About Michael French, Valley Fest 2012 Facilitator:

“I started drumming at the age of 9, with the Cherrywood Elementary School Drum line, led by 5th Grade Teacher, Bev Perry.  After 3 years there, I played bass, then snare, for the Piedmont Middle School Lancer Drum & Bell Corps.  This is where I met Bruno Rocha (SCV Tenor 81?-85?). He and the other drum instructor told me that I was going to play snare at Independence High School. I made the snare line my Freshman year.  Irl Neal (SCV Tenors 85,7,9) was my center snare and my instructors were Dave Dilullo and Tom Tolbert.

My sophomore year, I auditioned for Snare at SCV for the 1988 line. Ralph and Glen liked my attitude, but not my traditional grip as we played match at IHS.  So, they asked me to play Tenors and I made the tenor line.  After the April away camp in 1988, I came back to HS P.E. class where we were playing softball. I hit the ball and ran towards first. POW – back went out.

I started to get better over the next month, but Gail, Ralph, Glen, and Kent talked to me about sitting the rest of the year out and come back the next year.  Murray Gussek took my spot in the 1988 line. I finished the summer with the SCV Cadet Corps in the pit.  Bret and Jose were the instructors.  I also met Jennifer, during that summer.

The next year, 1989, I came back with a vengeance and made the snare line. We won DCI and High Drums that year.  The next year, 1990, I was named Center snare. I was 18 that year.  I was also Center Snare for SCV in 1991 and we won High Percussion that year, too.

In 1992, I moved over to Blue Devils.  After our center was ruled out for the year with an arm injury, Dave Glyde named me Center Snare.  I was also Center in 1993, my age-out year.   I taught the 1994 Freelancers with Ralph and Shawn Glyde. At the same time, I was teaching and marching at Fresno State.  Then, years later, I became Center for the SF Renegades in 2005.  As far as I know, I am still the only person to be center for SCV and BD.”

Here’s a list of the confirmed attendees thus far…

Who are Valley Fest Drummers?

Drum Corps members from Blue Devils, Santa Clara Vanguard, Velvet Knights, The Kingsmen, Valley Fever, The Freelancers, The California Dons, Knight Raiders, and South San Francisco Conquistadors!