since she first started drumming in the fifth grade at Indian Valley Middle School. While at Greenon,  Abby was the center snare in the first indoor drumline at Greenon , under the direction of Mr. James Blankenship.  She has continued to play since graduating, with several independent groups, and has even been assisting in teaching at an area high school and giving private lessons.  She is currently competing in the Winter Guard International (WGI) circuit in the Independent World class with an ensemble named “Matrix” from Akron, OH.  This is her second year competing with them, and she is the section leader of the bassline.  Practice takes place every weekend for five months along with performances in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio.  Matrix has been invited to travel overseas to Europe to put on clinics and be the guest performance for the Indoor Percussion Europe Championships.  They leave March 29 and will return April 9, just in time for WGI finals at UD Arena on April 21.
Abby also has spent her last two summers traveling with drum and bugle corps in Drum Corp International (DCI) tour. In the summer of 2010, Abby traveled with Legends (Kalamazoo, Michigan), and in 2011 with Glassmen (Toledo, Ohio). This summer Abby will be spending her summer with the 4th-place world champions of 2011, Carolina Crown of South Carolina. She will travel to South Carolina the second week of May to start spring training and will begin the summer tour in June for thirty-one shows, traveling to twenty different states to perform, with a final stop in the Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium for championships in August. You can see Carolina Crown in Ohio on July 9 in Centerville at the Soaring Sounds show.
These drum corps require a rigorous audition process, and people travel from all over the country to do so. Abby’s goal has been to be in such a group as Carolina Crown and has finally made it. Due to her age, this will be the last year she can be in the summer DCI group but can continue with WGI for two more years. Being in these groups contribute greatly to one’s self-esteem and make you accountable for your mistakes while pushing you to strive for perfection. It starts with dedication, the strength to take pride in yourself as a team member rather than an individual, and thorough preparation to do your job at the highest level possible. Not only do you change mentally, but the physical changes are quite extreme due to the 12 hours a day the performers workout for three months straight. This does not come without a price; there is also a hefty fee to participate in these groups to help pay for buses, gas, food, uniforms, and the staff to teach them.  Abby has worked to help pay her fees to travel and perform with these groups, but still needs some help.  If you would like to help Abby march her last summer of drum corps, send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .