The Irondale snare section performs its 2019 show “Glitch.” They had to incorporate weird movements and sounds while drumming this piece.“I love how we look like we’re falling in this,” Huberty said.| Photo submitted by Miles Huberty

PSEO student fights to be the best drummer

Miles Huberty knows that he can bring something new to drumming with his personality.

By Marielle Denning

Miles Huberty seems like a normal Bethel University PSEO student. He drives to his classes in his silver 2006 Saturn ION. He does his homework for hours, taking small breaks to build his LEGO sets. He’ll even doodle little battleships and tanks when he gets bored in his classes. But once his classes are out, he’ll pop in his headphones, turn on his favorite heavy metal songs and drum until his hands are covered in blisters.

Huberty constantly drums on his desks during class, playing parts of songs or making up difficult rhythms to perfect. When he learns new songs, he’ll spend hours watching drumline videos from different drum cores. He’ll listen to their warm-ups and songs on repeat, studying the movements and seeing how each section interacts with each other.

“Miles will literally come to practice on Tuesday, not knowing how to play a song,” said Isaiah Vasquez Matze, a player in the Irondale drumcore. “And by our next practice on Thursday, he’ll have it memorized. He’ll play it perfectly.”

Miles Huberty learns a new song at a band rehearsal. Band rehearsals went from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. “They go on forever,” Huberty said. “Like they’re super fun, but by the end you just want to lay out on the turf and die.” | Photo submitted by Miles Huberty

“I like to be the best. I mean, how many kids have you made sad because you beat them?It makes me feel great to know that I’m good at this.” — Miles Huberty, Bethel PSEO student

Huberty plays in the Irondale High School marching band and drumline. The drumline is ranked 9th out of 50 other high school drumlines in the world. He plays center snare, one of the most important parts of the drumline because of their responsibility to keep other sections on beat. Huberty hopes to play in his favorite drumcore, the Blue Devils. He believes that they’ve got the best players and music.

“I like to be the best. I mean, how many kids have you made sad because you beat them?” said Huberty. “It makes me feel great to know that I’m good at this.”