of drum corps at age 21, he came back to the Magic to teach.
“Once you do it, it’s in your blood,” Cheatle said.
For the brass and drums, November auditions marks the start of weekend rehearsal camps, held once a month in Orlando until May, when the group moves into a Florida school to rehearse full-time. They travel until the middle of August, when they will compete in the finals.
“One thing a lot of kids don’t understand is how gratifying hard work is,” Cheatle said. “These kids know what hard work is and they love it.”
So why do the members choose to trade a relaxing summer for one of 16 hour days, grueling rehearsals and constant travel?
“When you wake up every morning doing something you love, there’s nothing better,” Cheatle said.
The camaraderie and bond shared by the members makes the long days worth it.
“It’s like a family,” Cheatle said. “You see these people 24 hours a day.”
Drum major Matthew Rummels, a 20-year-old Texan, has been with the group for a few years and agrees there is nothing else he would rather do over the summer.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Rummels said. “It’s nice to be in a situation in the world where you can get out of it exactly what you put into it.”
Rummels said the corps teaches members life lessons about time management, responsibility and relationships.
“You build life-long friendships that will last forever,” he said.
It’s hard to imagine being content with months of sleeping on inflatable beds, but the satisfaction and excitement was evident in the members.
“It just becomes a way of life,” Cheatle said. “But it’s not for everybody.”
Color Guard Captain Abigail Malloy, 17, said she will continue to perform with the corps until she reaches the age limit. She said she does it out of a passion for performing, and can think of nothing else she’d rather be doing.
“If I get to do it for three months every day, then that’s awesome,” she said.
Medina Marching Band Director Scott Ballard said the school generally hosts a drum corps overnight each year, and observes and learns from them.
“It’s important to see people at a different level,” Ballard said.
Rachael Huwyler and Brittany Snyder, former Mustangs Marching Band members who graduated this year, came to the school to watch the Magic. Snyder said she thinks a group like the corps would be really “rewarding” to be part of, but “way too time consuming.” Still, the girls said watching what they do is “amazing.”
The Magic loaded up their four buses, two semis, box truck, van and souvenir stand and headed to Buffalo on Wednesday for a performance, before heading to Michigan Wednesday night.
Contact Holly Weber at (585) 798-1400, Ext. 2225.
Local News
Related Photos
-
DENNIS STIERER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Discussion
Magic comes to Medina
Florida-based drum corps spent night, rehearsed at Middle School before heading to Buffalo for performance
- Local News
-
-
Local pro-lifers protest in D.C.
Thousands of abortion opponents marched to the Supreme Court on Monday to mark the 39th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, and supportive lawmakers urged them to further their cause by working to defeat President Barack Obama in the fall.
-
Cardenas trail set for March
The trial of Carlos Cardenas will move forward in March at the Orleans County Court following the conclusion of a pre-trail hearing on the admissibility of statements made by Cardenas.
-
Board resets salaries
Albion Town Clerk Sarah Basinait and Highway Superintendent Jed Standish, whose salaries were chopped in the 2012 town budget, will not see a pay decrease after all.
-
Senate passes Abbagail's Law
Legislation passed in the New York State Senate could have far-reaching effects for those caught under the influence while acting as a supervising driver.
-
YMCA growth is community plus
Efforts to expand both regionally and in programming is apparently paying big dividends as YMCA membership is up some 35 percent over the past year and a half.
-
Library story hour
Children’s Services Librarian Sue McAllister is reading a story to children from the Head Start program at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. This is a monthly story hour program the library does for Head Start.
-
Albion tries to figure out Albany's intent
The imposition of a property tax cap is forcing the Albion Central School District to make budget changes, but Superintendent Michael Bonnewell says the issue is due more to an unknown procedure than the levy requirements.
Albion has held tax rates level or lower in recent years. The district is still working to determine where the levy will land, but they expect to slide well below the state-set ceiling for property tax levy increases.
The challenge Albion faces, Bonnewell said, is correctly deciphering the state’s intentions and avoiding penalties if they guess wrong. -
Wine About Winter ramping up
Downtown Medina Businesses will once again be opening their doors and popping corks to celebrate Wine About Winter, which returns for a third year from 2 to 7 p.m. Feb. 4.
More than 30 businesses will participate in the Medina Business Association event, which gives patrons a wine glass and a map of local businesses hosting wine tastings and special offers. -
Strickland Auxiliary donated to vets
Recently Patricia Nolan, president; Corinne Pahura, first vice president and chairman of veterans and family support committee; and Joyce O’Connor, treasurer of Strickland Ladies Auxiliary, Post No. 4635 Veterans of Foreign Wars, delivered a check for $500 to Paul Fulcomer, executive director of Orleans County Joint Council.
-
Dinner, dancing and fundraising
The Lyndonville Music Boosters are hosting a night of dinner and dancing Saturday as part of the final push to raise funds for a music trip to Orlando.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life
Army Orders Bradley Manning Court-martial
Cancer Charity Revives Breast-screening Grants
Heavy Snowstorm Hits Colorado On Its Way East
2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim
Prosecutors Close Armstrong Inquiry, No Charges
Sights and Sounds: Football Fans Pour Into Indy
Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3%
Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs
GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle
More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue
Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands
Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths
'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant
Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest
First Person: Will Peyton Manning Stay in Indy?
Egypt Shaken After Deadly Soccer Riot
New Suits, New Starts for New York's Unemployed
Hall of Famer Dorsett Speaks Out on NFL Injuries
