Hello! My name is Glenn Jenkins and I spent this summer with Music City Drum Corps. A world class ensemble based out of Nashville, TN and competing under Drum Corps International. For more info on what drum corps is, click this link. https://www.dci.org/news/dci-parents-about-drum-corps
What is my STEP Signature Project?
I was a performing member of a world class drum corps this summer, travelling the control performing and competing in stadiums ranging from a small high school in upstate New York to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Atlanta, Georgia. Our corps consisted of 154 Brass, Percussion, and Color Guard performers who worked tirelessly to create an 11-minute show on the football field. I was one of the five bass drummers and learned a ton about the importance of teamwork, pushing back comfort zones, and confidence this summer, as well as getting tan and fit!
What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?
I became much more comfortable being outside of my comfort zone. I had to live in close quarters with 150 other people for 75 days straight, on mattress pads in gym floors. We rehearsed more than we slept for the first four weeks, and then did half of our sleeping on tour busses for the remaining seven weeks. We rehearsed in heat indexes above 100 degrees multiple times and looking back I don’t know how I did it all. I learned that I can push myself much further than I think, and that the reward of pushing through the discomfort is worth it. I have always struggled with pushing past my comfort zone, and this summer was 75 straight days of having no choice but to do just that. Little things like studying during free time instead of watching TV, to big things like going to a foreign country are both something I could do. Though the summer was extremely physically challenging, I believe I had way more mental challenges. I wanted to quit and go home multiple times during spring training, as the 11-hour rehearsal days with people just as stressed and worn out as I was had finally gotten to me. I had to remember why I chose to do drum corps.
A few weeks later, we had our first regional (where all 22 world class drum corps compete on the same day) in San Antonio, Texas. My Dad was able to come and watch because he was in Houston for work that week. I remember standing in the tunnel as we prepared to take the field and I had a minute to myself to think. My father, who coached so many of my soccer and baseball teams growing up, sacrificed time and money for baseball and music lessons, came to all my concerts and tennis matches, was sitting in those stands, over a thousand miles away from my home. How amazing it must be for him to watch his son perform at the highest level of the activity he loves the most. Suddenly I felt incredibly humbled and all the work I had done up to that point became miniscule compared to the joy it would bring my father. Then later in the season, my Mom, sister, grandparents, friends who were able to come and see a show. It felt amazing to repay all of those who helped me reach my goal.
On a less positive note, I learned how difficult it is for a group of young people, all under 22 years, to persevere through a schedule like that. I learned how we naturally want to build up hate, cause division, and take the easy way out. It was incredibly difficult to be in that environment, as we were the only community we had. I thought that my drumline would be more supportive of each other, more willing to think of others before themselves, and more accepting than they were. Unfortunately, that was not the case. For example, my 5’7” seat partner took up more space on the bus than I did, and I’m 6’6”! I was far from perfect in keeping a positive attitude or being supportive, but as a rookie in the drum corps I felt like my hands were tied. Through it all I learned how to survive within a toxic community and manage to find joy. I had to remember who I was really doing this for.
What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?
My drum corps experience began in November of 2018 at an audition camp in Knoxville, Tennessee. Audition and Rehearsal camps continued once a month through February, and then we had spring training move-ins on May 26th. Our housing site for the first half of spring training was a very small high school in Humboldt, Tennessee. I found a commencement pamphlet in the gym and saw that their graduating class was 50 people. This small high school was our ‘home’ for those first two weeks. We ate, slept, showered, and rehearsed there for 13 days straight. I barely knew anyone within the drumline, and no one outside of it when I got there. The intensive rehearsal schedule made it difficult to develop friendships, because there was no time to. These were two of the hardest weeks of the season, as I was very new to the drum corps culture and had an injury that sidelined me for five days. We got roughly half of our show done in these two weeks, and then left for our next spring training housing site.
Our next housing site was at a nicer high school in Columbia, Tennessee. I remember here was where I faced the most mental challenges. I have a very strong community here at Ohio State, and I felt the weight of not having it. My community within the corps was horrible. The people were not supportive, they were insensitive, and I felt excluded. We had to spend every waking moment together though, so I had no choice but to stay and do my best to enjoy my time there. I began counting down the days until we started tour, and I could see my family. I became very bitter in these two weeks, as they were probably the two worst weeks of the summer. We had our family and friends show on Saturday, 22nd, and here I got to see my parents and then go to dinner with them after our show. That was a great relief for me, but unfortunately, they had to listen to me vent about all the things I hated more than I wish they had to. Now it was time to begin tour, which is the ‘fun part’ of the drum corps season.
Our first show was in Evansville, Indiana. The school we stayed at was terrible, and tour was not off to a good start. The show itself was amazing though, as it was our first full run in uniform on a real field, and we received a standing ovation at the end. Our next show was in Pittsburgh, and I had a lot of family and friends come to see me, which was overwhelming but nice. We had 25 shows over the entire tour, and these were only the first two. I was not enjoying it much more than I was spring training though. I began making more friends outside of the drumline, which was well needed. I wish I had better words to say about the people in my drumline, but I honestly don’t. Everyone gossiped behind each other backs, and many people were inconsiderate. I grew a deep appreciation for good community this summer by having a terrible one.
The performances were my favorite part of the summer. We ended our show by playing Imagine by John Lennon, and it always felt so powerful to perform. We had more standing ovations than not, even though we were usually an ‘opening act’ for better and older groups. We toured through Massachusetts, down to Florida, over to Texas, through Tennessee, up to New York, and then finished in Indianapolis. As tour dragged on, I became more comfortable with my environment. Sleeping on a bus, waking up at 3am to go sleep on an air mattress until 9am, then rehearse all day. Living out of a suitcase was easy for all of us. I would never do this again, but I am grateful for the experience and all that it taught me.
Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?
I was pushed out of my comfort zone all summer, and that is the only way to grow. I have gained confidence, a stronger work ethic, and a broader view of the world. When problems arose in drum corps, we had to solve them quickly. When plans changed, we had to quickly adjust to them and do what was best for the group. I can apply all of this to my relationships, and hopefully will be a better friend, husband, father, etc. because of the lessons I’ve learned in drum corps. When we were exhausted, we still had to find a way to give our best for the audience and each other. Though I spent every day this summer creating music, I firmly believe that I learned more about how to handle day to day life than I did music. I know how to set priorities and use time most efficiently. As an engineer, efficiency is of paramount importance so I will be able to apply my summer to my courses. When I set a goal, I will know how to reach it, starting at square one.
After a rehearsal in Pennsylvania, near the end of the season. I am to the left with the largest drum.
I marched bass 5, and we had funny looking fedoras.