Meet TeamBush 2015 is a series of introductions to the members, staff, and administration of the Bushwackers Drum Corps. We want to highlight and feature the people who make this Corps unique and exciting. Up Next:
Tom Heider, Snare Drum
Well into his se
cond season as a member, Tom Heider is a great success story of the Bushwackers program. The Corps has a policy that everyone who walks in the door is welcomed as a Bushwacker, no matter ability or background. There is one catch: you have to put forth an effort to constantly want to achieve greatness. Quality over quantity. The Corps will foster those who have the desire to work hard and never give up – its the Bushwacker way…and the journey Tom has taken so far. This is his story.
Tom walked into the Bushwackers Open House in the fall of 2013 with the expectation of being one of the best. Having already started playing piano and guitar at a young age, Tom started drum-set lessons in the sixth grade. He kept drumming and watching others, and over time had become the best player at his school. He decided he had to seek out an opportunity to challenge himself on a higher level. After considering auditioning for a local DCI corps, Tom saw the Bushwackers drumline in a lot video online. After talking to some drum corps vets, and finding out that Bush was a weekend-only Corps, he decided that this would fit better with his life, high-school, and work schedule. He wanted to wear the magenta and blue.
The first five minutes in that rehearsal room shocked Tom. There was so much talent in the room. So many skills he didn’t have. He tried to hang, but just was not able to play at the higher level Bush expected from its members. Because the Corps won’t cut those who are willing to learn, the staff saw talent in Tom and offered him a spot on the Bushwackers’ Cymbal line.
This also was no easy task for Heider. He had never played marching cymbals, but welcomed the challenge. He wanted to get his feet wet…establish himself…become part of the Bushwackers team. He was not going to improve his skills by walking away in frustration. This was the perfect opportunity to be around those he can learn from, and work on his admitted less-than-stellar marching technique as well.
Tom went through the 2014 season a young man on a mission. He enjoyed learning about the tradition of and being in the infamous Bush Plate Line. Every free moment he had, his pad was out and he was chopping out. He learned the entire snare book so he could practice with snare line members during free time at housing sites and on bus rides.
After the 2014 season came to a close, there was one thing on Heider’s mind…..the 2015 Open House. How prepared was he going to be? What can he do every day to get himself to that level so there were no questions on where he belonged. He practiced. And Practiced. And practiced some more. He hopped in when the Corps needed members to do community performances in the off-season. He joined the recruiting team so he could travel to different High Schools and tell his story of how the Bushwackers help you become a better person and a better performer.
The new season was upon us as the Bushwackers started their 2015 season this past November at their annual Open House. Tom actually had second thoughts…should I just go out on bass drum and work my way up, or can I stand in the snare line and prove it to myself and everyone around me that hard work pays off. The staff told him to go for it…follow your dream…lets see what you are made of. Then it happened.
Tom came in that day more prepared for this than anything he had done. He knew the exercises, he knew the audition music, he knew the expectation. Not only did he impress the teaching staff, but Tom now stands in the center of a very talented snare line. Heider worked hard to achieve a goal, to achieve quality, and the Corps supported him in every step. That’s the Bushwacker way!
Tom Heider is currently a senior at Freehold Borough High School in Freehold, NJ. He will be attending college in the fall and will be majoring in the design arts or media while still continuing marching band and drum corps.
Come join Tom and the rest of the 2015 Bushwackers as we take our journey together this spring and summer. Few spots are open in the Brass and Front Ensemble sections. Visit www.bushwackers.org for more information.