Drumline — Catching the beat

It's hot. Beads of sweat are ever-present on tired faces, and the open field at the West High football stadium offers little shade. But the school's new drumline is there, marching, running, conditioning and practicing every day.

Repetition, focus, sacrifice, timing, discipline — the practices are similar to a boot camp, but most of the marchers are in their early teens. What keeps them going is the excitement of performing as West High's first-ever marching drumline next year, the cheering crowds and their love for beats. "There is no mercy at all — four hours a day you are at the feet of the schedule," said tenor captain Ian Hill, 15. "You run laps when people mess up, do push-ups when people mess up, run more laps when people mess up."

While other students are enjoying a leisurely summer, these students have dedicated the break to fine-tuning the group. They are often sore, and they go home sweaty and exhausted five days a week, sometimes six. It can be a hefty cost, but according to most of the line it's a small price to pay.

Drumline members say there is nothing like performing. In Salt Lake City many people have never actually seen a drumline before, making it more exciting to watch.

Lonnie Zunguze, drumline coach, said there are few other such groups in the state and only a couple in the Salt Lake Valley. So when they step out on the field it's often a new experience for spectators.

Last year Zunguze, who graduated from West and plays on the drumline at the University of Utah, started the line, though they didn't do any marching.

He recruited a handful of shining stars from the school's percussion class and started to whip them into drumline shape.

Many of those who were recruited are middle-school-age students from the school's Extended Learning Program — a program where gifted seventh- and eighth-graders attend high school classes.

"The crowd just goes nuts," said Hill, who was first attracted to the team after seeing the movie "Drumline."

"From the performing aspect there is nothing like being on a drumline," said Zunguze. "It's just the high — with sometimes 300 beats per minute — to me it really is a sport."

And the discipline aspect can be grueling.

Zunguze has raised the academic standards higher than other school organizations. For most of the school's activities students have to maintain a 2.0 GPA. But on the drumline it's a 3.0 — no excuses.