Many people at Shawnee Mission West don’t realize that our school has a drum-line.

They practice every Tuesday night (sometimes outside) to get ready for some small ensemble competitions. “We play a bunch of drums and xylophones and play music from around the world,” said junior Andy Leininger.

They are directed by Bill Thomas. Drumline is a very tight operation, and everything needs to be down to perfection in order for them to receive good scores at competitions. Percussion is a major part of music today, so having a drumline is a great thing for schools.

“We have a drum show later this spring,” said Leininger. Check out the drumline later this spring to see their them and their competition.