Name, age, hometown: Daniel Mancuso; 21; Kingston, N.Y. What corps are you in and what is your role this summer? I am a part of the Kiwanis Kavaliers as the assistant drum major for my ageout year. Where I go to school and what I'm studying: I am currently enrolled at Hillsborough Community College to get a degree in liberal arts.

Daniel Mancuso
Give us your full drum corps/marching music background. I started marching at Land 'O Lakes High School in Land 'O Lakes, Fla., on trombone my freshman and sophomore years. Then in my junior year I was the assistant drum major and I marched trombone that year as well, and for my senior year I was the drum major, alongside Ryan Couch. What's your practice schedule like? Between camps I mainly focus myself working on endurance for conducting by practicing with long pieces of music. I also work with my breathing, so I run about a mile or two almost every day. During camps and tour, I do whatever is needed to be done. This might include getting the intensity of a certain section worked just right, and encouraging everyone to keep working hard. What does your ideal free day consist of? Sleeping somewhere extremely comfortable, or just getting online and talking to all my friends at home. Favorite pig-out food: Chicken nuggets or some pineapple. In the shower you can hear me singing: Any song by Styx ("Mr. Roboto") or my favorite band, Coheed and Cambria. The last good book I read: "Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)" by Christopher Paolini The last great film I saw: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (for the third time). Jobs I have/have had: Bagger/deli clerk/produce clerk at Publix Supermarkets, Panera Bread, and volunteer at Countryside High School. My favorite TV show: "Lost" What would you be doing next summer if you were not marching? I hope to be teaching visual for a corps or I'll be working and traveling out to the closest drum corps show out there. How did you decide to be a member of your corps? I pretty much just fell into place. I heard there were auditions going on for a corps who had their camps locally in 2002, and I just went and became a member of the Kiwanis Kavaliers. What first attracted you to the drum corps activity? Watching my older brother march for Tampa Bay Thunder, I got hooked into watching it, and then I just decided to march. What advice would you give to young people who want to march? Just take the chance and try out, because everybody has the same chance at making the line as you. Once you're in, never take a season off, because you just might regret it. What I want to be when I "grow up": I would like to be a chef. Favorite drum corps personality and why: The staff member who does everything and never sleeps, but every day he always has that same goofy smile, and you always hang out with him since he's the coolest guy ever. Best drum corps show ever and why: Out of my personal shows, I would have to say when Kiwanis went to Orlando this past season. The energy was just pumping out from everyone. But my personal favorite would be Blue Devils '02. The first time I saw that show was finals night and I was just blown away by it. The year is 2030. What does a DCI show look like? The field is now the sky, and it's like watching a 3-D game of checkers with all the members looking like they're just stepping on one another. All the instruments make little images inside tiny clouds, and they form one huge show like it's a mini movie.