This week, Chops donated a refurbished set of Pearl marching drums to the Patrick Henry (soon to be renamed Camden) High School drumline, one of the groups preparing to compete in Minnesota Percussion Association’s new Battery Class. This set of Pearl equipment ensures that Henry’s drumline students have quality drums appropriate for their skill level and commitment. Four marching snares, two tenors and five basses were immediately put to use! A huge thank you to the Henry music department for championing the growth of their drumline program.
Byron Hawkins, longtime drumline coach at Henry and director of TKO Drumline, said, "Chops has taken the initiative to give Minneapolis Public School programs opportunities to expand where music isn't seen as a viable asset anymore. Chops’ drumline director Michael came in and seen what our kids had to offer. He liked what he saw and the next week he showed up with upgraded drums for the whole class. Seeing the kids’ faces when they seen new equipment was priceless. Very thankful for what Chops has provided - it speaks volumes on their efforts to expand the percussion community. I probably could come up with another 20 amazing things to say about Chops but very grateful is the most important."
Along with a roster of other new-to-MPA student groups, Henry High School Drumline will be participating on April 6th in MPA’s new Battery Class competition at Burnsville High School. Chops has contributed equipment and staff time to ensure that all marching percussion groups have free access to a full-sized, professional-quality set of marching drums and stands for communal use at MPA shows, plus related supplies and professional guidance throughout the performance process.
Although registration for the 4/6 performance is closed, Chops has more opportunities in the works and welcomes outreach from scholastic and community-based drumlines looking to join in! Contact us here: https://www.chopsinc.org/contact-us.
Help Chops Donate More Drumline Equipment!
Your generous financial support enables Chops to purchase used sets of marching drums, pays for the cost of our staff time to refurbish the drums, and puts gas in our truck when we deliver complete batteries to scholastic and community-based programs that don’t have quality equipment. Donate today and make some young drummers smile!