A summer of musical adventure
Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008
Music drifts course through Travis Cannady’s blood. In 1980 his soonto-be-baritone-playing father met his someday-to-be-clarinet-playing mother as members of the University of Arkansas band: They had no way of knowing that they were sealing their future offspring’s fate with their passion for music.
At 19 years old, their son begins an adventure that he will tell stories about for years to come. On Christmas Eve, via an e-mail message, Cannady learned that he had been accepted to the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2008 season.
“ I remember watching the corps march on TV in the ’ 70 s and always dreaming about it, ” his mother, Laura Cannady, said. “ Now, it’s so incredible, Travis gets to live that dream. ”
Travis, also a baritone player, has been following in his father’s footsteps since taking up the instrument eight years ago as a sixth grader. He played under the tutelage of Siloam Springs High School band director Keith Rutledge and had occasional practice help from his father, Tom. Travis’ instrumental and marching techniques strengthened over years of diligent practice, self motivation and familial support.
“ Our entire family is extremely musical — but none of us has ever been part of Crossmen, ” Laura said. “ He was kind of self-taught because that’s just the way he is. ”
Cannady’s grandfather is a former band director, his uncle is musically gifted and both his siblings also play instruments. Travis, a 2007 Siloam Springs High School graduate, is a student at Northwest Arkansas Community College, where he is majoring in music.
“ I became interested in Crossmen in particular after I went to the drum corps finals in Pasadena last year, ” Cannady said. “ After that I really got into it and decided it was what I wanted to do. ” The Crossmen, based in San Antonio, Texas, formed in 1975 in Philadelphia. According to the Crossmen Web site, the modern drum corps is comprised of 150 performers from around the world with ages ranging from 14 to 22. The performers include brass musicians, percussionists and color guard. They perform a 9-minute to 11-minute program on a standard football field. Programs are extravaganzas of musical excellence, marching precision, color, drama, dance, humor and emotion. All members of the corps (except the front percussion ensemble ) are required to march intricate patterns, formations and transitions which are coordinated with a musical production. “ There were other corps around the area
that I could have
tried out for, but I knew that I wanted to be on the best with the best so I tried out for Crossmen, ” Travis said.
Cannady initially auditioned in San Antonio in November, then was summoned for a second audition on Dec. 2. More than 200 musicians from the world over attended the auditions, Cannady said.
“ It was really amazing to be playing with people who were so good at what they do, ” Cannady said. “ There were people from Japan and Italy and everywhere else. ”
Since Cannady’s acceptance three months ago, the family has made five trips to San Antonio. Monthly practices during which Crossmen members learn music, routine and marching are scheduled through May. In early May Crossmen members will reconvene in San Antonio for a three-week dormitory stay packed with a demanding training schedule. In the middle of the month the corps leave for performances.
Over the summer the Crossmen will travel across the United States to perform and compete in the Drum Corps International Summer Music Games.
“ I’m getting really excited for this summer, ” Travis said. “ I’ve been getting materials that they send us in the mail to practice and memorize and am feeling pretty confident. ”
The monetary requirement for participation in the Crossmen drum corps is $ 2, 800 per person in member and touring fees. Travel, instruction, food, uniforms, equipment, housing and additional expenses are covered by the fee.
“ Money wasn’t really a thought for him when he decided to try out, ” Laura said. “ We think that he’ll be able to make it happen. He has plans for raising what he needs. ”
Family members donated $ 800 to help sponsor Cannady’s trip. He plans to have a car wash sometime in the spring and possibly petition members from his church for further sponsorship.
“ Pretty much we’re going to have two days off during the whole summer, ” Cannady said. “ We’ll be traveling on a bus, sleeping in gyms and going nonstop. ”
The rigorous Crossmen schedule includes daily rehearsals, concerts, parades, marching events, competitions, stops in various cities and DCI Finals.
“ They weave across the country and will be playing in Rhode Island at the biggest and oldest Fourth of July parade in the country, ” Laura said. “ Our family will be there to watch as much of it as possible. ”
There is a strong possibility that the Crossmen will have a stay and performance in Siloam Springs, Cannady said. In 2003, the Crossmen of Newark, Del., were seen locally when they placed third in the DCI summer music games at Glenn Black Stadium in Siloam Springs.
“ We would come through here because I told them about it and said that I thought that we might be able to sleep in the high school gym, ” Travis said. “ Mr. Rutledge is working on it and it would be really nice if it happens. ”
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