By Aniya Scott
Dragon Echo Staff
NHS seniors eagerly await the sound of the drums coming down the halls before each pep rally. As the drummers pass by their classrooms, the seniors file out and fall in line behind them, following them to the competition gym. All other students must wait to be released from class, so the tradition of releasing seniors with the drumline is a special way to honor their last year of high school.
Many cherished school traditions involve the NHS drumline, and no one knows this better than Mr. Jacob Weems – director of bands at NISD.
Weems was a percussionist at NHS years ago, and he enjoyed these long-standing traditions.
“Most of the jams the drummers play are rich in tradition and have been played since the 1990s,” he said. “They have been passed down through the years, and added to over the years. Along with some traditional ones, in recent years we have added new college cadences and some jams written by our students. Our drumline plays at football games, send-offs for various competitive groups, fund-raisers, the fair, the Special Olympics and basketball games.”
Senior Erin Taravella is a section leader for percussion, and she said the drumline plays a total of nine jams, counting a remix.
The jams are Pet the Kitty, Faster, Tío Loco, Whitehouse, Rack, Rubber Biscuit, Tinfoil, Tinfoil Remix, and Jig 2.
“We usually play ‘Whitehouse’ as the first jam of the game,” Erin said. “‘Faster’ is a song that gets the crowd and the band excited.”
Mr. Weems said he enjoyed being a percussionist in high school because of all the extra music they played and the freedom to write music to play at games and pep rallies.
“I also enjoyed learning four-mallet marimba music in the spring and participating in our percussion ensemble every year,” he said. “Percussionists are unique, because they have to be confident in their playing. They are holding the entire band together throughout each performance. They can also perform as a stand-alone ensemble, which is quite unique.” Eighteen students currently play on the NHS drumline.
“I love being on the drumline because it opens up opportunities for so many new relationships,” Erin said. “Being in band already gives me a second family, but the drumline is like a third family.”
Freshman Mae Johnston agreed.
“I love the drumline family,” she said. “I always love hanging out with them, and they are so wonderful.”
Mae said her favorite jams are “Whitehouse” and “Rack.”
The drumline plays a variety of instruments. They play cymbals, snare drums, quads/quints, and bass drums.
“We try to enjoy making memories together and we get along with each other and other sections,” Erin said.
Mr. Weems said the drumline is often used to represent the band when it’s impossible to have the entire band attend certain events due to space or time. This makes percussionists some of the busiest students in the school.
In addition to their band music, drummers also learn extra cadences, cheers, and jams to play in the stands and extra performances.
“They add tons of spirit and personality to our band program!” Mr. Weems said.
In addition to being a percussionist at NHS, Mr. Weems was also a writer for The Dragon Echo.
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