Name, age, hometown: Emily Brown, 21, St.Cloud, Minn. What corps are you in and what is your role this summer? Blue Stars, color guard flag line. Where I go to school and what I'm studying: I go to St. Cloud Technical College and will be graduating in May with my AA Degree(associate in arts). Next fall I'll be attending St. Cloud State University, where I want to get my teaching license to become a high school history teacher.

Emily Brown (center) and a couple friends.
Give us your full drum corps/marching music background: I marched four winters (front line and cymbals) and three summers (cymbals and bass) with the St. Cloud All-City Marching Band. I began my drum corps career in 2002 with the Blue Stars front line. I also marched in 2004 and 2005 in the color guard (flag line). This year I'm marching with the guard again and it's my ageout summer. What does your ideal free day consist of? Probably wake up at 9 a.m., because you know in drum corps if you sleep past 8 it's totally sleeping in! We head out to the mall, the movies, beach or swimming pool. Just getting a day to relax is always good. Favorite pig-out food: Probably chips and dip! But for bus food, Pringles. In the shower you can hear me singing: Anything, I love to sing in the shower. The last good book I read: "Ghost Soldiers" by Hampton Sides. It's about the Bataan Death March that happened in World War II. The last great film I saw: "Jarhead" probably is the last great film even though it was a while ago. My Favorite TV shows: "Will and Grace," "Law and Order" (any of them). How did you decide to be a member of your corps? I tried out in 2002 at Minnesota Brass and got cut, and Ben Chamberlain invited me to Blue Stars and then gave me a spot in the pit. So if it wasn't for Ben, I probably wouldn't have even known about the Blue Stars. What first attracted you to the drum corps activity? Getting chills watching members in the corps. But most of all, my brother is the reason to this day that I started marching. What advice would you give to young people who want to march? Don't let anything stand in your way of marching. If you really want to march, do it. Try out and do your best. Don't let money issues stand in your way, you'll find a way if you really want it. When you march, have fun. Don't always be serious. Drum corps is the best way to find some of your closest friends and in some situations, your spouses. If you don't love what you do, then don't do it. Best drum corps show ever and why: Hmm -- that's a tough one. The best: was Madison Scouts 1999. But some of my favorites are Phantom Regiment '02 and '04, SCV '04, and Blue Stars '02,'04 and '05.