MOORHEAD — Concordia is known for its rigor and competition when it comes to music, and the latest addition to the school’s long list of ensembles promises to flip the script.
The drumline ensemble, first introduced in the spring of 2023 by junior Sam Deneen, aims to be less demanding and offer a lighter time commitment than many of Concordia’s other music-based groups.
“(usually) drumline is high intensity, high performing art expectation, which is not what I want,” Deneen said.
The ensemble functions similarly to the cobber athletic band, which mainly attends football games.
The drumline has been able to show up to various Concordia games and meets such as volleyball and hockey in order to stir up school spirit and energize spectators and athletes alike.
The drumline ensemble was a joint effort led by Deneen, who is a percussion performance major, and several faculty members.
A main goal moving forwards is that the ensemble is open to everyone, “Anybody, any experience no matter what,” Deneen said.
He also aims to respect that students are often very busy.
“A big thing is being aware of people’s time commitment as well,” Deneen said. The ensemble meets only once a week and does not require members to be at every game.
Aside from these aspects, Deneen wants the ensemble to become part of campus culture.
By including everyone, not just music majors, he hopes to create a space that anyone can be a part of, in addition to their already busy schedules.
Deneen reiterates that even if you have no musical knowledge, you can learn some basic drumming for the ensemble.
“Dr. Haberman always says ‘K.I.S.S., keep it simple, stupid,’” Deneen said.
The inspiration for a drumline program did not come out of nowhere for him.
His passion for percussion stemmed from his involvement in middle and highschool, where he was a section leader for three years in marching band.
While on a tour at Concordia, Deneen asked if there was a pep band or marching band on campus.
“And the answer I would get from tour guides was like, kind of?”
This is not his first time attempting to kick off a percussion-based ensemble like this. In highschool he began a drum club with a small group of other students.
“So there would be a group of about eight of us. And we kind of called it just like Anoka’s drum club or something like that,” Deneen said.
His efforts eventually caused the revival of Anoka’s drumline program.
“And finally, the year after I graduated, Anoka finally started up its winter drumline,” Deneen said.
Several faculty members aided Deneen’s plans to start a drumline, including professor Peter Haberman, professor Roberto Palomeque and professor Nat Dickey.
Faculty help to provide oversight, structure, and lend ther musical experience to the students in the group. The drumline is in the process of shifting from “a student group into a group with faculty oversight,” said Haberman, director of bands.
“Bringing 15 years of experience of teaching helps you, you know, get the right vibe in the room and get the energy right and build those relationships with the students,” Haberman said.
The vision for the ensemble is that it will continue to stay student led but will still be supported by faculty in the coming years.
Both student leadership and faculty agree that drumline should continue to be a simple and accessible ensemble available to everyone on campus.
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