Embracing a new role can be daunting for anyone. One can never fully know what challenges may come with the role. For Kenya Abdallah, a drummer for Spirit of Atlanta, this all rang true at the thought of being the center snare.
Abdallah was placed in different positions among Spirit of Atlanta’s snare line during her audition process. But, the emotions within Abdallah kicked up a notch as soon as she was moved to the leadership position of the section in the center. Trying to take advantage of the opportunity in front of her, Abdallah focused on what she could control — how she played.
Soon enough, Abdallah received the news. She, a woman of color, was the center snare in the 2023 Spirit of Atlanta drum line.
“When they told me that I was going to be the center snare, a lot of emotions went through me,” Abdallah said.
Abdallah fell in love with the idea of playing snare after watching the 2002 film, “Drumline.” While that movie follows a drummer’s experience in an HBCU-style drum line, Abdallah knew as soon as the end credits rolled, she was going to become a drummer.
Soon after watching “Drumline,” Abdallah discovered the world of drum corps. Watching performers like former Blue Devils member Nicole Casino, who was the first female center snare in the corps’ history in 2013, pushed Abdallah to make the choice to march with a drum corps, something she calls a “perfect decision.”
Prior to joining Spirit of Atlanta, Abdallah took the time to build up her drum corps resume. From 2016 to 2018, she marched with Blue Devils C in Concord, California. Then, Abdallah spent the 2021 season with Golden Empire. In 2022, the Iowa's Colts was her final stop before Spirit of Atlanta.
From the moment she stepped foot into her audition with the Georgia-based corps, Abdallah felt welcomed. The level of support she received back at her audition is still the same as the corps prepares for the last stretch of the season.
Abdallah credits her success at center snare to the staff at Spirit of Atlanta’s ability to not only make her feel at home, but also to help her grow as a performer.
“I was very confident in the staff and how they wanted to approach things,” Abdallah said. “Their approach is what I really admire for my education.”
Being a woman of color in the position Abdallah holds is something still relatively uncommon in the drum corps activity. But it’s not a factor that Abdallah gets hung up on. Rather, she focuses all her attention on staying consistent and growing her craft — things she believes will help anyone achieve anything she wants.
That’s also the advice Abdallah would give performers interested in auditioning for a drum corps in the future. She is a firm believer that if a person stays focused on their goals, they can achieve anything.
“Regardless of how you identify, you can do anything in the world as long as you stay humble, keep that discipline and work hard every day,” Abdallah said.