Nothing says school spirit like a well-trained Drumline marching through the halls.  Here at Bingham where school pride is of great value to us, we are particularly proud of our Drumline and all they do.  Ryan Roper auditioned for drum line 4 years ago as a freshman and has loved being a part of the team ever since.  As a senior, Ryan is the Section Leader of the Drumline—otherwise known as Drumline Captain.

Ryan has always been musically inclined.  He started playing the piano 12 years ago and started percussion classes in 7^th grade.  When he was in 6^th grade, he saw Bingham Drumline perform and decided he wanted to be a part of it.

He continues to enjoy percussion and Drumline, because it is physically and mentally demanding. Drumline is difficult, because you must be mindful of how you are marching, how your feet are moving, how your hands are moving all while remaining in harmony with the rest of the line.  Drumline—as well as marching band in general—is a visual activity.  In addition to sounding good musically, the line must look the same and keep the same time as each other.  As an audience, it is easy to see and hear disparities, so hours of practice are necessary to be proficient.

As the captain, Ryan is the coordinator for assemblies and other events for Bingham Drumline.  He is in charge of on-field rehearsals.  It’s Ryan’s job to make sure everyone is on-time, on-task, and things are getting done.  He keeps everyone in contact with each other so everything runs smoothly.

Ryan’s favorite thing about Drumline is the relationships he’s cultivated. He said, “My favorite thing about Drumline is how close we are as a percussion family.  It’s being able to go to practice and percussion classes and just having fun with each other. It’s a family bond and that’s my favorite part.”  He also loves the challenge and the level of difficulty at which the Drumline is able to perform.  “Having hard music is enjoyable.  Our instructors give us hard music that pushes us to the limits. We are marching and playing at a high level…I like having hard music.”  While Ryan is sad that this will be his last year with Bingham Drumline, he is proud of all they have accomplished.

This year percussion took state, for the first time, and took 2^nd at a major west coast national competition.  Additionally, during the season, Drumline won 3 percussion awards. While their fall season is over, Winter Drumline is in full swing.