When I was a kid, my mom worked for the local high school band. She was a majorette instructor. I was always at every practice, even band camps. When the band would practice, I would watch the tenors play. I just thought it was so amazing. How could someone play so many drums at once!?
When I finally got to the summer before 7th grade, the middle school band directors asked my mother and I what I wanted to play. Of corse I said drums. They said that there wasn’t anymore room for drummers at that time. I was so sad, I almost started crying.
My mother explained to them that I had been watching the drums since I was a baby and that it was all I had ever wanted to do in the band. The directors decided to allow me to be an alternate for the percussion section.
After that, I just practiced very hard. And I tried to stay positive. It wasn’t long before my skills were better than some of the actual percussionists in the middle school band. That’s when I was taken off of my alternate status. I was so happy.
Later, in high school, I ended up playing in that same band that my mother taught for. I was on the drumline and eventually became the head drum major. After high school, I got the chance to play for my college drumline as well. It was always my dream to be on the drumline. And I’m glad that I got the chance to do so, even after I almost wasn’t allowed to.
Drumlines Of America 