Marching, drumming, and sweating. It was 80 degrees outside, but to drumline member sophomore Cami Smith, the humidity made it feel more like 100. For Smith, this grueling practice was an everyday routine throughout the entirety of July. But for what reward?

     This year’s drumline is made up of 12 students, directed by Alexander Keim. On game days- Friday mornings- you can spot them in the commons paving a path of excitement for the upcoming football games.

     Smith has been involved with the drumline since the beginning of her freshman year. She has been playing percussion since she was in sixth grade.

     “I think the best part [of drumline] is getting to see people’s reactions, and it’s fun to play and make people happy,” Smith said.

     According to Smith, music can be very beneficial for one’s mental health, and she sees the benefits in her everyday life.

     “Music just helps.. It interacts lots of different parts of the brain. Music can be challenging sometimes,” Smith said.

     Keim is the assistant band director and percussion teacher at NHS. Keim started at NHS in July, but has been teaching at other schools for four years. He says that the preparation for the drumline fall season is substantial.

     “Once we hit the summer, we have anywhere between four to eight hours a day, for about four to five days a week. All you see is a five minute show, but there’s probably been over a couple hundred hours of rehearsal,” he said.

     Because the preparation is so extensive, only a truly dedicated percussionist can be a part of the drumline.

     “So far the kids are really great,” Keim said. “When I ask them to do something they do it, and they try their hardest all the time. And that’s not always the case at all schools.”

     Senior Tanner Bellomy has been a part of the drumline since his eighth grade year. He claims that the only way to succeed in drumline is to practice.

     “You can’t be upset if you get something wrong the first time…[I drum] all the time,” he said.

     However, throughout all of this extensive rehearsal, Bellomy’s love for music and percussion remains evident.

     “I love it. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do since I was five, banging on pots and pans,” he said, “I knew I wanted to do [drumline] from the start. And I think it’s a really cool experience for anyone.”