Drummond: Learning to find himself in the music

A Young Adult Drumline Book by Patrick R. F. Blakley

This is a unique drumline book for musicians and non-musicians alike! Drummond is tasked with joining his high school marching band’s drumline and needs to find himself to succeed. You, like Drummond, might find yourself overthinking your life, or sometimes struggle to understand what you want to do with your future. This marching band and drumline book is about figuring out who you are inside, then learning how to fit in. Drummond grapples and second-guesses himself throughout the book, but dealing with outside factors isn’t easy! Finding some unexpected help along the way guides him into his role in the band, and in life. When family life outside of the band gets dark, Drummond needs to fit into his new family within the marching band! By popular demand, autographed / inscribed / gift copies of the Drummond drumline book are also available! Click here!

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“Drummond takes a unique approach to the subject of music, personal identity, and being a kid in the world. Young readers who find their place of acceptance through music will love this. What a fun story! It was compelling and tender all at once and will resonate with a lot of readers.“

• Writers Digest 

“This was such a brilliantly written and captivating YA Genre Fiction read! The author expertly crafted a relatable and genuine narrative that felt alive on the page, and the imagery and tone the author captured ranged from the desolate to the passionate depending on the protagonist’s environment and mood. The character growth was the heart and passion of the story in this book. Rating 10/10″

• Reedsy Reviews 

“Blakley’s attention to relationship-building, group efforts, and individual growth create a winning first-person story in which Drummond learns about marching bands, music, and himself. Ideally, it will also be part of a classroom assignment, discussed for its psychological revelations as Drummond learns about his strengths and employs them in a group effort to make music.”

• Midwest Book Review 

“Drummond: Learning to Find Himself in the Music is a solid coming-of-age story. Blakley’s extensive knowledge of music and his own experiences in his youth bring the tale to life. Drummond is an engaging and entertaining protagonist who many young readers will identify with.”

• The Book Review Directory

“Drummond is a book I wish ‌I had read during my impressionable marching band years. A little neurotic and a lot funny, Blakley reminds musicians of the intricate nuances of drumming and a fun range of different marching instruments as Drummond shuffles through sections of the band before resettling on his true love, percussion.”

• Indies Today

“We finally have a story that speaks to the formative experiences our many young adults have in school band! If you have a child in band, particularly if they are a percussionist, then they will certainly connect with this smartly-written tale. Drummond explores the shared experience of music education and marching band that our best and brightest students have and continue to love and cherish, regardless of time and place.”

• Dr. R. Ward Miller, D.M.A. – Macy’s Great American Marching Band, Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps