Creating the beat at PVSS
There is something about beating drums . .
“People love to stop and listen when we practice outside,” comments Georgia de Dood, who is in her first year of instructing the Pleasant Valley Secondary School (PVSS) Drumline. The drumline was also enjoyed by the people in attendance at the School District No. 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap) Board of Education meeting held at PVSS on Feb. 20, where the Drumline performed for the Board.
“This was our first public event for the school year,” notes de Dood. However, plans are that once the weather gets a bit warmer they are hoping to get out and about in the community to perform!
PVSS currently has 18 students playing in the line. Drumline is a grade 9-12 for-credit course that meets twice a week outside the regular timetable for the entire school year. “This year we also have some amazing grade 8 students from Len Wood Middle joining us in the class, so there is a diverse age range of students taking part.”
“I think one of the things that I love about drumline is that everybody is equal – same, same, same, right down to the tape on your sticks – because it’s all about becoming a single unit that is making this amazing sound. You really have to rely on your classmates, and there’s no hiding. People love to stop and listen if you’re practicing outside – the enthusiasm is contagious. It’s super fun, but it also asks a lot of students in terms of self-discipline and mastery. All good things,” she adds.
She explains there is some overlap between band and drumline students. “However, the class does draw students who love music but maybe didn’t quite find their place in concert band or couldn’t make timetabling work. Some of our members this year have never taken any band before, and others are in every ensemble offered. It’s quite varied. We use sheet music just like a regular ensemble, but we also learn some things by ear. Because the class meets outside of school hours, the students who come are very dedicated. I am thrilled when someone who isn’t taking any music classes finds their place with us.”
“In many ways, teaching drumline is similar to teaching a wind ensemble. There are different sections within the group that have unique parts and are treated as different instruments. While everyone plays a rhythm or a “beat,” the bass and tenor drums are pitched, so they also produce a melodic or harmonic line. Just like concert band, we have a series of warm-ups and technical exercises that help to build our playing skills, and then songs and grooves that are longer and more involved for performances.”
“Where it differs from band is that there is a significant visual element involved. You want it to sound good, but also to look visually interesting- so there are some fun choreography things that you can do as your ensemble progresses. Think of it like joining together a precision dance troupe and a band, and that gives you a bit of an idea of what it can be like to teach the class. The drums are heavy, so there is a component of making sure we are fit enough to do what we need to do as well.”
District Vice-Principal of Music Michelle Reed adds that she truly loves this ensemble option for students. However, as one might expect the drums for a drumline are quite costly and a long term investment for a school. But the instruments, when taken care of, last for years. “The red drums at PVSS were purchased jointly by former PVSS Principal Abbas El Gazzar and by District Music. Abbas wanted the drums to be a bit of a legacy piece. He watched the A.L. Fortune Drumline and wanted that excitement and community connection piece for his school as well.”
SD83 currently has three Drumlines, two at A.L. Fortune and one at PVSS. “We are the only school district outside of the Lower Mainland to be offering this amazing program,” she adds. Reed was the driving force, as the music teacher at the time at ALF, to fundraise to begin the program at that school. She got fundraising help from principal at the time, Gene Doray, and District Music supervisor Jim Howie.