TAYLOR MCDANIEL |Reporter

This week’s spotlight will be looking at another member of the Lindenwood Drumline.

Bio

Name: Andrew Combs

Age: 21

From: Belleville, IL

Grade: Senior

Major: Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership

Minor: Music

Sport you play: Marching Band

Q&A

Q: When did you start playing?

A: “I started marching band my freshman year of high school. I was 14 years old. I have been playing drums since I was nine though.”

Q: How did you get started in your sport?

A: “I enjoyed playing music, and wanted to keep playing in high school. I enjoyed the shows we put on, so I continued into college.”

Q: What is your biggest strength in your sport?

A: “I understand the music very well. I am a composer, so I understand how the different parts fit together. This helps me to learn music when I put my mind to it.”

Q: What was your most embarrassing moment in marching band?

A: “The second home game this year. During the halftime show I forgot the music to the end of one of the songs, so I just kind of pretended I was playing my drums for part of the show.”

Q: Why did you choose to play for Lindenwood?

A: “I came to Lindenwood originally to major in music. I needed performance credits, and marching band fulfilled them. Marching band was also part of work and learn at the time, so the money was good. I also just enjoy playing drums.”

Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment in marching band?

A: “During my junior year of high school, we were invited to march in the Indy 500 parade. It was the biggest event I have ever performed. Playing drums for the thousands of people there helped me to start overcoming the stage fright I used to get before shows.”

Q: What do you like most about your sport?

A: “I like the camaraderie that forms between members of the band. We all share the common goal of making the best performance we can, and it brings us together. I know that when it’s time to perform we can trust each other to play at the highest level.”

Q: Do you have any game day rituals?

A: “On most game days I will get to the band room early and tune our drums. Then when everyone else gets there we go outside and warm up. Finally, Jason Hood, the building manager for Scheidegger, as well as a Lindenwood drum line alumni, gives the drum line a pep talk. This gets us hyped to perform.”

Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

A: “I enjoy backpacking, writing music, and playing video games. This semester I don’t have any free time since I am taking 24 credits and working 20 hours a week. In the little free time I do have I like to write and record songs in my dorm room.”

Q: Who is your favorite athlete?

A: “Lou Gehrig. He was an influential baseball player, as well as a member of my fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.”

Q: Who do you look up to in marching band?

A: “I look up to Patrick Harris. He was an upperclassman when I first came to Lindenwood, and he is one of the best drummers I have ever played with. Being in drum line with him inspired me to get better, and become the leader for the tenor section that I am today.”

Q: What is your favorite drum corps?

A: “The drum corps, Carolina Crown, is my favorite. Their show E=mc^2 blew me away. It inspired me to practice more so that I could try and play to the same level their drummers did.”

Q: What keeps you motivated?

A: “Hearing a piece of music come together. Our first few runs usually sound bad, but as we continue practicing, and the music continues to get better, it makes me want to improve to the point that everything is perfect.”

Q: What are three things you could not live without?

A: “I need my computer so that I can do all of my composing and recording. Probably my drum set since that is my primary instrument. And a dog. Because who doesn’t like dogs?”

Q: If you could have dinner with any three people who would they be?

A: “Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and Leonard Bernstein. These are three of my favorite composers, and I would love to be able to talk music theory with them.”

Q: What is your favorite quote?

A:“’The mountains are calling, and I must go’ -John Muir. This quote is the essence of my life. Every summer I go to New Mexico, and spend three months in the mountains learning more about myself than I ever do in a classroom. Then, when I am back at school, all I can think about is how I want to go back.”

Q: Do you have any advice for young athletes?

A: “Always practice and never give up. There’s always going to be times where you don’t think you can succeed. You just have to push past the self-doubt, and never worry about what other people think of you. If you perform to a level that makes you satisfied then you have succeeded.”

Q: What are your plans for after college?

A: “I plan to go down to New Mexico and spend the summer working for the Boy Scouts of America at the Philmont Scout Ranch. After the season ends, I will begin hunting for a full-time job. I am planning to try and find something with the local Boy Scout council.”