News Release

NEWS RELEASE EAST PEORIA, IL The East Peoria High School Marching Band is proud to welcome the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps to the East Side Center football stadium on Monday June 15. The Colts will be practicing all day, culminating in an exhibition performance at 7:00pm. The stadium will be open to the public all day and the evening performance will be free of charge. This is a wonderful opportunity, especially for music students, to enjoy a world class, Division I, drum and bugle corps performance and will be fun for the entire family! The Colts hail from Dubuque, Iowa which is the smallest city nationally to host a Drum Corps International (DCI) Division I drum corps. The corps was founded in 1963 and has had four different names and thousands of members ranging in age from 15-21. Students from across the nation and around the world gather over the summer to participate in various DCI corps including the Colts. Alongside the main ensemble the Colts also support the Colt Cadets, a feeder program for younger students. The corps has placed in the Top 12 at DCI Finals seven times in recent history. Today the Colts are continuing their tradition for excellence by participating in events such as President Obama’s inauguration parade in January. The 2009 corps is comprised of 135 members, 30+ staff, and hundreds of volunteers including many parents. The Colts 2009 show is entitled “Fathoms” and is described by a quote by John F. Kennedy, “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to

sail or to watch…we are going back from whence we came.” The Colts continue to maintain their vision to use music and excellence to teach their students about success in life. Two members of the Colts, Patrick McGehee and Jared Kumer, are also members of the East Peoria High School Band. Both students marched with the Colts the entire 2008 season including the President’s inauguration parade. Patrick, a senior at East Peoria, plays marching baritone in the Colts, an instrument he learned for the purpose of trying out for the corps. Jared plays the tuba in both the Colts and at East Peoria. Both Jared and Patrick will rejoin the East Peoria marching band after the Colts season is concluded with the DCI Finals in August. Contact Adam Schneblin Director of Bands East Peoria Ph. (309) 369-8822 [email protected]