School District Five band students selected to perform with professional drum corps

For Immediate Release – June 7, 2019

School District Five band students selected to perform with professional drum corps

IRMO – Four Irmo High School band students have been selected to tour the country while improving their musical and marching performance skills as part of professional drum corps.

Cameron Ciriello (Percussion) and Lee Salter (Baritone) will participate this summer in the Music City Drum & Bugle Corps.  Liam Minogue (Baritone) and Mark Sheldon (Trumpet) will participate this summer in the Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps.

“These are really incredible musicians and valuable parts of the band program here at Irmo High School International School for the Arts,” said Roger Simpson, Irmo High School band director.  “The drum corps that they are going to be a part of are the best of the best.  They are highly auditioned and hardworking groups that tour throughout the country and are generally comprised of college students, so for them to be in high school and be accepted to perform is a huge honor.”

Music City Drum & Bugle Corps is a marching music education organization from Nashville, Tennessee. Membership consists of 150 high school and college students ages 16-21.  In its short ten-year history, Music City has become known for its fan-friendly productions and is a crowd favorite wherever it performs.

“It makes me feel proud of myself and also my teachers because it means they have taught me something,” said Lee Salter, Irmo High School junior.  “The thing I look forward to most this summer is performing.”

“Having the opportunity to grow, especially as a person and a musician is incredible,” said Cameron Ciriello, Irmo High School junior.  “It just feels really empowering knowing that out of all the people that auditioned, I was able to be one of the ones selected to be part of the group.”

The Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps is comprised of 150 brass, percussion, and color guard members, ages 15 to 22, who perform an 11-minute show that integrates artistic and athletic skill in an entertaining display of outdoor pageantry. Although most of its members are from the Southeast, the popularity of Spirit of Atlanta has attracted members from all over the United States, Canada, and even Great Britain and Japan. Members are selected by audition based on their musical ability, movement skills, and attitude.

“In eighth grade I started in marching band and this has always been a dream of mine to take part in a professional drum corps,” said Liam Mimogue, Irmo High School junior.  “It feels good because I will be growing myself as a musician and improving on the skills that I have learned at Irmo High School.”

“It’s humbling being chosen for the drum corps because you see all of these people who have put in effort and you get the opportunity to have the experience that everyone is looking for,” said Mark Sheldon, Irmo High School junior.  “I am so excited to do this activity over the summer for myself and maybe all of the people who didn’t get to realize their dream this year.”

The students will live on the road during the three-month long program and perform all across the Southeast.

“It really is an opportunity of a lifetime for these students,” Simpson said.  “It is something they will learn from and enjoy and be able to reflect upon for the rest of their lives.  I really encourage everyone to go see a show and see cheer them on in person.”

Both corps will be performing at River Bluff High School on July 5 for the CrownBeat show.  To learn more about tickets and show times please visit: http://bit.ly/2Wnf5wH.

Irmo High School International School for the Arts uses arts integration in academic content areas to increase student engagement and interest.  The school also has a state of the art theater and a broad array of arts related courses for students to explore their potential as artists. 

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