The Bethune-Cookman drum major shows the unique style adopted by the BCHS band.

Members of the Barron Collier High School band pose with leaders of the Bethune-Cookman University marching band during a recent visit.

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The Barron Collier High School band may be taking its signature gyro-antics from the football field to the big screen, thanks to drumline instructor Oliver Phipps.

As a college student at FAMU, Phipps was a section leader of the famed Marching 100 in the 1980s. Two of his original cadences that he wrote in college were used in the movie, “Drumline,” produced by a fellow FAMU bandmate.

Recently, the producer called Phipps regarding the possibility of making another movie called “Halftime.”

“The movie is going to be about a black band director instructing a white drumline,” says Phipps. “They are thinking about filming the BCHS drumline for a portion of the movie.”

With that prospect ahead, members of the BCHS drumline rocked to the hip-hop beat of the show-style marching band at Bethune-Cookman University, Sept. 27, in Daytona Beach.

“Bethune is one of the colleges we model our band after at BCHS,” says 11th-grade snare drummer Kristen Schoepfer. “The songs are modern, like you hear on the radio, and during the band’s routines, the audience in the stands was dancing and singing along.”

Phipps organized the trip to allow his drumline to observe the standard of showmanship expected of college bands.

“The BCHS drumline aspires to the college level of performance,” says band director Kelly Parker. “We do over 100 shows per year, changing our routines on a weekly basis.”

Although this is the first year the drumline has gone to Bethune to observe, the band members have taken part in “The Classic,” the college’s halftime show, during football games and have participated in the Battle of the Bands.

“It is a real honor,” said Parker. “They consider us to be in their league and have adopted BCHS as their high school band. I sent band members to Bethune because our drum cadences and traditions come from Bethune-Cookman and FAMU. It is an advantage for us, because they supply us with arrangements and choreographed moves.”

Phipps, principal of Estates Elementary School, accompanied the drumline to Bethune-Cookman, along with 12 parents. He has served as drumline instructor at BCHS since joining Collier Public Schools in 1988.

“I started incorporating the FAMU drumline style at BCHS, and then we developed our own flair in the routines,” Phipps says. “The BCHS drumline does a lot of moves called ‘sticking,’ which is flipping the drumsticks, and doing dance moves while playing cadences. We have a cadence called “Introduce Yourself,” where the band sings. We have a lot of movement, which grabs the audience’s attention.”

BCHS drumline members said they enjoyed the trip to Bethune-Cookman and the chance to see some of their mentors in action.

“They have their routines calculated out perfectly,” said sophomore snare drummer Taylor Knight. “I was amazed; you don’t see or hear any mistakes. It’s smooth. It takes a lot of practice to perform at college band standards. The music is loud and it engulfs you, but it is not overpowering.”

Phipps stressed the importance of the band performing not only on the field, but also in the stands.

“Many bands get very relaxed sitting in the stands,” he says. “I want BCHS to always be ready; to always have a beat playing and work as a unit.”

Tom drummer Justin Bauman was impressed with the band’s ability to maintain straight lines while marching.

“They inspire us to strive to do better,” he says. “The dancing was funky. They were all good, upbeat and high-stepping dancers.”

During the visit, college band members remembered BCHS from previous events, like the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, held in January.

“They came up to some of the students saying, ‘You’re that white band that jams!’ ” Phipps chuckled.

Phipps said drumlines were originally used in African worship ceremonies or prior to going to battle. He says the tradition was brought to America and perpetuated by Dr. William Foster at FAMU in 1948.

“We feel good about being a part of that tradition and cultural enhancement,” Parker says. “My students love it! They get an incredible response. It is fun for them to participate in, and it is totally different than what you expect from a regular high school band.”