Clad in burgundy and white, the Saints Drumline from Columbus, Ohio executed the sound of a rhythmic drum symphony in Howard University's Homecoming parade on Saturday afternoon.
As they marched down Georgia Avenue with a uniformed expression of excitement and focus, their hands moved effortlessly to maintain the fluidity in their music.
Surrounding bands echoed in close proximity, but the members of the Saints Drumline kept their concentration, stealing the attention of everyone standing on either side of the parade.
"Mommy! Look at the band!" a small child said, pointing the band out to his mother.
"I know honey, they sound good!" the mother said.
Alumna and former Hilltop staffer Ashley Ross reached out to the nonprofit group after stumbling upon them earlier this year as a news reporter in Columbus.
"I was floored when I actually saw these kids perform, because they reminded me so much of the Howard Showtime Band." Ross said. "I, along with the Columbus Howard Alumni Association, am hoping that by bringing them to Howard these kids will continue to be inspired by music and passionate about higher education."
Director and Founder Marshall Cheatham created the nonprofit youth group in 2003 with only six kids, 10 drumsticks, and a picnic table, attesting to the huge strides the Saints Drumline has made throughtout the years.
"We began the program to give my daughter something to do once I realized she could play drums," Cheatham said. "I bought 10 pair of drumsticks and we started out beating on a picnic table. Since then we've serviced about 150 kids and we have kids in colleges all around the country that are playing in bands or that have graduated and went on to college on a full or partial scholarship."
The Saints Drumline has a strict focus on education and discipline, which aids in crafting not only a tight band, but also phenomenal students by seeking to teach them "important life skills, educational excellence, and personal growth."
"We are strict on discipline, they have to maintain a decent grade point average and their behavior has to be up to par otherwise we sit them down, because this is a privilege not a right," Cheatham said.
The homecoming parade was the band's first homecoming performance at any college, though they displayed no signs of nervousness, wooing spectators with their musical talents. Before the parade, the students were given a chance to meet the Howard University Showtime band and speak with the director. After the Saints Drumline showcased their skills for Howard, they traveled a short distance to Cardoza High School to compete against other youth bands.
"(It feels great) to be able to perform at a HBCU as prestigious as Howard University and show them what we do. Our kids are very excited," Cheatham said. "I am a graduate of Tennessee State University and my wife is a Graduate of Fisk university, so we understand the importance of sending our kids to HBCUs."
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