BY JESSICA RICHARDSON
HERALD DEMOCRAT
DENISON -- When the Denison High School Drumline performs at 5 p.m. Friday, it's going to be one for the record books.
The 12-member group of students will attempt breaking a Guinness World Record for the longest continual drum-a-thon, this with a little help from their younger peers.
This means shoppers entering and exiting the Denison Wal-Mart will hear the thumps of drumming history being made for a minimum of 24 hours, 19 seconds. The one additional second is all it takes to usurp the present title holder, which is another high school band.
A $12,000 goal has been set. Pledges and donations will be used to fund nine months of private lessons for 45 students in middle and high school grade levels. The DHS Drumline will also be afforded the opportunity to participate in an upcoming drumming competition.
While the sound must remain constant, shifts of three players will rotate every 20 to 30 minutes. Cat naps, food and refreshments are sure occupy any available down time.
Sophomore Chase Bertles insists he's going to buy five of the updated Guinness Book of World Records once they're released.
Senior Matt Parker said, "This is like a dream. I never thought I would get in that book. I've always wanted to be in there."
Freshman Jacob Green says, "It's gonna take a lot of hard work and dedication. It's gonna be, like, a sense of accomplishment."
Denison ISD Percussion Teacher John Apodaca hatched the record-breaking brainchild to ultimately improve the quality of the band.
On a personal level, he said, "It is just a pleasure to see the evolution in the kids when they begin to understand how to be successful people and, then by extension, successful young musicians. We just focus on learning the concept of excellence ... excellent effort and concentration, how to identify excellence, excellence in concepts and methods ... then we begin to get excellence in performance."