Riverview High School (Sarasota, Florida) - Highlander Drum Corps - History of The Highlander Drum Corps

History of The Highlander Drum Corps

• Note: This portion of the article is influenced directly from the "About the HDC" section of the Official Website of the Highlander Drum Corps*

The Highlander Drum Corps received its name in the mid-1990s to highlight the Scottish heritage of both Riverview High School and the RHS Kiltie Band. Since 1999, the HDC has marched between 25 and 30 members in its ranks, generally marching 6 snares, 5 tenors (quints), 6 basses, and 10-12 cymbals. During that year, the HDC participated in its first fundraiser, the HDC Drum-a-thon, and raised $11,000 to purchase new equipment (Premier Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, harnesses, cases and cymbal bags) for the line.

The actual Riverview High School Drumline, however, is as old as the RHS Kiltie Band itself. It has remained a unit of the band since the organization's inaugural year of 1960. As noted above, the HDC title came much later in the mid-1990s, and HDC gained the reputation it has now with the coming of Director of Percussion Chuck Evans in his first year at RHS in 1998. As an alumnus of Florida State University in 1995, he transformed the group from a traditional high school drumline to a well-rounded and experienced unit almost immediately. The Section Leader of the FSU Big 8 Drumline during college, he has brought over and taught numerous college-level cadences and warmups, courteousy of both Big 8 and several other drumlines and corps throughout the nation.

As of November, 2004, the Highlander Drum Corps has succeeded in its quest for new drums and ensemble equipment. Although due partly to their very own fund-raising efforts, the greatest financial supplement came in the Sarasota County referendum on program spending in Sarasota County schools. As a result of this, and the strenuous efforts of director Chuck Evans, the Highlander Drum Corps has to this date received an estimated $50,000 worth of equipment for marching and concert season usage. This came a matter of a week before the Highlander Drum Corps and the Riverview High School Kiltie Band marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.