Name, age, hometown: Nicole Secula, 18, Sunnyvale, Calif. ^What corps are you in and what is your role this summer? I play trumpet in the Santa Clara Vanguard. ^Give us your full drum corps/marching music background. I marched four years in high school marching band on trumpet. I was trumpet section leader, brass captain, assistant drum major, and drum major my senior year.



I marched three years (2002-2004) in the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadet Corps before A corps. In 2002 I played trumpet, in 2003 I played mellophone and in 2004 I was the drum major.



How did you decide to be a member of your corps? I've been wanting to be a part of the Santa Clara Vanguard A corps since I saw the DVD of their 1997 finals Show when I was a freshmen in high school. Being a part of this corps is a dream come true.



What first attracted you to the drum corps activity? I was in marching band and my visual instructor was in the A corps at the time. He got me to go to a Cadet Corps rehearsal and I was hooked.



What advice would you give to young people who want to march? Be prepared to work hard, but don't be afraid of it. Marching teaches you so many things that you won't learn anywhere else and you get to have fun with your friends all summer.



Do you have any favorite road anecdotes? Haha, not that I can think of.



The last good book I read: "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood



The last great film I saw: "Shrek 2"



Where I go to school and what I'm studying: San Jose State University, music education and maybe psychology.



Jobs I have/have had: I currently work at JumpStart (a smoothie/bistro/snack shop) and I've worked at a knitting store packaging yarn, selling it, etc. I've also worked at a mall taking surveys for big companies that want to test their products. This fall I also was on the visual staff for two marching bands which I must say was tons of fun.



Three CDs I'd want on a deserted island: My "Blast!" CD, "Gabrieli in Venice" by London Brass and "High Places" by Ron Kenoly



My favorite TV show: "CSI"



Favorite performers: "Blast!"



How do you "blow off steam?" I either run or vent to the ones I trust.



What has been your formative drum corps moment? Formative? If you mean what drum corps moment helped form my opinion of the activity then it was in 2002 after my first DCI Semifinals performance. We were in the parking lot after the show and my friend Julianna started playing our ballad and my friends Will and Roy and I started to play it with her. Before we knew it we were playing the ballad with most of the horn line in the parking lot. It was surreal, it didn't feel like it was happening. At that moment I felt like I was part of something special, a family and something bigger than me that I would always be a part of.



What are you most looking forward to about the summer? Making new friends, marching in finals, wearing the A corps uniform, there's so much to look forward to. I just want tour to start right now.



Best thing about being in a drum corps: You become part of a family that never goes away and just keeps growing.



Worst thing about being in a drum corps: Not seeing my family for such a long time. Getting shinsplints isn't fun either.



During tour, the best part of the day is: Going to bed!



During tour, the worst part of the day is: Rehearsing right after lunch when your food is digesting, it takes energy away from what you're doing.



Favorite drum corps personality and why: Uh -- I don't really have one.



What I want to be when I "grow up": Haha, I want to be a music teacher hopefully at a good college.



Describe what you think a typical DCI show will look in 2015. It will have fireworks and hot air balloons and big video screens with projections on it! I don't know, but it will be awesome.



Thank you for you time.