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Drumline competition canceled amid snowstorm

Ensemble lets drummers march to their own beat

Members of the Hamilton High School Indoor Marching Percussion Ensemble practice during a rehearsal last week at the school.

Staff photo by Pat Auckerman Members of the Hamilton High School Indoor Marching Percussion Ensemble practice during a rehearsal last week at the school.

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By Richard O Jones, Staff Writer 12:27 AM Saturday, February 6, 2010

HAMILTON — The Hamilton High School Indoor Marching Percussion Ensemble — also known as the drumline — lets the marching band drummers bang out their own songs long after football season is over.

This weekend the group was to host its own event, called the Color Guard and Indoor Drumline Competition at Garfield Middle School. But today's event was canceled due to weather conditions. No makeup date has been scheduled.

According to director Bob Saurber, the Indoor Marching Percussion Ensemble is now in its fourth year.

“Education, naturally, is first,” he said. “I want to give drummers an opportunity for additional training and non-drummers a chance to play a percussion instrument.”

Any musician can benefit from percussion training, he said. Non-drummers — many of them woodwind players — make up about half of the ensemble.

The drumline’s competition piece is titled “Energy,” played out by 26 people, most of them marching to a choreographed routine while playing drums, with the rest playing mallet instruments and keyboards on the sidelines.

The marching is done on a large tarp, nearly the size of a basketball court, with a painting of electrons and planets by HHS alumnus Kevin Duncan. Band mother Heather Kleiner designed the Star Trek-ish uniforms color-coded by section to match the energetic painting.

“This is a very athletic activity,” Saurber said. “One of our four-year members told me he lost 25 pounds the first year. But they love it, and once they start, I keep them.”

Senior Josh Durham is one of four current members who also played in the premiere ensemble four years ago.

“Drumline is an extension of the band, and I can focus on percussion and highlight what I do,” he said. “It gives us a chance to show our stuff without any woodwinds carrying us along.”

Saurber said he has wanted to host a competition from the beginning, and has signed up 15 drumlines and 14 color guard ensembles for the event.

“Not everyone can host an event like this, but Garfield is a wonderful facility for a competition,” he said. “When the new arena is finished at the high school, we’ll be in even better shape and we hope to host championships there.”

The competitions are fast-paced events that give each group a mere nine minutes to perform, and that includes set up and tear-down.

“We really have to drill them on that,” Saurber said. “They sometimes get so focused on getting set that they forget they have to play.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2188 or rjones@coxohio.com.

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