Ever wanted to know the inside life of a drummer?
Cassidy Downard is a junior and Bear River High School’s best drummer.
“She rocks!” music director Ashley Petrie said.
Downard is part of Bear River’s amazing and talented band under the direction of Petrie. Downard has been playing the drums since she was 10 years old.
She knows that each step is a big one for her high school drumming career.
“Probably my ability to learn instruments in a quick way, I’ve been playing the drums for like six years or so and I’ve been improving a lot,” Downard said.
Downard’s role as drummer is very important to keep the music on beat and steer the other musicians into the right direction when following the beat of the whole song. One mistake on Downard’s part could potentially mess up the song, but Downard has proven to be a pro.
“You have to be really, really on point as a drummer,” Petrie said. “I think that the main thing that makes her a good drummer and good musician is that she always listens to others around her.”
Downard is a one-of-a-kind student — she’s always got a knack for what’s around her.
“So, a lot of times drummers can tend to just be really loud and almost overbearing because it’s like a very loud present instrument,” Petrie said. “But she’s really good at listening to what the other musicians are doing around her and kind of adapting to that and adding to it instead of taking away from it.”
Downard also has been in an academic battle since she first started high school, but she didn’t let that stop her.
“Just sticking with it and being consistent,” Petrie said. “Even though her schedule has been kind of a battle the whole time we’ve known each other and finding time to be able to join music groups. This year she’s actually been able to join band and drum on a regular basis with us which is really cool.”
One of Downard’s peers from the band also enjoys having her as the drummer and believes she does a great job.
“She absolutely does carry the band as a percussion member,” said sophomore Reagan Monterroso. “Especially as a very skilled percussionist.”
Monterroso can also count on Downard to maintain the peace in class when things get rowdy.
“Beyond being a percussionist she’s very good at managing the chaos when we are trying to set up for an event,” Monterroso said.
Downard also loves a wide variety of music.
Downard also loves music genres; metal, ska and reggae.
Her favorite music artists are Descendents and Sublime, both American punk-rock bands. She is also a fan of the rock bands Incubus and Mephistopheles and the metal bands Pantera, Lamp of God and Mastodon.
Besides Downard’s = skills as a passionate drummer, she plays other instruments and has other hobbies.
“I like to draw, and play instruments like guitar, the drums, and the bass. And I like to bake cookies,” Downard said.
Downard’s best friend is a junior here at Bear River, Ariah Miller.
“We get along really well, she’s been my best friend for probably about 13 years now. We’ve known each other since preschool," Miller said. “We have a lot of compatibility.
“I’ve gone through a lot of rough patches in my life and she’s helped me through a lot of it just by talking and comforting me, she’s just an overall really good person to get along with.”
Miller knows a side of Downard that goes beyond drumming.
“She does a lot of stuff from playing the drums and earning a black belt in Kuk Sool Won, which is Korean karate, which is very impressive the amount of skill she has,” Miller said.
Believe it or not, Downard has a black belt in Kuk Sool Won.
“Maybe 5th grade is when I got it,” Downard said. “
Downard and she is ready to rock out some more with the beat of the drum, a strum of the guitar, and a pluck of the strings on the bass. “I am most proud of my abilities to learn, like my skills in general,” Downard said.
