You can hear River City Rhythm before you see them.Pulling up to the practice field in Fairfield, the sound of drums pounding and marimbas tapping carries from a distance.Then you see them.Dozens of young performers rehearsing, repeating the same movements and music over and over again as they prepare for Monday night's 29th annual Summer Music Games, a drum and bugle corps competition hosted by Fairfield High School.For the performers, the few minutes they will spend on the field Monday night represent months of preparation.They've spent weeks traveling across the country and hours rehearsing every day, all to put together one performance."These members are put under so much stress every single day," said Julia Cordes, River City Rhythm's visual caption head. "They're traveling and then they're getting up and they're rehearsing for up to 12 plus hours a day sometimes."Cordes knows the grind firsthand. She marched with River City Rhythm for two years before returning to the organization as a member of the staff.She said this year's corps has a mix of veterans and rookies, with returning members helping push the newer performers along.WATCH: River City Rhythm prepares for Summer Music Games Summer Music Games returns to Cincinnati as River City Rhythm prepares for competitionThe group is also coming off a milestone season.
River City Rhythm reached the world championship semifinals for the first time last year and is looking to build on that success.For Embree Way, the journey to the field has been years in the making.Way, a center marimba player, said he has auditioned for different groups since the COVID-19 pandemic began. After years of trying, he finally found a spot with River City Rhythm."It's really rewarding when you finally can see the hard work that you put in over all these years," Way said.Way is now in his second season with the corps.The members come from across the country, giving them a chance to meet people they otherwise may never have known.That community is part of what keeps them coming back."It's a great way to make friends, connect with people all across the country," Way said.Carter Grupe and Abigail Alvarez, two of the corps' drum majors, said the friendships are a major part of the experience."It's all about the people that you meet," Alvarez said."We really have such a culture that everybody is very friendly," said Grupe.
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