About the Missouri Drumline

And now, a word from Richard Newell.

I have been privileged to have been a member of the Marching Mizzou Drumline for the past five years (2005-2009), Bassline for the past four, and Bassline section leader for the past two. Being a member of the Marching Mizzou Drumline isn't just about playing tasty beats, camaraderie with your fellow members, or being a prominent part of a nationally recognized game day atmosphere. Nay, I say, it is about all of the above.

The foremost purpose of the Drumline is to, of course, play drums. The drumline include 8-10 snare drums, 4-5 sets of quints, six basses, and 8-10 cymbals. This past year, we upgraded our equipment to what has already become a trademark of Marching Mizzou, new Pearl Championship series drums with black shells, and gold hardware, and black Remo drumheads, with the gold block "M" decal also featured on the football helmets appearing on the bass drums. Each year, vets reaudition and may be placed on different instruments, based on the talent and needs of the line. For those unfamiliar with the line, we typically have a repertoire of several cadences, grooves to be played in the lot and stadium, and of course, the pregame, halftime and stand tunes played with the band. The Drumline is a crucial component in continuing the vaunted 125 year traditions of Marching Mizzou.

It is said that traumatic experiences tend to bring people together, and as Mizzou sports fans, we have all had our share of traumatic experiences. However, the friends that I have met within the Drumline spend more time with me than my roommates, and will continue to be friends as alumni of the organization. Not only do we enjoy the camaraderie of our fellow members during practices, but much goes on outside of practices as well, we'll call them "team-building" activities. Our Drumline is about chemistry and trust, as it does not matter how well your notes sound, if those around you are dropping theirs, so drumming is really a team sport. To build the chemistry of the line we have meals together, take trips together and other extracurricular activities to build the chemistry of the line.

All of the hours of practice pay off every season when the first whistle kicks off pregame. With the recent renaissance of Mizzou football, we have the opportunity to be a part of the atmosphere at every home game and several away games each season. As one of the biggest Mizzou fans on campus, I like to think that my colleagues and I have been the cause of several false start penalties over my five years on the line. We bring the noise and hype, week in and week out, and there are no excuses not to do everything in our power to prevent other teams from scoring in our end zone, or to keep opponents in their own end zone (see: Reesing, Sodd). If you are not a football fan, then there is no reason why you would want to be a part of the Missouri Bassline.

FOOTBALL! Go Tigers!