What makes Garfield Drumline unique? How are you able to win competitions so often? (For context, Garfield won 1st place overall, Best Music, and Best Technique at their most recent performance.)
Saunders (Drumline teacher):
“What makes my class so different is us being familiar and being family. I do consider half those students family. I’ve known them their entire lives, and they’ve known me since I was a young teacher. I’m excited to see how they keep growing as I grow too.”
“Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s tiring. But that dedication to art from our students is inspiring. I’m so proud of them. Honestly, I don’t care about winning. I don’t care about anything else. It’s about how much work they want to do and why.”
Joelle (senior, snare captain):
“In most drumlines, the point is to be perfect. You have to look exactly the same, sound exactly the same, your sticks have to move exactly the same. There’s no individuality. But what makes our drumline different is that we encourage individuality and having fun while you’re playing. You want to show that you’re enjoying it because you do.”
Describe the Drumline community. What does it bring you that other activities don’t?
Saunders:
“I’ve fallen in love with drumline and what it can do. The art form is so fun: it’s dancing, it’s theatrical, it’s rhythmic, and it’s got a competitive scene.”
Joelle:
“The purpose of drumline is to hype people up, to get people excited and wanting to participate in what’s happening around them. I remember when I heard drumline for the first time in 6th grade, it was so loud and so exciting. I just fell in love with it.”
“[Drumline] has taught me to be a leader and to be a better person in general… I feel like I have a different perspective on how to communicate with people, how to be tough, and also hold people accountable.”
Sexus (junior, cymbal section captain):
“I like that Saunders always asks us, “Do we want to do this?” I feel like that gives us a good amount of independence, and it just feels like you’re hanging out with your friends. Even if you do have to be working hard, it doesn’t feel like it.”
“We got to play with Macklemore at Lumen Field. Opportunities like that, you’re not gonna get them again…I’m really appreciative that I get to be part of such huge things. Just being able to say I’ve done that is something I take a lot of pride in.”
What do you hope to see from Garfield Drumline in the future?
Saunders:
“I am so excited to see [my students] grow up and become adults. Like yes, in the lens of Drumline, but I’ve been teaching some of them so long that it’s more like we hang out and talk about the things that we love, and now they get to go out into the world.”
Joelle:
“I know the leadership next year is going to be really good. All of the juniors this year are incredible. The work they put in is just really inspiring to me, and it makes me want to keep trying hard even with the senioritis. I know we’re going to do really well.”
Sexus:
“Next year is going to be very different, but that presents a good opportunity to continue the passion for [Drumline]. The fact that it’s something I can help pass on to a new generation of Garfield students is a really cool opportunity.”
