Millions of Americans tuning into the Late Show with David Letterman Friday night caught a glimpse of the Cadets' drummers playing licks in between each line of the "Top 10 List."

Letterman cheered them on as they played over their heads, rolled with confidence, performed "blurtas" and then an accelerando before the "number one" joke on the list.

The corps brought 32 drummers, but only 25 would fit on the stage. The snares were in front, and the entire line unfolded at the end, marching down the aisles through the crowd and playing Stars and Stripes Forever with the Late Show Band.

"I wanted to hear more and more and more," Letterman said during the Thursday taping of the show that aired Friday night. "That was terrific."

"It was fun," said George Hopkins, Cadets director, in an interview with Drum Corps World. "It was interesting. It came off well. It was pretty challenging. Dave and Paul (Shaffer, Letterman band leader) were pretty happy," Hopkins said.

It was good work if you can get it, and here's how the Cadets got it. It all started when the Letterman Show producers called the creators of the Broadway musical BLAST!

"They were looking for a drum corps, but didn't know how to find one," Hopkins said. Ironically, Letterman Show trumpet player Alan Chez is a Cadets alumnus and currently teaches the Crossmen and Bushwackers, but the producers didn't realize that until now.

"Their producers talked to Dodger Theatricals," Hopkins said, "who talked to Jeff Queen (BLAST! Broadway cast member), who called me."

Chez said the drummers blew away everyone who was there, including Letterman, who likes to drum with his pencil on his desk and mic during the show. The crowd clapped after each drum lick, and cheered and clapped along as the drum line marched out of the studio.

Letterman introduced the Cadets as one of the oldest and most storied drum corps in the world.

Watch yea.org during the upcoming weeks for insider pictures of the event.

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The Cadets 2001 Tenors (Photo by Harry Heidelmark)