For GlenOak students in band, school starts in July. That means one less month of relaxing by the pool, biking through the neighborhood, and carelessly hanging out with friends. For band kids, the commitment to their instrument comes before summer vacation. This goes even further for the GlenOak drumline.
“Even during that one month period, because usually we get the music a year before, we have to get a lot of stuff done so that when we come back, we’re ready to really start pushing forwards,” sophomore Teagan Maresco said.
Maresco described drumline as the backbone of the band, explaining how crucial their role is to the overall performance. Even at football games when the players have the spotlight, the drumline is lifting their teams’ spirits up, rhythmically beating their war drums, and acting as the 12th man on the field. Without a beat, everything else would fall flat, and as Maresco goes on to say, this gives a lot of responsibility to the drumline.

“The hardest part is trying to make everyone feel included and equal,” section leader and senior Cayden Floyd said. “It’s pretty competitive for a lot of people, there’s a lot of people we need to try a bit harder to include in the season, whether they’re shy of talking, or whatever it is.”

As the section leader, Floyd serves as the bridge between the director and the band members. When the director wants the band’s music playing to improve, Floyd communicates that to the students.
For newer students, the adjustment from the Oakwood band to the GlenOak drumline was drastic.
“It’s been a lot. It’s been a change. There’s a lot more memorizing music, but it’s alright,” freshman Connor Harding said.
From Oakwood to GlenOak, the responsibility the drumline brings is the natural evolution of the musical career, and many students would agree it comes with perks.
“…all the work is definitely worth the amount of quality time we spend with friends on the field. Even if a lot of people don’t pay attention to us, the games are not the same without the marching band. So just knowing we’re there to support our football team is cool,” Maresco said.
Maresco also described the many friends he has made because of drumline, and the benefits within his life and the lives of other students. Drumline, for many, is something to do out of the house, and the commitment is a valuable lesson for many young people about responsibility.
“We always have a friend basis before going into school,” Floyd said. “We get a huge opportunity to get to know each other before school.”
Whether they start in July or they never stop, the drumline is one of the most important parts of the band, contributing to parades and football games with their unending team spirit.