This is definitely a good idea as far as I'm concerned. If they are learning or are practicing, good for them and if they can play and are responsible, why not use them in your line or pit. My complaint is people doing stupid stuff for no reason. But learning usually ends up benefiting everyone.

For the past 3 years it's been a bad problem in my high school when everyone tries to play the battery instruments or even just the concert percussion instruments. It's like they have no respect for anything that belongs to the percussion section. Most of the time it's not the drummers it's the brass sections.

An example would be the one sousaphone player always has this urge to play with the the timps, or the quints or the marching basses. I yell at him all the time and i'm like "Well you don't see me messing with your sousaphone or your trumpet" and he says something like "Go ahead and mess with it."

I think i should have a talk with my BD and maybe have him talk to the whole band about it. I think it's a matter of respect and some kids just don't have any.

we always use non-percussionist for our line
this year its just three (top bass and two cymbals)

but last year nobody on the bass line was a percussionist (but two had done it for two years)

usually we can put non percussionists on bass line or cymbals but they usually stay off of snare or tenor

I usually take my mallets (tenor) out of the stick bag and throw them in my case if I'm going to be leaving the drum for any extended time. It's not too big of a problem at my school, but I'd just rather not come back to see 5 broken heads and a pair of splintered sticks.

Yeah I think it's a good idea to have non-percussionists learn. My percussion director made a Drumline-B for people who have never touched a drum in there lives so they could learn. It had a pretty good turn out last year

do you know matt keown he is alan son who is best friends with matt savage, anyways i saw the seattle casades on your signature, and dude it sucks that they folded he matt keown made it and then they folded,

oh well

called a pm dude.



On topic. It does sound like a good idea to encourage other non percussionists to learn. I would think it would be pretty hard to get non percussionist to learn battery tho. However most of you have better music depts. than it seems i do. Like the B marching band sounded like a great idea.

Last year for winter percussion, we had 3 of five basses come from the horn line. They were actually really good players, since our music is pretty basic and all you don't really need chops to play it, just ability to hit upbeats and stuff.

I forget whether or not I posted this already, but we love quoting drumline the movie. For instance...

Director: You guys need to clean up the drum room
Us: Man, dat's a p-4's job!

or more recently

(The opposing band is playing "jump on it")
Me: Man, dat's what we should be playin!
(After their done)
Direcor: Lets hit 'em with a little flight of the bumblebee.

Eugh, some freshmen horn player started playing the other tenor's drums today, that poop's annoying.