TRION, GA (WRCB) - It's the sound of the islands, coming from an unexpected place, the Trion High School band room. The Steel Drum Band is an after-school ensemble, but it's not as easygoing as it sounds.
Senior Alex Hatley said, "It may not sound hard, but it is. Part of what makes it fun is being challenged musically." Hatley plays clarinet in the school's marching band, but says she has learned an entirely different appreciation for music with the steel drum. Like all of the students, she had to learn her new skills from the beginning.
Senior Aaron Castro, long a percussionist in the marching band, said, "Most of the drum notes are written on the drums, but mine does not. When people first start they don't know what they're doing, or what their notes are, but the more you do it, the better you get. It takes a lot of practice."
The practice has paid off, resulting in numerous awards. Band director Andy Cox says his students enjoy performing near and far, often for audiences who have never heard a high school band of this kind.
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