Drumline forms the backbone of the Pride of Temple City, providing the band with the steady and strong beats that create the rhythm of whatever piece they play.
Senior Jonathan Alvarado and Junior Christine Liu are part of the award winning team.
Jonathan Alvarado
A four year member of drumline, Alvarado, plays the snare drum. Alvarado joined drumline his freshman year because he wanted to try something new. He chose his instrument because he felt it was a higher end instrument and it seemed very interesting.
“Drumline has been the biggest part of my high school career. Past the educational side of school, it’s the only extracurricular activity I take part in,” Alvarado said. “The instructors, staff and leadership position I have been given has shaped me into the person I am today. I am proud to see how far this program has come since my freshman year.”
After preliminaries, Alvarado felt pretty confident about finals because he felt that, since the last time they had competed in this competition, their team had improved greatly and been more competitive. Although they did not make the top three, Alvarado feels lucky to have been able to take part in this competition during his last year on drumline.
“I’m proud of watching this program grow substantially throughout my fours years here and I’m glad I was able to help lead the students and point them into the right direction,” Alvarado said. “I just hope they take what I say seriously in terms of how to carry themselves, otherwise the next couple years will be rough for them.”
Christine Liu
Liu is a first year member of drumline and joined because she wanted to step out of her comfort zone and challenge herself musically and mentally.
“Drumline has really taught me to be more social and open,” Liu said. “I’ve met so many new friends and I’m always excited to go to practice because it means more bonding time. There isn’t a single moment that I don’t want to be with them.”
Drumline competed in the Southern California Percussion Alliance, or SCPA, preliminaries, at California State University San Bernardino, and came in first for their round and third place overall, out of 48 groups on April 2.
In their excellent performance in the preliminaries, held at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, they came in fifth out of 12 schools.
“We got fifth place, and I was kind of bummed out at first because I was hoping we would get into the top three, but I reminded myself it doesn’t matter what place we got because in the end we all had fun as a family and we all performed our hearts out,” Liu said. “I’ve really grown to appreciate the people I perform with and whether we win some medal or not, our bond is better than any award.”
Members, like Liu and Alvarado, practice three days each week: Tuesday and Friday from 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-4 p.m. However, when they have a competition, they practice Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. -4 p.m.
Whether this is their first or last year participating in drumline, both Liu and Alvarado have been positively affected by being a part of this activity. The program has taught them to work hard and has given them a family that will have their backs.