On the 11th day of the 2 weeks before winter break, my band director gave to me...

Eleven drummers drumming!
Ten months of band fun,
Nine flutes a-dancing,
Eight Brame analogies,
Seven saxes swinging,
Six cool band trips,
Five golden means,
Four pep band games,
Three French horns,
A two-headed turtle,
And a piccolo in the key of C.

Okay, I know the actual song goes "Twelve drummers drumming," but in our Symphonic Band, we have eleven, which is quite a large number. Most bands of that size would be well served with six or seven percussionists, but we are blessed with a large and diverse crew, not one of whom I would ever give up. Sure, it means a lot of sharing of parts, but it's a happy section that knows how to both work hard and to have fun. I credit this to the leadership of past-president Paul Brisske who set the tone for his successors, who in turn have ably carried on in his footsteps. So here's to drummers everywhere, to anyone who has ever felt that hitting things was the best way to make music!