“It is a great alternative activity for kids to participate in during the summer,” Clifford A. Lipscomb, staff coordinator, said. “The kids learn so much about how to take care of themselves (do their own laundry, clean their own trays, etc.). They learn personal responsibility, time management and how to take care of their bodies.”

Clemons said the corps teaches participants “everything you need to know about how to be an adult.”

The corps was originally funded by several Jacksonville organizations, Blackburn said, but now half of the operating budget is garnered from participant annual dues of $2,300 each and the other half is through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Lipscomb said the corps still needs to raise funds to support it.

“We were not expecting gas prices to rise as much as they have,” he said. “We’re having a car wash, a performance in front of Wal-Mart and our show/spaghetti dinner Saturday to help us.”

While the same show is used throughout the tour, “Voices of the Seasons” by Rajaton, an a cappella group from Finland, corps performances evolve nightly.

Participants described the show as “powerful,” “exciting” and “upbeat.”

“We make constant improvements on it,” Freund said. “I like knowing, at the end of the day, I got just a little bit better.”

They asked people attend the show Saturday and support the music.

“It is the best show on the field right now,” Hill said. “I hope we really inspire somebody with it.”

They also encouraged other young musicians to consider corps, stating it “helps you find your personality” and “makes you stronger, mentally and physically.”

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but it may be the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” Pelella said. “I even feel like that at the end of a rehearsal.”

Freund said positive thinking and going for it is important.

“You can’t say, ‘I don’t think I’m good enough,’” she said. “You’ve just got to try it.”