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GBHS drumline wins Gulf Coast Percussion championship
Next up for group nationals in Dayton, Ohio
They leave next week to go to the Percussion World Championships in Dayton, Ohio to compete with schools from around the United States "At the very beginning...it was very typical drumming where drummers get together and beat each other up cause it's cool," drumline instructor Ira Fernandes said said. "Alot of people didn't really care and alot of people drummed because it was the cool thing to do - to being a very successful drum line. Now people actually care about the ensemble, care about having a team and care about the music." This year is the second straight that MerKaBa will compete to the Percussion World Championships (competing with 156 other schools). MerKaBa stands for mind, spirit and body. It is comprised of 24 personally motivated and dedicated students. Their performance, entitled FIRST CIRCLE seeks to entertain and intrigue the senses through the music of Pat Metheny. The students spend an average of 15+ hours a week practicing and performing their show. "I live for drumline," senior Robert Pennington said. "I started band playing trombone, but when it wasn't working for me, I switched to percussion in seventh grade and I've been playing drums ever since." Pennington says that drumline has taught him about teamwork, dedication and the skills it takes to be a leader. "Since my freshman year the program has changed so much," he said. "The overall attitude and mentality have gone from 'we're horrible' to 'we can do this.' The experience has been terrific." "I wouldn't change it for anything, not even flying powers." Fernandes is assisted by Ashley Shelly and returning MerKaba graduates Amber Rose and Brandon Mattair. "Drumline is my life," said Mattair, who transferred from Navarre High to GBHS his junior year. "My love for drumming inspired me to further the direction of the program so, I returned after I graduated to help increase the talent and ability of the players in the line." "All the little details started taking care of themselves," said Fernandes, who credits the team members for working with the ensemble to turn the program around. "It's changed in the level of maturity not only the quality of the person, but the quality of the member and quality of the musician as a whole," Fernandes said. "We got rid of the bad seeds and started hanging onto the good seeds and what do you know? We have a full grown plant right now." Fernandes credits the administration at Gulf Breeze Middle School for allowing MerKaba to use the cafeteria for their after school practices. When an all day practice was required on Saturday, Eric Webb of the Gulf Breeze Presbyterian Church allows the students to use their gymnasium. MerKaBa has been able to fundraise at Bruno's bagging groceries. Most of all their fees are self funded since they don't have a sponser yet. Just like any other endeavor at GBHS, parental support has been crucial in MerKaBa's success. "Parental support, that's a huge thing for me this year," Fernandes said. "Before we had it somewhat there and now it's just really clicking and its taking alot off me so I can just create and do everything I need to do at the best of my ability." Joyce Hill is the founder of MerKaBa Moms. Hill, Angel Simon, Marina Bowman and Cynthia Vento make up the group. Hill is the 'money mom.' She makes sure the money is being collected, uniforms are made, buses show when they are suppose to, trips are scheduled and the hotels get reserved and coordinate all the meals for all day competitions, drinks and snacks. "Simon researches all the bus companies for the best prices for away trips and reserves the best hotels..that can tolerate 24 drumline students invading their hotel for the weekend," Hill said. Simon's also responsible for chaperoning the away trips. Bowman assists with the make-up and chaperoning the away trips. She'll make sure the equipment truck makes it to Dayton. Vento, newly owner of The Framery, will be taking care of the framery needs for the drumline, while JD Lee and Bill Holway are the drumline dads who drive the equipment truck to all the performances. "I've noticed this year, at least in the past three years, this thing called MerKaBa is to me more a psychological then anything else. It's a lifestyle, it's a way of thinking, it's mode and method, it's how we get things done and how we do them," Fernandes said. Fernandes says that whatever one wants to be, you have to dig deep, find your true motivation and reason for doing things and then act on them. "All the things start clicking for you just because you're being it all the time. MerKaBa is really a state of mind. It's what you believe in. If you firmly believe in it, and you give it your all and you do it so well through and through then you take it and you graduate and apply it to life." "You become so good at that that people don't want to loose you. You become so indispensible. All that is MerKaBa. It's that connection of putting things together, of mind, body and spirit." The students that make up MerKaba are as follows: Jessenia Lopez - Snare Zach Rogers - Snare Jonathan French - Snare Joseph Rosas - Tenors Roth Sinkewicz Tenors Robert Pennington - First Bass Jack Holway - Second Bass Greg Nicholas - Third Bass Samantha Sheppard - Foruth Bass Greg Vento - Fifth Bass Rain Bowman - Cymbals Alex Simon - Cymbals Ellen Shaffer - Cymbals Matt West - Marimba Marry Mallett - Marimba Mandy Williams - Vibes Jordan Lee - Vibes Nicole Ellis - Xylophone Sarah Sydow - Marimba Dustin White - Marimba Whitney Harris - Glock (bells) Kallie Beckman - trap Kyle Finelli - Trap Andy Gaudet - Keyboard |
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