Kingsford, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Kingsford High School’s drumline stole the show at Saturday’s opening ceremony for the 28th Great 8 Winter Games that featured Olympian Nick Baumgartner as the keynote speaker, all the way from his Aspen training locale.
It was all in the lighting that really made the production pop. According to Jacob Barnby, the high school’s Band Director, the lighting was added to the opening ceremony just last year.
“I had about 10 strings of lights and controlled that from my phone. That worked out really well, and then everyone in the crowd waving lights on their phone. There was some ambient lighting that was set up, and they added a lot,” said Barnby, after the show ended.
The string lights he is referring to were attached to each drummer’s instrument, and the gymnasium lights were turned off for the show. The students waved lights in the crowd from their phones to add to the spectacle.
The Band Director said it was the students’ hard work that really made their talent shine, however.
“The students did the bulk of the work,” he began. “We have a lot of students in the drumline who are also athletes on the wrestling team, basketball, football, swimming. So it’s obvious that these are great kids of great character,” Barnby remarked.
He added that one of the seniors organized all of the early morning rehearsals, which sharpened their talents for the ceremony. He will be sad to see the seniors go, and hopes that some of the underclassmen will step in to fulfill those duties to really keep the drumline in sync.
The drumline has worked extra hard for the last three years fundraising to make some extra magic happen this spring. Barnby announced that the drumline will be heading to Disney the week of April first, for spring break, and will be taking their production to a whole new world.
The drummers have plans in the works to play at the resort while they are there for spring break, according to the Director.
“The band is going on a trip to Disney, doing a workshop. We’ll rehearse for a couple of hours and then put what we record to the scene of a classic Disney movie, and then we’ll be performing a parade at Disney as well. That’s happening over the week of April first over spring break,” said Barnby.
For information on how to support the Kingsford High School drumline, community members can contact the high school office.
