In preparation for a season filled with practices lasting for hours and weeks of traveling, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps has stopped at Eastern to continue its pre-season tour for their 2017 production, “Men are from Mars.”

The Cavaliers are a competitive, all-male corps comprised of 150 members from different states and a few international members.

Drum and Bugle corps is a competitive activity for musicians, dancers and performers.

The Cavaliers are one of the corps that makes up the World Class circuit of Drum Corps International, a governing body that organizes the drum corps activity’s biggest and best-attended shows every summer.

The corps, based out of Rosemont, started its pre-tour at Olivet Nazarene University for two weeks.

The group then made its way to Eastern, where it will stay until Sunday, June 18.

This year, its repertoire includes “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss, “Fanfare for the Common Man” by Aaron Copland, “Wine Dark Sea” by John Mackey and “My Way” by Frank Sinatra, among others.

Color Guard Instructor Robyn Wells said the Cavaliers split into three different sections during practices, though at the end of the day they all form one big group. These are the Drum Line, Color Guard and Brassline.

While the corps’ day-to-day schedule varies, an average day of practices usually go from 8 a.m. to noon, then 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with a dinner break at five. Then, they go right back at it from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Visual Coordinator Mike Tarr said during rehearsals, each group splits up and practices new aspects of the show.

“We are learning parts for our show, individual responsibilities and we will get new parts and choreography every day and practice those parts with our groups and at the end of the night come together for one big practice with our new moves,” Wells said.

The Cavaliers will practice in different buildings throughout their stay including O’Brien Stadium, the Fieldhouse and McAfee gym.

There are no competitive shows that the Cavaliers will perform while here at Eastern, but a dress rehearsal is scheduled for Saturday, June 17.

This rehearsal, which is open to the public, will exhibit about 90 percent of the Cavaliers’ total show, Tarr said.

The Cavaliers’ first competition, the Drum Corps International Tour Premiere, is Thursday, June 22 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Shelby Niehaus contributed research to this article.

AJ Fournier can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]