ADRIAN, Michigan — Spring training ahead of the Drum Corps International Tour can be an incredible uphill battle bound by a seemingly endless schedule of conditioning and rehearsal time. Truly making it a worthwhile endeavor takes a great deal of leadership, focus and unity within a corps.
For members of The Cavaliers, the nearly 80-year-old corps hailing from Rosemont, Illinois, the only way through the grind is together.
“We’re all buying into the process and we’re all super process oriented here, which is great for the whole idea of learning a drum corps show, because you’re not going to get that instant gratification right away,” Cavaliers horn sergeant Zach Harper said. “The fact that all these guys, and especially the younger members, are buying in so easily to taking one step at a time is really incredible.”
The Cavaliers, who have been in action at Adrian College in southeast Michigan for their pre-season rehearsals since the end of May, seemingly have this mindset baked into the corps’ greater culture and throughout its membership. Color guard sergeant Devin Hairston echoed a similar sentiment.
“The days have felt calm, but we’ve been super productive, so it’s been nice to just look back at the last few days and say, wow, we did all that,” Hairston said. “When internally I’m feeling like I’m exactly where I need to be and I’m feeling present in the moment.”
This type of commitment and work ethic requires a foundation built over time. While The Cavaliers’ history and ethos are well established in DCI, the corps is emphasizing connections between sections in 2026. It’s a move aimed at strengthening their core pillar of “brotherhood.”
“The other day, (non percussionists) went to go to the front ensemble area, and everyone learned how to do four mallet grip,” Harper said. “Those small things really help build the brotherhood we have here at The Cavaliers. It translates onto the field and into our performance when we know we’re all brothers out there together.”
Fueling this tradition is a strategic shift in how the corps rehearses. In 2026, the blueprint for spring training efficiency has been to learn the production movement by movement, focusing heavily on individual sections. While this has at points meant fewer full ensemble rehearsals, Hairston noted that the occasional scarcity of whole-corps time has actually brought the members closer together.
“This year we took a different approach,” Hairston said. “We’re not necessarily having full ensemble every night, so the times that we do get to be together are very special. Each morning the full corps meets for about 15 minutes to talk about the day and what we want to accomplish. Sometimes we’re team bonding, we’re getting to know our brothers, someone new every day,”
The dedication to the craft and each other is what has kept the corps moving throughout the pre-season cycle, a task made easier by the excitement behind the corps’ 2026 production, “The Lost Boys,” loosely based upon the story of Peter Pan and revolving around a group of rebellious young men fighting against time to save their youth. It’s a reflective concept that The Cavaliers have easily rallied around.
“It’s very personal to me and a lot of the other age-outs, because we don’t have a lot of time left in this activity and not a lot of time left as a member of The Cavaliers,” Harper said. “It makes it really easy to perform the show, but it also makes me think a lot, and honestly gets me quite emotional, knowing that there will be a time where I have to grow up, so to say, and move on.”
Not only is there enthusiasm around the idea itself for the members, but there is also palpable buzz around getting the show on the road, giving audiences a feeling for its emotional depth and putting their physical work on display.
“There are parts of the show where I think people are going to say, that’s so interesting, I’ve never seen that before,” Hairston said. “It’s exciting. It’s exhilarating, and we talk a lot about how much of a privilege it is to do this every day.”
One visual element setting the identity of “The Lost Boys” was unveiled when the show was announced on June 14. The corps’ new uniforms for 2026 feature graphic tees, leather-like jackets, ripped fishnet accents and flannel patterns scattered across the entire look. Hidden within the heavy grunge aesthetic are also references to iconic shows of The Cavaliers’ past. Each section in the corps has a differing color scheme and shirt design under the jacket, with homages to “Four Corners” from 2001 and “Spin Cycle” from 2003 as examples.
“I just love the whole vibe of it. I’m a huge ‘90s punk rock culture fan. I love grunge music, I love Nirvana, Sublime, all that stuff. So the whole idea of the uniform really fits into that theme and that style,” Harper said.
After weeks of forming this cohesion as a collective corps, the time to hit the road for the summer tour is fast approaching. For The Cavaliers, this transition brings not only fresh physical demands, but mental challenges as well.
Harper noted that unlike the static routine of spring training, the tour forces the corps to adapt to new situations. “We’re waking up in a new place every day where everything’s always different,” he said. While the constant movement is a grind, Harper is eager for the corps to push past it by maintaining the same process-oriented mindset championed by Hairston.
“We’re starting to feel that it’s starting to get real. I’m excited to see how this energy that we have now transforms into the energy that we’re going to have later,” Hairston said. “Especially when we’re in that end zone, ready to throw down.”
The Cavaliers are set to debut their 2026 production “The Lost Boys” at the DCI Tour Preview in Muncie, Indiana on June 26.
