Drums in the (Deep) Lobby

By Josh Conklin

 Dalat’s Concert Band Percussion section boasts a plethora of fun, wacky, loud, and entertaining instruments for every occasion, but one thing it lacks is a drumline. However, on the Honor Band trip to Raffles American School (RAS) in Johor, Dalat percussionists had the opportunity to play in one. 

In many schools, drumline is a percussion-only music style often played at sports events. The drums, consisting of bass, snare, and tenor pitches, are worn by the percussionists by special harnesses and played while standing in line or in formations. Drumline is an exciting and intense genre of music and a delightful challenge to percussionists who sometimes only play once or twice in a one-hundred-measure-long piece. 

On the first day of the Band Trip, all nine percussionists gathered in a lobby just outside RAS’s auditorium with the drums before us, excited anticipation building. Like our other pieces, we had the drumline sheet music with us. Unlike the other pieces, no parts had been pre-assigned. Even so, those present who did not play drumline could not have practiced them. 

As there were so many of us, we split into two groups. At first, we all tried to learn our parts in the lobby. But it was much too loud. With a sound like hundreds of fireworks going off simultaneously in a massive room with terrible acoustics, any semblance of rhythm or order left the room faster than our hearing as all nine drummers sound compounded on each other into one thunderous, echoing, muti-pitched drone. 

Barely able to hear ourselves, we certainly couldn’t hear each other’s parts. The most crucial aspect of drumline is togetherness; each note must be in sync, each stroke perfect, each stick in unison. The echoing noise soon proved detrimental, and the groups separated to practice individually. 

The parts were technical but manageable, with each group spending several hours over the two days of the festival practicing together, slowly increasing the tempo to ensure they got the rhythms precisely right. Soon, what was once a cacophony became a symphony. One challenging yet enjoyable aspect of drumline is the reliance on every other person in the section to play their part precisely, every complimentary rhythm overlapping into a beautiful percussive harmony. As a group, we all learned together, struggled together, and performed together, both teaching newcomers and being taught by those with more experience. The very nature of drumline forced unity in a way percussionists, who often only embellish the Band’s music, don’t usually experience. 

Dalat percussionist Ethan Khor (8) reflects on the experience: “I’ve always wanted to be a part of a marching band/drum line performance, and I didn’t expect that at honour band I’d get to experience it. So being able to be a part of it was amazing!” 

Despite the temporary deafness, mistakes, and technical challenges, students from many schools, especially Dalat, appreciated the opportunity to play on a drumline.