By: Emily Burke

Sentry Staff Reporter

Every high school needs a band, and every band needs to rehearse. In order to play an instrument, one must work hard and be dedicated; however, do people really know what it takes to succeed as a musician? It might seem surprising that it requires three rehearsals each week, which adds up to about ten hours of rehearsal total. The normal rehearsal schedule sounds difficult enough, but the Drumathon is a twelve hour rehearsal for the members of Indoor Drumline. This year performers drummed, marched and learned new music from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. Imagine the scene: the gym packed with drummers, a cacophony of notes and music booming out of the stadium. It is hard to imagine how powerful and thrilling the Drumathon is from just reading about it; it is definitely an event worth attending.

The Drumathon is performed by the Indoor Drumline, which is made up of the marching percussion section from the Marching Band and the front ensemble. The group began organizing Drumathons in 2007, and has been performing in one each year since then.

“(The Drumathon) is part of our preparation for the Indoor Drumline competitive season,” said J.D. Slaughter, Drumline director.

At the end of the season, the Indoor Drumline competes with groups from Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina in the Atlantic Indoor Association Championships. Yorktown has a stellar record in this competition. In 2009, the Yorktown Drumline won a Silver Medal, and in 2009 and 2010 was the Atlantic Indoor Association Champion.

“This would be the equivalent of winning the Regional Championship in one of the more traditional sports,” Slaughter explained.

The Drumline is determined to maintain their excellent record by winning a Gold Medal this year, and the Drumathon is an important opportunity for the students to practice for the competition. All 27 members of the ensemble performed at the Drumathon this year. These students come from Yorktown, Washington-Lee, Wakefield, Williamsburg Middle School and Gunston Middle School.

Drumathons take place only once a year, and are more than just the usual band rehearsal. The Drumathon is an opportunity for the performers to get pledges from friends and family for each hour they participate. It is a great way for the band to raise enough money to support their busy schedule of rehearsals and competitions that runs from November to the beginning of April. Junior Alessandra Bournigal, who performed in her third Drumathon on January 4, elaborates.

“Basically, the Drumathon is our main fundraiser of the year in which we have rehearsal for twelve hours and we ask our friends and family to sponsor us. We try to raise about five thousand dollars over the day,” said Bournigal.

Although the Drumathon helps provide the band with the money to pay for the instruments and transportation that they need for each season, it is not just a fundraiser.

“(The Drumathon) allows us to pair a long, extended rehearsal with a large fundraising effort,” said Slaughter.

Bournigal agrees.

“It’s a good chance for us all to get together and work on all the music we have for a five minute show, and it also functions so that we can learn to march better, get better technique and learn (to) make all the cool patterns that we make as we march,” Bournigal said.

The Drumathon gives the Drumline a chance to work together and learn leadership and responsibility.

“The Yorktown Indoor Drumline’s mission is to provide a unique opportunity for Arlington County High School and Middle School students to learn, perform and compete in a constantly evolving and challenging activity,” said Slaughter, “There is an incredible sense of community and teamwork.”

The Drumathon is not only a way for the Drumline and band to raise money and practice together, but it is also an opportunity for them to improve teamwork and leadership skills, and to strengthen their sense of community. The performers are the primary organizers of the program, and are responsible for ensuring that the event runs smoothly.

“The performers are what take the program from notes on a page and dots on a grid, and transform it into music and movement,” said Slaughter.

The Drumathon is a unique and exciting event for both the performers and the audience. It occurs just once a year, and Yorktown has no other event quite like it. This performance should be on every student’s Yorktown bucket list. Slaughter summarizes it best.

“(The Drumathon) is a highly rewarding activity, and there is an incredible sense of community and teamwork. (The performers) are true artists and it’s amazing to be around.”