Senior Nicci Buzan has been involved in musical instruments for at least eight years. Her main instruments are the French Horn and the mellophone, but she is also talented in the bass guitar, piano, and trombone.

All her hard work has finally paid off, as Buzan has earned a spot in the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. Buzan is one of the very few WS students who will have participated in Drum Corps, and is the only one to make the Cadets.

On May 14, Buzan will begin spring training for her position in the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. Each day of training consists of around fourteen hours of music rehearsals and marching.

“It’s going to be very similar, but very different in many ways compared to our own fall marching band,” Buzan said. “It includes hard work and more hard work. The level of the Cadets is much greater than our marching band.”

Buzan participates in five band classes here at school. She further develops her performance skills by taking part in a community orchestra and brass quintet called One of a Kind Brass. On her own, she practices up to two hours on each of her main instruments, the French horn and mellophone.

Starting in November, Buzan attended her first audition camp for the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps for five months. The average age of the participants she was auditioning with were about 21 years old, putting her at a disadvantage.

“Auditioning when I was 17 put me behind the experience level of the others auditioning, who are primarily college music majors,” said Buzan. “Overall, it’s an enormous weight lifted off my shoulders to actually know I’m going to be marching with the Cadets this summer.”

Buzan will be performing with the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps until August 15, ending in Indianapolis when her group stops for the Drum Corps International World Championships. Each week she will have around four to five performances. In addition, the entire group tours and performs in stadiums all over the country: starting in Pennsylvania, then to Texas, California, Washington, and finally back through the states to the east coast.

As of now, Buzan is focusing on the physical aspect of being part of the drum corps. She runs every day, practicing controlling her breathing, in order to prepare for the strain of marching and playing at the same time. Her dedication and desire to do well pushes her to do her best and work even harder to improve.

“There are a multitude of feelings that come to mind when I think of actually making it into the Cadets,” said Buzan. “There’s pride, anxiety, excitement, and just a general feeling of relief.”