About the Book
Drummond, a thirteen-year-old C student in middle school, is steered into joining the high school’s marching band. He’s far from ready, and his friends help him make several attempts to learn new instruments to try and fit in better. With a little unexpected guidance from the drummers and their instructor, he realizes how well he already fits in. He discovers who he is inside. Home life deteriorates behind him and pushes him forward into the arms of his new family, the marching band.
About the Author
Patrick R. F. Blakley is a SAMMY award-winning percussionist from Syracuse, New York. He is a music judge for the New York State Field Band Conference and participated in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2018! Blakley has written two technical marching percussion books and also a children’s book called Drummy Drum Joins Marchy Band.
The children’s book inspired his Drummond novel, which explores the question of why a drum would join the marching band in the first place. As it turns out, the drum was just a projection of his inner-self and Drummond had to find out who he really was inside! Drummond then uses that newfound information to try to fit in and connect with his new family!
Qn 1: Can you tell us more about your book What is it about?
This book is about a young man that joins a marching band but struggles to find his place. As he tries new things, he finds out where he fits into the group through trial and error. Eventually, he gets comfortable within the band, but his life at home starts to fall apart behind him, pushing him more into the marching band family.
Qn 2: What sets this book apart from others?
I think the book goes much deeper than marching band and drums. There is so much that Drummond overcomes behind the scenes, and it all relates wonderfully to a young adult’s life. Most importantly, the divorce of a young reader’s parents is a common challenge that new teens face. Drummond does not solve that problem but offers a relief valve for readers facing this real-world issue. I don’t think divorce can ever be solved by the child, and this book hits that nail on the head!
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