We would like to introduce to you our five participants for the 2019 Drum Corps Leadership Program! This includes 2 scholarship winners and 3 other participants we felt embodied what it means to be a PAISOC ambassador.
Congrats to all of them for joining our community of leaders of color!
Shane Barnes is a Health Sciences major and is marching his fourth year of drum corps with The Cavaliers.
“I love learning about different cultures, meeting new people, and learning the how/why behind their personalities. I think the mixing of different thought processes and upbringings is a very helpful and beneficial thing to have in a young person’s life. Having these different experiences turns out to be a great skill that would be essential to have. No matter what profession you go into there is probably going to be a requirement to work together and deal with people that are different from you in every which way.”
Congrats to the second member of our Drum Corps Leadership Program! Joseph Kim is marching his first year with the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps.
“Leadership development is such an important part of any marching arts experience. Although some could argue that learning how to move and play an instrument at the same time isn’t all that useful, the interpersonal skills that you learn are undeniably priceless. Especially as high school students, the students at the Drum Major Academy are at a crucial time in their development as leaders, musicians, and young adults. Because of this, it is imperative that they have the proper guidance and strong role models. For me as a student, it was always inspiring to see other Asian Americans in leadership and I have them to thank for being where I am today.”
Joy Duarte is our wonderful third participant in our Drum Corps Leadership Program! She will be marching her second year in the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps!
“This activity has also given me the chance to experience leadership and different forms of it. The preparation of a drum corps audition process and a whole summer itself has taught me that I can really do anything I want to achieve if I put my mind to it. Drum corps has helped me believe in myself and has given me the confidence to make things happen.”
Our fourth member of our Drum Corps Leadership Program and the second to come to us from the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps, Cameron Pittman is the recipient of a $500 scholarship!
“As a black male brass player in the performing arts, it’s always been important to not only lead by example but also help others that are in similar means feel included and strive to do their best. I have been in many ensembles where the collective group of minorities have come together and gotten stronger as leaders and friends. Of course, there are trials that occur when diversity is concerned, and I have personally worked to ease any tensions that have arisen because of it. No one should be left out or dismissed, so it was my mission to create a more inclusive environment.”
Our grand $1000 scholarship recipient and the fifth member of our Drum Corps Leadership Program is Ryan Ong! Ryan Ong was an exceptional applicant and enters his fourth year in the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps color guard.
“PAISOC is an organization that stands for ideas and beliefs that I have stood for my entire life. Being both a person of color and a member of the LGBT+ community, I have a deep empathy for minorities. People like me are some of the most marginalized people in the whole world…PAISOC lines up with my point of view that people of color and all minorities should be encouraged to participate in performing arts no matter if they feel discouraged or not.”