“I’ve been here for fourteen years. I was four and I’m eighteen now. The River City Drum Corp. has made me a totally different person than what I would have been. I’m more responsible and better at getting stuff done. I know that real life has consequences and there are rewards to good things that you do. It taught me how to be an adult. The biggest lesson that I take from RCDC is that if I don’t get my stuff done, I won’t be able to have fun. It’s all about responsibility.
Drumming is my passion, it’s what I do. If I was to drop everything and forced to choose one thing, it would be drumming. I’m just naturally good at it and it’s what I love to do. I get to reach others through it. I get to teach all the kids and the older kids and make people smile. I wanna make people smile and dance. We’re just doing good stuff over here, especially with the drums.
What’s next? I’m going to college. I want to go to Tennessee State University. Hopefully, I’ll get to play there. I’m waiting to hear back about scholarship stuff. I’m going to get my degree in aeronautical and industrial technology. It has to do with aviation and airplanes.
As far as drumming, I won’t do it professionally but I will definitely come back to Drum Corp. to help teach the younger kids coming up and make them better. I want all of them to be better than me and they can come back and teach and keep it going. That’s what somebody did with me. Alumni came back and taught me so much stuff that I didn’t even know. I plan on going to TSU and learn new stuff and will come back and help make the kids better, so they can make somebody else better.
Whatever you want to do, if you really want to do it, don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or how hard it is, you have to keep going. If you really want to do it, just keep trying. If you want to do it, you’ll it. Don’t say you can’t do it. Tell yourself that you can and practice at it. Remember that it takes time to accomplish stuff, so don’t give up.” - Jaylen, Louisville River City Drum Corp in Park DuValle