The rhythmic roar of bass, tenor and snare drums will rock the halls of Journey Middle School on Thursday (April 13) when Harmony Project Sooke’s Drumline will host the Belmont Secondary Drumline in a drum clinic sponsored by Tom Lee Music.
The young drummers will be coached on skills such as basic four strokes on drum pads, stick heights, director signals, ensemble warm-ups, count ins, mechanics of reading music while playing and understanding the role of the section captains and how that works.
A highlight of the clinic will be to learn a piece of music, first in sections, and then as an ensemble. The public is welcome to hear and watch the wrap-up performance of a piece at approximately 2:30 p.m. in the Journey Middle School gym.
The clinic will be conducted by Jack Edwards and Mandart Chan, instructors respectively of Harmony Project Sooke’s Drumline and Belmont Secondary’s Drumline.
Edwards is a percussion and wind instrument specialist who marched with one of the best marching bands in the U.S. He is on faculty with the Victoria Conservatory of Music and Sooke School District.
Chan is a clarinetist and music educator, who has worked with marching bands as a Canadian Armed Forces officer and in the Canadian cadet program.
Tom Lee Music has been a supporter of Harmony Project Sooke in providing drums on loan during the project’s first year of operation. Since then, Harmony Project Sooke has received a grant from MusiCounts and TD Bank, which has allowed the purchase of new drums. This clinic will celebrate the acquisition of new drums and new drumming skills for the two drumline groups.
Harmony Project Sooke is a non-profit society that provides musical instruments and instruction to children in the Sooke area. For more information, go online to www.harmonyprojectsooke.ca.