The Hilton Winter Drumline visited QUEST Elementary today to show off their drumline performance of "The Tin Man"! The performers met at the QUEST gym and got in costume to show off their instruments and performance.
First, Drumline Instructor Charlotte Collins introduced the show concept. "The Tin Man" is an origin story of how the titular character that originated from "The Wizard of Oz" became who he is! Then she introduced the characters of the Tin Man, Dorothy, Scarecrow, and the Wicked Witch, before segueing into what a drumline is, and introducing all of the instruments.
Collins engaged students by asking if there were any instruments they were and were not familiar with. Then, she explained the instruments in each section, before having them each sound off with some measures - first the snare instruments, then the tenors, then the basses. Then she made her way to the frontline instruments, where she again explained the differences between the sections in front of them before showing off some sounds from the drum set, aux percussion, synths, mallet station, vibraphones, and marimbas.
Some students were then chosen from the audience to come down to the gym floor and test out some instruments. They were able to try the drum sets, the snares and basses, the synths, and more! They were taught how to play some notes and given a bracelet for volunteering.
Finally, the moment they were all waiting for - the performance of "The Tin Man!"
The formerly human Tin Man was chopping down some trees in the forest, when he chopped down the wrong one, and came face-to-face with the Wicked Witch! With the instruments pounding away rhythmically in the background, she cursed him and the rest of the forest. The students weren't just musicians - they were actors. Finally, the Tin Man made his way to a yellow brick road, where Dorothy and Scarecrow met up with him, and the audience was brought back to where the Tin man started in “The Wizard of Oz,” once they were finally brought up-to-speed on his back story. It was a moving and entertaining performance that brought down the house.