Drum Corps hosts workshop in Vaughan

Vaughan Weekly
March 5, 2014  
By Angela Gismondi

Father Bressani Catholic High School hosted the first ever drum corps workshop in Vaughan on Feb. 22.

The Father Bressani Catholic High School Music Department teamed up with the Blue Saints Drum Corps for the educational session, which drew about 50 students from Grade 9 to 12. A drum corps is a musical marching unit similar to a marching band consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments and colour guard (dancers). All participants were given the chance to show off their unique talents during the workshop.

Antoine Buttigieg, head of the music department at Father Bressani, organized the workshop. Buttigieg started a drum line ensemble at the school last year. There are only a handful of drum lines in the GTA and Father Bressani has the only high school marching band in all of York Region, Buttigieg explained.

Buttigieg said the workshop was beneficial for students.

“It helps with marching, fundamentals and reinforces proper performance techniques,” he said. “It can only benefit our ensemble and our school.”

Buttigieg was brought up watching marching bands and has always been a huge college football fan. He added that there has been a resurgence of drum lines lately.

“It’s something that the kids really enjoy doing,” said Buttigieg.

The Blue Saints Drum Corps are the only Drum Corps for students from the ages of 11 to 21 years old in Ontario. The Blue Saints are a DCI Open Class drum and bugle corps is based in Sudbury and have a very distinguished history within the Drum Corps community. Since their inception in the fall of 1952 the Saints have provided their youth with a sense of pride, work ethic, self esteem and fun. Every year, Blue Saints compete against other drum corps in eight states in front of crowds from 2,000 to 58,000 people.

Anyone can be a part of the Blue Saints.

“They’ll teach you everything you need to know,” said Buttigieg.“If you want to learn, they’ll teach you.”