On autumn Friday nights, everyone has experienced it: the sounds of the band ringing through the audience, the brass glimmering under the bright lights, the drums booming in every direction, and the color guard hurling their flags through the air. It’s halftime, the moment when the field belongs to the musicians, and sophomore Jude Webber is in his element.
For most student musicians, high school marching band is a passion. But for Webber, it became a lifestyle this past summer through participation in Drum Corps International. Webber has been playing trumpet since he was young, starting in fourth grade. After playing in the middle school band, he began to realize how passionate he was about it.
“Seeing a Drum Corps for my first time really empowered me,” Webber said, “and when I realized that I could do that, it motivated me to audition (for DCI).”
Webber dedicated many hours to practice, determined to perform well at his audition.
“He was frequently showing up outside of class time and practicing his playing and marching,” GHS Head Band Director Alex Woodside said.
Consequently, Webber’s efforts paid off when he was selected into a high school-aged corps called the Colt Cadets, directed by Harlan Pfohl. But what exactly is DCI?
“We like to market DCI as marching music’s major league,” Pfohl said. “So in a way, it’s very similar to a fall band program, but it’s a little more in-depth in the way that it’s a full-time commitment.”
Webber also had his own thoughts on the program as a whole.
“The best way to explain it is, think about marching band on a professional level,” Webber said. “It takes up all your summer and requires you to go on tour with people you could call ‘band nerds,’ who are just trying to create a cool show.”
Creating a memorable show can assume many different forms, and this year, the Colt Cadets were busy bees as they perfected theirs.
“This past summer, our show was titled ‘The Hive’ and so it was about the working of bees and functioning as a cohesive unit,” Pfohl said.
They took the show on the road to many midwestern states, including Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Their season culminated in a performance at the DCI Open Class Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL team Indianapolis Colts. They placed eighth overall.
“The atmosphere was really cool, and being on that football field was truly something special to me,” Webber said.
But to achieve that reward at the end of the season, the Colt Cadets had to earn it. Life on the road with a DCI corps is a challenge, one that fittingly demonstrates the commitment needed to work as a “cohesive unit” of bees. For example, throughout the summer, Webber became accustomed to sleeping on a school gymnasium floor in the different places they traveled to. Yet this was just one of many challenges Webber faced.
In the Colt Cadets, Webber’s typical day would start as early as 8 a.m. and end late at night, including a workout and various multi-hour rehearsals.
“Anything that was physically demanding was just as mentally demanding,” Webber said. “It was mostly a mental game of saying to myself, ‘You can do it, you got this.’”
While some would view this as not fun and unnecessarily difficult, Webber instead viewed it as a privilege and an incredible opportunity for him to grow as a musician, marcher, and person in general.
“Jude is focused, concentrated, and giving 100% percent effort every single rep,” Woodside said. “He is a great role model in terms of what it looks like to be striving for excellence.”
Reasons such as that are why Webber earned the leadership position of horn sergeant. This job included responsibilities like answering questions from other band members and, more importantly, ensuring that they are thriving.
“In addition to being a good role model for the hornline, I had to check in on the condition of my fellow hornline members and make sure they are doing well mentally and emotionally, which is the most important part of being a horn sergeant,” Webber said.
Back home at GHS, Webber has applied his admirable mindset through numerous activities. He plays trumpet not only in Gretna’s varsity marching band, but also in the concert band and jazz band. In addition, he plays in the show band for the JV show choir, Evolution and is a member of the varsity show choir, Revolution. Outside of music, he is an athlete on the track and field team. Webber has pursued excellence in all of these activities, which is something that was highly emphasized in Webber’s corps.
“Perfection is a very hard thing to obtain, but it’s just, kind of, the chasing of perfection that helps with obtaining excellence,” said Harlan Pfohl of the Colts.
Participation in the Colt Cadets not only refined Webber’s marching band skills but also, perhaps more importantly, was an opportunity for him to develop new, meaningful connections.
“I think for him, the bigger part of it was the people he met while doing it,” Woodside said. “He always brings up the relationships he’s made. He’s met some really, really cool people who have become really important to him in his life.”
Since Webber has discovered such a deep passion for music, he said he hopes to reach a higher level one day and make a career out of it.
“I would really love to compose music for those top drum corps, or just compose in general someday,” Webber said.
Ultimately, DCI was an unforgettable experience for Webber, one that broadened his horizons and sparked his future aspirations.
“There were a lot of lifetime lessons that I was taught through Colt Cadets and DCI,” Webber said. “It really has changed me to be a better person today.”
