Valley musicians forming drumline, drill team
Two longtime Mon Valley musicians are reaching out to local sixth- through 12th-graders, encouraging them to join The Core Drumline & Drill Team.
Chuck Suba, who previously taught in the Brownsville and Frazier school districts, and Mark Smith, a music educator for over 40 years who owns The Drum Shop in Charleroi, are volunteering their time to establish and conduct the program, which is designed to motivate kids to move forward.
“We see a big need in the Mon Valley area to promote this. The school system has pretty much gutted all art programs in school,” Suba said. “I’ve seen firsthand how schools have not kept up with arts programs; not only band, but chorus, theater and art.
“Mark and I are trying to put this together to show kids if you commit to something and discipline yourself to finish what you start, something great can happen.”
The program is free to students of all skill levels, thanks, in part, to sponsorships Suba and Smith have obtained. A drum company has committed to purchasing the drums, as long as its logo it appears on them, and another company has agreed to refurbish any used drums. Used uniforms will be purchased through fundraisers. The only cost to parents and students is a commitment to attend weekly practices, which will be held in a former Belle Vernon warehouse.
“It’s going to be all-inclusive,” Suba said. “If you don’t play an instrument, come. We’ll teach you how to march; we’ll find a position for you.”
The Core will include a rifle guard, banner carriers and color guard. Eventually, The Core would like to expand to include a dance team.
“This is a good way to take these youths who are not getting the opportunity … and do something in the community,” Suba said. “We are giving them an opportunity to learn to play music … and enjoy some comraderie.”
Suba said practices will not conflict with afterschool activities or music programs. However, in the summer, there may be additional practices.
“We are very passionate about this. That’s why we think this will work out,” Suba said. “With our talents and enthusiasm together … it’s endless where we could go with this and perform for the community. Basically, we want children to have a desire to belong to something bigger than what they are.”
Suba will serve as director of The Core. He is a 1968 graduate of Brownsville Area High School, and entered college with a music scholarship. He studied at West Virginia University, before graduating in 1972 with a bachelor of arts in secondary education in music from Salem College, Salem, W.Va.
He successfully auditioned for the U.S. Army Band, and later became a session player up and down the East Coast, recording at Criteria Recording Studios in West Palm Beach, Fla., with Eric Clapton. He also toured for one year with Lou Rawls and Dionne Warwick. When he returned to Southwestern Pennsylvania, he played with the Church Street Band and two drum and bugle corps.
Today, he is the owner/operator of Wall Street Recording Studios in Uniontown, playing and producing music, jingles and voice-overs for the Fayette County area, and is the leader and drummer of Mark and the Wild Things Band.
Smith, who will serve as drumline instructor of The Core, is a graduate of Charleroi High School, and attended California University of Pennsylvania and Berkeley School of Music in Boston. He studied under famed Mon Valley drum instructor William Crocket, and was the drummer in the Twin Coaches Orchestra.
Smith is vice president of Musician Union Local 592, and he oversees large stage productions for the Charleroi Area School District Education Foundation. He also is an active performer with several local and Pittsburgh bands that perform over 200 dates a year.
A few students have already signed up to join The Core, including a freshman at Bethlehem-Center High School.
“He’s an ideal candidate,” Suba said. “By the time he’s a senior in high school, he should be a monster drummer.”
A date for the first practice has not been set, although, Suba said, it probably will be held next month.
He’s also hoping that he and Smith can have the same impact that Suba’s mentor, Samuel Bill, had on him.
“I was very lucky,” Suba said. “I didn’t think of myself as having musical skills. When I was growing up, I didn’t come from a background in music. I found it to be interesting, and I could do it. I want to give that experience to these kids that they can do this, too.”
To register or for more information about The Core Drumline & Drill Team, email thecore@atlanticbb.net, or text or call 724-812-6031.