Eastlake’s got rhythm
January 12, 2009
By Christopher Huber
Drumline provides beat at school events
The Eastlake drumline takes a break from practice Jan. 7. Senior Christian Casolary, snare drummer at far right, started the group as an after-school club.Photo by Christopher Huber
Before Eastlake High School’s 2008 football season began, home games were a little quieter. Cheerleaders led the crowd to encourage the Wolves on the field, and the band played during timeouts and quarter breaks.
But the games lacked those loud, groovin’ beats that got the crowd pumped up before kickoff. That is until Eastlake student Christian Casolary decided to start the Eastlake drumline as part of his senior project.
“We came out, and after, like, the first base drum hit, everybody jumped like a foot in the air,” bass drummer Alex Chmaj said of the group’s first performance. “And they were totally blown away. They were all stunned. It was awesome.”
The idea started as somewhat of a joke at a summer leadership camp, Casolary said, but quickly turned into a 12-member squad of bass drums, quads (tenor drums), snare drums and cymbals.
Two weeks into the school year, Casolary felt some pressure to get it going. All it took to form the after-school club was a chat with assistant principal Chris Bede and an announcement over the school’s PA system.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, but I guess that little, kind of joke, ‘yeah I’m gonna do it,’ was the start of what actually came to be the Eastlake Drumline,” Casolary said after practice Jan. 7.The drumline club is informal and easygoing. Members said they love being in the group because of the camaraderie and the challenge of working toward perfect rhythmic synchronization.
“This is way more intense, more complicated playing,” said Chmaj, who has played the drums since the fifth grade. “It’s more showy, which appeals more to some people. But it’s a different sound and it’s funner to do around other people. Seeing the crowd go wild afterward is awesome.”
Some of them were percussionists in the Eastlake or Inglewood Junior High band and got bored of resting for long periods of time during performances. The club is not connected to the Eastlake music program, Casolary said. But some members are in the band, as well.
“It’s a really talented group of musicians. His challenge is to build it for this year, but also to create a legacy,” said Chris Bede, Eastlake’s assistant principal. “It’s the beginning of possible tradition at Eastlake.”
The drumline seems to have rekindled many members’ love for music.
“It’s a really great experience,” said cymbal player Alex Marga. “Even for people who aren’t in band anymore, we can actually do what we love to do and have the freedom to actually do it, instead of being restricted to having 60,000 measures of rest, and then a triangle hit, and then another 60,000 measures of rest. It’s relaxing to be able to play a part.”
The drummers meet three days a week for about an hour each time. The deafening chatter of the snare drums can be heard down the hall near the band room as they practice a new cadence.
“It’s just getting better and better all the time,” Band teacher Judy Rogers said.
As the leader, Casolary writes most of the beats and said he is always developing new ones to freshen things up for the home crowd.
“The school takes pride in us, which is great,” Casolary said. “We love to have the school’s support.”
The drummers said they have gained support school-wide and helped develop a new sense of school pride just weeks after the drumline started practicing. The track team has already invited them to play at some meets in the spring.
“The first performance, we had absolutely no reputation,” Casolary said. “I think it was really great that we went out there and we were focused enough to, in that one performance, gain the school’s support.”
Football season has been over for a while, but the group is now playing at some home basketball games this winter.
They stand out in the grandstands with their neon green t-shirts, not to mention their giant drums strapped to them.
One problem they are dealing with is deteriorating equipment. One quad has a punctured head, they are running out of intact drumsticks and a couple of the bass drums need fixing, the drummers said. During the Jan. 7 practice, Pierce Warren had to rest his quad set on a chair because the harness is broken.
Casolary said the group is currently working on applying for grants to help fund gear improvement or purchase.
For now, the Eastlake drumline will keep the beat — it’s a matter of school spirit.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or at chuber@isspress.com.
Comments
One Response to “Eastlake’s got rhythm”
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
I LOVE Casolary AND DRUMLINE