LYNN – Seven drum corps from around the country will meet at Manning Field on Saturday to compete in the Tournament of Drums/Beanpot Invitational event at 7:30 p.m., according to Karen Raffa, assistant treasurer of the Cardinal Alumni Association.The event is being presented by the association, an organization of alumni corps drummers of the St. Mary?s Cardinals in Beverly, Raffa said.Profits from the tickets, which cost $25-$50 depending on seating, will go toward scholarships awarded to Lynn and Beverly students going into music programs, as well as a $300 stipend for one member of each drum corps.Raffa said $500 scholarships were awarded to six high school graduates from Beverly High School, four from Lynn Classical High School and two from Lynn English High School, thanks to the proceeds from last year?s event.Raffa said in the last 12 years the association has given out $100,000 in scholarships.This is the third time the event will be held at Manning Field in Lynn. It was held first in Beverly and then Endicott College before the event got too big and had to be moved.?The whole idea behind drum corps is building experiences within young people through (challenging them to perform),” said Raffa. “It?s a wonderful experience.”The drum corps that will be performing are a part of Drum Corps International (DCI), chosen to compete at the Beanpot Invitational because they will already be traveling and performing close by.The groups performing include the 7th Regiment from New London, Conn.; The Muchachos from Manchester, N.H.; The Spartans from Nashua, N.H.; Teal Sound from Jacksonville, Fla.; The Colts from Dubuque, Iowa and The Jersey Surf from Camden County, N.J.Each drum corps has about 128-135 members, and is made up of all types of drums and horns in addition to a color guard that moves all over the field with the musicians, Raffa said.Raffa said each drum corps usually has a theme it sticks to while performing, which can be any kind of musical genre. “It?s really like inside theater, outside,” said Raffa. “It?s amazing.”The musicians are all usually students themselves, ranging in age from 15-22, Raffa said. They travel across the country during competition season in the summer, sometimes being away from home for a month at a time.While they are in Lynn, the students will be sleeping on the gym floors of the local high schools before heading to the field for a practice before the performance, Raffa said.Unfortunately, most of the musicians will not be able to experience much of the city due to their hectic performance schedule.Tickets are still available and can be purchased by phone at 978-927-3354, or online at www.nesba.org/pages/1/Beanpot-Invitational.html, or from the box office after 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.The entire show is expected to run until 11:30 p.m.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].