FirstBEAT

As published in the Fort Mill Times 6/6/10 by Jenny Overman

Fort Mill High School band students will have a chance to see international championship drum corps in action on June 20, and the community is invited to join them. FirstBEAT, a drum corps competition sponsored by Fort Mill-based Carolina Crown, will be held June 20 at the Fort Mill High School stadium. A portion of the event’s proceeds for the event will benefit the school’s marching band program.

Fort Mill High School Band Director John Pruitt said the funds raised will be used for transportation costs to marching band competitions in the fall. But another benefit, Pruitt pointed out, will be the opportunity band students will have to observe the musicians from drum corps around the country. “Having this world class program nearby is a huge benefit to our program,” Pruitt said. “You’re looking at the finest drum corps in the world, here in our stadium. Our students will get an up close look at how they perform.”

Fort Mill High School, known for its award-winning band program, won another state title this past year. Drum corps are marching bands made up of percussion and brass musicians as well as color guard members. Typical corps members are 18-20 years old and spend the summer touring with the drum corps. “For a high school music student a drum corps, the Carolina crown, is like the Carolina Panthers of the music world,” Director of Marketing Eric Sabach said. “We’re the professional leagues, the highest level of what they do. And the fact that the students will get firsthand experience with multiple international champs, and the fact they’ll be exposed to that, it is a great benefit to their musical education.”

Carolina Crown attracts 800 musicians annually from 40 states and three countries to their auditions for the corps’ 160 available spots. The musicians sleep on gymnasium floors at night and practice their performance, similar to a marching band show, during the day at locations across the country. Weekends are spent competing throughout the country in drum corps competitions, culminating in the Drum Corps International World Championships in August. Carolina Crown finished second at the World Championship last year and is in contention for the first place prize this year. “We’re the darlings this year by some standards. Our standards are just to go out there and be the best we can be,” Sabach said.

As part of the Fort Mill and York County communities, Sabach said it is important to the organization to give back to the music programs in the area. In addition to FirstBEAT, Carolina Crown also sponsors middle school honor band clinics in York County and surrounding counties, clinics for marching band students, and works with Nation Ford High School – which this past season won its first S.C. marching band title since opening three years ago – to present an annual marching band competition in the fall. “We really do try to put some of the money we make for these things in the York County area and give back to the music programs,” Sabach said.

Carolina Crown will also donate a portion of the event’s proceeds to the York County Cancer Association. The group will wear pink plumes atop their shaker hats to show support for cancer awareness. Other corps performing in FirstBEAT also are encouraged to wear pink, as are audience members. “My hope is that the FirstBEAT "Pink Out" will not only raise awareness to cancer and annual screening for all cancers, but it allows the young people marching to give back,” said Liz Ciardi, board member for Carolina Crown and the York County Cancer Association.“

All of us are affected by cancer in some way. This "Pink Out" will not only raise money, which will go back to the cancer patients of York County but it will empower the young people marching, giving them a way to fight. Fight for their Mothers, their Fathers, Grandparents, siblings and friends, all the people they know battling this terrible disease. I hope this is a lesson they learn here and carry forward in their lives, to give back in whatever way possible.”

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Tickets for the event are available for $20 at www.crowntickets.com. Discounts are available for families of four or more members. For more information, go to www.carolinacrown.org.