Yorkville Native Appearing on 'Clash of the Corps'

YORKVILLE, IL — When Yorkville resident Marissa Spevak began playing with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corp, she probably didn’t think it would lead to her being on TV, but as luck would have it, that’s exactly what happened, as well as spending a weekend with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

A psychology major, Marisa is a seventh generation percussionist and the second in her family to join Drum Corps International. She can be seen on “Clash of the Corps,” a show executive produced by Johnson. It airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. central on Fuse.

Marisa manages a jetsetter’s schedule – going to school at Southeastern University in Florida, she would often fly to California for a single weekend of rehearsals for the Blue Devils, then take a red-eye back to school on a Sunday for a Monday morning final exam. She’s also the president of the Psychology National Honor Society on her campus. Even with her competitive edge, the best piece of advice she received from a fellow corps member: “You need to be cocky behind your instrument, and humble the second you step away.

In an interview with Patch, Spevak said it was sometimes challenging to have a film crew around, but most of it was “extremely comfortable.”

“They tried to keep us in our environment, in our realm of comfortability,” Spevak said. “It’s a mixture of having new people and getting to know them.”

Born and raised in Yorkville, Spevak said she gets back as often as she can.

"I miss it," she said. "I never thought I'd say that. I usually try to get there for Christmas or Thanksgiving or Easter. All my family is there. I love Yorkville. I love the growth every time I go back."

As part of being on the show, Spevak was invited along with two other Blue Devils members to hang out with Johnson on the set of his latest movie in Hawaii.

"He was super down to earth. Really personable. He was interested in getting to know us. He asked us about our experience," Spevak said. "It was nice to get to chat with him a little."

So far, the reaction from her family and friends has been very positive.

"It's been so fun getting feedback from people I went to high school with and haven't talked to in years," she said. "My family, of course, have all been watching the show."

“Clash of the Corps" premiered Oct. 5. Catch the latest episode Nov. 2 and every Wednesday at 10 p.m. central.

photos courtesy of Fuse