John Marshall High school’s very own drumline delivered an enrapturing performance on September 13. They were among the 4 groups of performers who entertained the Barristers during the school’s Pep Rally. Pep rallies are a part of a series of events for Homecoming. While many are excited about the dance or the football game, the drumline is an essential part of keeping the audience hyped and rooting for a Barrister win.
The nervous yet excited band of 10 drummers gave their hearts into their performance, playing a total of 3 cadences. They opened their performance with the cadence “M-Track 1,” a repetitious yet charming piece that was spiced up with the occasional solo. Then came their personal work, “Salt,” a catchy-upbeat theme that saw months of revision and updates by the drummers. As Jorge Ramon, one of the drumline performers, describes the cadence, “You will always say, ‘I listened to that before!’”
They would then finish off with “Jig 2,” a rousing beat popular among the marching community and used often to boost morale and spirit for sport events. The audience was highly receptive to the performance, particularly the blue strip (the bleachers were zoned and color coded) and the drumline was met with cheers and applause. Anthony Mata, another drumline musician, would later comment, “I was a little nervous honestly cause it’s like the entire school–No I was excited mostly and everyone else was too, it’s a vibe playing in front of those people. It’s just, um, it’s just a good experience you know?”
Credit should also be given to John Astrado, the main instructor and supervisor of the drumline, and Mr. Moran, who, as head of LACER presides over the drumline as a LACER program. The drumline would meet and practice during after school LACER hours, from 3:33 to 6:33 p.m, practicing their cadences individually on different days.
The band is composed of several percussionist instruments, Marching Snare Drums, Marching Bass Drums, Marching Tenor Drums, and Cymbals. Just as their names imply, they are all marching instruments that are meant to be played and marched with at the same time, requiring some coordination. The drumline demonstrated not only great skill during the pep rally, they demonstrated to the Barristers a beat that evokes the John Marshall High spirit.
Aleksandr Otus • Oct 17, 2024 at 5:19 pm
Nice story