This year, the Brookwood Indoor Drumline of Brookwood Middle School became the Brookwood Independent Drumline, a group of drumline competitors composed of players from all education levels and ages.

Dustin Barnett, a sophomore majoring in secondary education and social sciences, was a member of the initial Brookwood Indoor Drumline throughout his middle and high school years. He said the experiences he had as a part of the drumline were invaluable to him as he grew up.

“It kept me out of trouble,” Barnett said. “Being in music, you tend to fall into the wrong crowd, especially being a drummer. It kept me from getting in too deep into things I didn’t belong in. It really changed a lot of things about myself as a man.”

Now, Barnett is a member of the Million Dollar Band and is continuing this year with the re-classified BID. While BID was restricted to middle and high school students, it has now expanded to include college students as well.

“They decided to make it ‘Brookwood Independent’ so that college kids from around the state could come and play, rather than just high school and middle school,” Colin Claybrook, a sophomore majoring in marketing, said.

The drumline currently has 29 total members. Ten of those members are also Million Dollar Band members. The other members are students from both Brookwood Middle School and Brookwood High School.

Claybrook is one of the 10 MDB band members currently a part of the Brookwood Drumline. He auditioned to be a member after learning about the group from friends.

“I had some friends that were trying out, and I know some of the staff members, and they kind of talked to me about it, and I decided to do it,” Claybrook said.

This is Claybrook’s first year as part of the BID. He was accepted to be a member after completing the three weekend audition process.

“We hold auditions at Brookwood Middle School. We’re given an audition packet to practice before the audition and then we go through three camps over three weekends,” Claybrook said.

(See also [VIDEO] “Million Dollar Band Centennial Preparations”)

BID competes in an average of five to six competitions each off-season, with the last two being the Southeastern Color Guard Circuit Championship in Nashville, Tenn., and the World Guard International Championship in Dayton, Ohio. Their most immediate competition will be this Saturday with the Prattville Indoor Drumline for the SGCG Premier Day.

Claybrook said they will have two competitions in February, two in March and two in April.

To practice for the competitions, members meet at theBrookwood Middle School gym every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Claybrook said so much time spent together has caused the group to form a tight bond.

“We’re a tight group,” Claybrook said. “We’re all very good friends. We’re like a family.”

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