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High school drumlines keep the beat for downtown event

Godwin Heights’ drumline and Rhythmic Unison, a combined drumline from Ottawa Hills and Union high schools, had a fun ‘drum-off’ for the Let’s Beat Breast Cancer event 

Multiple Districts — The Godwin Heights High School drumline and a combined Grand Rapids Public Schools drumline called Rhythmic Unison held a drumming duel last week as part of a Let’s Beat Breast Cancer event.

Performing in downtown Grand Rapids’ Rosa Parks Circle, the two groups switched back and forth for about 30 minutes, with both drumlines coming together at the end to perform.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for the students and a chance for us to showcase our band,” said Luke Marlowe, who took over as Godwin Heights’ band director this year. 

Cleidy de la Cruz, a Grandville teacher and member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which hosted the event, said she organized the program to help kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is October. She reached out to local marching bands and Godwin Heights and the Grand Rapids groups agreed to take part.

Andrew LaJoie, band and choir director at CA Frost Middle High School, said his students were excited to perform for the community. The Grand Rapids drumline was a combined group with students from Ottawa Hills and Union high schools.

Read more from Godwin Heights: 
‘You can’t be afraid of getting your hands dirty’
E is for engineering

The Godwin Heights drumline performed in downtown Grand Rapids
At the end of the performance, the Grand Rapids combined drumline Rhythmic Unison with Godwin Heights drumline
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Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
Joanne Bailey-Boorsma is a reporter covering Kent ISD, Godwin Heights, Kelloggsville, Forest Hills and Comstock Park. The salutatorian for the Hartland Public Schools class of 1985, she changed her colors from blue and maize to green and white by attending Michigan State University, where she majored in journalism. Joanne moved to the Grand Rapids area in 1989, where she started her journalism career at the Advance Newspapers. She later became the editor for On-the-Town magazine, a local arts and entertainment publication. Her eldest daughter is a nurse, working in Holland, and her youngest attends Oakland University. Both are graduates from Byron Center High School. She is a volunteer for the Van Singel Fine Arts Advisory Board and the Kent District Library. In her free time, Joanne enjoys spending time with her family, checking out local theater and keeping up with all the exchange students they have hosted through the years. Read Joanne's full bio

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