For those of you who read this entry and you have small children - be encouraged.
For the longest time growing up, I was not sure just where Ben Worley would "hang his hat" so to speak. He was active, creative, fun, entertaining - all those things kids are and should be. The only sport I ever thought he might be interested in was soccer, but it was way more about running up and down the field and bossing people around and that became boring after awhile.
All of this was good, I might add.
It wasn't until just a few years ago, he started hanging with some friends and they started a band - a band which needed a bass player. I was thrilled. Everyone needs a bass player. There are never enough bass players in the world.
So, Ben takes lessons, becomes a pretty darn good player, and go figure - makes the Franklin High Marching Band as the bass player in the pit.
I am still wrestling with a bass player in a marching band. (they just didn't do those things in my days!)
Well, when marching band season ended, and someone talked him into auditioning on "tenors" or "quads" or whatever you want to call those (4) drums you have to strap onto your body and play in perfect time/rhythm while moving around.
He did just that with the Winter Drum Line, and practiced on his own for hours a day - never having to be asked by anyone to discipline himself to practice faithfully.
That led to his auditioning for this year's FHS Marching Band - not as bass player, but as drummer boy on the "tenors".
The photo above was taken at this year's band camp, and tonight Ben Worley will march with these drums strapped to his body for the very first time at a Franklin HS football game half-time show.
I would have never guessed that years ago as I watched him run up and down a soccer field and boss people around - that it would lead to a different kind of "running up and down" a field bossing people around! (drummers always boss people around!)
My video camera will be rolling......
