THE 34 DAYS OF CADETS
We’re counting down to the end of 2020 with the 34 Days of Cadets, bringing you fun facts, pivotal moments in Cadets history, and videos every day through the end of the year! Check out the content below.
As we continue to prepare for our 2021 season, we invite you to make any gift you can to our 2020 Holiday Campaign, and then write a personal holiday card to a current Cadet! You can help us fill their mailboxes with good tidings this December.
DAY 26: THE GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
For our 50th-Anniversary season, the 1984 Cadets performed the music of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, winning their second DCI title in a row. The color guard wore gleaming gold tops with white skirts.
DAY 25: KEVIN & DWIGHT
In 1973, Lead Sopranos Kevin Marshall and Dwight White (pictured in the front line) make history as the first black members of the Cadets.
DAY 24: THE LATE SHOW WITH THE CADETS
In Nov. 2001, on incredibly short notice, some Cadets drummers along with a few of their college friends and some members of other corps put together a performance as part of a bit on the Late Show with David Letterman.
DAY 23: ALWAYS LOOK GOOD
It’s Rule #1 here at The Cadets, and CBrass takes it seriously. We carry our horns in the right hand (you’re less likely to bump into someone else’s this way!), we NEVER set them down on the bells (to avoid scratching), and brass players always “stack” their horns neatly in full sections. (Early in the season, you’ll often see vets making slight adjustments to the angles so their section’s stack is the straightest.)
DAY 22: THE FIRST FEMALE LEADS
In 1976, sisters Lynn (snare) and Gail (soprano) DeAngelis became the first female leads in their sections.
DAY 21: JINGLE BELLS!
With 12.25 just a week away, here’s a little POV fun brought to you by Horn Sergeant and Trumpet Soloist Jesse Garcia and The 2012 Cadets.
DAY 20: DANCER
In 2020, The Cadets Brass Staff recorded this special tribute to the corps’ performances of “Dancer in the Dark,” first performed by the 2005 World-Champion Cadets.
DAY 19: THE SILENT ENDING
We ended our 1977 and 1978 shows with a unison “Amen,” but in 1979, the corps remained silent due to a DCI rule change that would have cost them a full point.
DAY 18: TRL
In 2004, The Cadets and Crossmen Drumlines joined forces to accompany Destiny’s Child on MTV’s TRL (Total Request Live).
DAY 17: THE UNIFORM
The Cadets first don the West-Point uniform. While the gold sash and cummerbund were added a year later, our traditional uniform made its Cadets debut in 1938.
DAY 16: BUS LIFE
Who knew we would ever miss having ZERO personal space? This nostalgic photo was taken in 1991.
DAY 15: HIGH BRASS IN HOT PANTS
In 1977, our color guard wore hot pants instead of skirts, and the Brass Staff taught them how to play the old valve-rotor sopranos (recently retired in favor of 2-valve soprano bugles). This created an 80-horn company front for the finale, “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” from Jesus Christ Superstar. Check out this clip courtesy of Drum Corps International!
DAY 14: FIRST EQUIPMENT TRUCK
The Cadets purchased their very first equipment truck in 1957.
DAY 13: THE PRAYER BLOCK AND THE ’09 HOLY NAME CADETS
In 2009, we changed our name back to our original name – the Holy Name Cadets – for our 75th-Anniversary season, bringing a throw-back West Side Story show to the field with a modern twist. You can also see all of our logos through the years in the drill at the beginning of the closer!
DAY 12: FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN DRUM MAJOR
In 1982, Larry Harris made history as the first black drum major of The Cadets.
DAY 11: WORLD’S FAIR
A rare photo of the 1940 Holy Name Cadets at the New York World’s Fair
DAY 10: POWER OF 10 HORNLINE
This one goes to our Power of 10 season and the incredible hornline that had the chops to play Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 AND bring home the Jim Ott Award for best brass performance at the 2015 DCI World Championships!
DAY 9: CAUSING CONTROVERSY DURING THE VIETNAM WAR ERA
In 1970 and 1971, the corps marched in an iconic peace sign drill form. This was highly controversial for the time!
DAY 8: FIRST FEMALE CADETS DRUM MAJOR
In 1992, Joanna Allen made history as the first woman to join the elite ranks of the Cadets drum majors, paving the way for many more outstanding leaders after her.
DAY 7: THE CADETS PERFORM AT BARACK OBAMA’S PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL PARADE (JANUARY 2009)
Due to a long delay in the events that day, the corps was outside in the sub-20-degree wind chill waiting to march all day long — one of the few times when the wool uniforms of the past would have been welcome!
DAY 6: THE CADETS PERFORM AT THE 1996 OLYMPICS
The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga. concluded with the first black South African ever to win Olympic gold standing on the center podium, and the Cadets had the incredible opportunity to be standing in the background. Moments later, the corps performed in the Closing Ceremonies of this iconic event.
DAY 5: THE FIRST WOMEN BECOME CADETS!
In 1969, Judy Tomko and Denise “Dee” Kolbusz were co-captains of the first Cadets Color Guard to include female members. We celebrate these two amazing women and all the ’69 Guard girls who paved the way for so many women who have now worn the maroon and gold.
DAY 4: FIRST CROSS-COUNTRY TOUR
In 1950, The Cadets embarked on their first transcontinental tour, PRE-highway system! The corps drove all the way to Los Angeles to defend their American Legion Championship 3-peat.
DAY 3:
“Baritones…”
[if you know, you know]
DAY 2: CADETS INTRODUCE RIGHT-FOOT STEP-OFF
In 1985, The Cadets introduced our trademark right-foot step-off. With so many odd-numbered count phrases in “Jeremiah,” George Zingali did this to break left-foot habits. He and Marc Sylvester also recognized that increasingly complex visual programming went beyond military marching and borrowed the right-foot lead from dance technique. This also helps new members to break old marching habits and achieve a uniform Cadets marching style year to year.
DAY 1: CBRASS 2020 PRESENTS, “CADILLAC OF THE SKIES”
Here’s a beautiful recording of The 2021 Cadets Brass performing “Cadillac of the Skies,” cut together with footage through the years.
