Melissa and Joe Davis
Melissa Tigard, section leader of the Seattle Cascades' front line, says the corps has overcome some adversity during finals week leading up to tonight's quarterfinals performance. The corps' original rehearsal field was a park with trees and inadequate space for a full show. Luckily, the corps found a parking lot near a downtown Target store. "It's been a good week of rehearsal," Melissa says. "We're making the most of it. The intensity level is high and excitement is up. Everyone is giving their all." Melissa's dad, Joe Davis, has been quite impressed. He made the coast-to-coast trip to see Melissa perform in her third season with the corps. "It's a great experience for her," Joe says. "She has a lot of responsibility as the section leader, and she enjoys that. She loves the challenge. She started playing piano at age five, so playing percussion keyboards was very natural for her. She hopes to be a music educator some day. I'm very proud of her and the whole corps." Program coordinator Lewis Norfleet says the corps is ready for the big shows. "Rehearsal has been good," Lewis says. "The weather has been good; heat and humidity hasn't been bad. Like most corps, we're working on final refinements to reach the highest level we can and max out. We focus on impact points, but the different sections of the corps are also perfecting their separate issues. Right now it's all about the details." Lewis says the corps is working hard to make DCI Finals, but that's not their only goal. "Our goal is not to allow a number (score) to determine the success of the group," he says. "While scores are important and we want to be competitive, it's not the end-all goal.
This activity is about youth achieving their highest level."