Cameron Kirkland, Alabama State Percussion Section Leader: ‘We’ll Set The Standard’

By Solomon Crenshaw Jr. | For The Birmingham Times As percussion section leader of The Mighty Marching Hornets of Alabama State University (ASU), Cameron Kirkland has a vast number of duties — and one of the most important is harmony. “My responsibility is to make sure we sound like one,” the 21-year-old senior said. “We have a whole bunch of moving parts with cymbals, snare drums, tenor drums, quads, [a marching drum set of four tenor drums mounted on a single carrier], and bass drums. … My responsibility is to make sure we coexist and intertwine with each other while we play so it doesn’t just sound like a whole bunch of noise.” The role of the 48-member percussion section is crucial because it sets the rhythm of the 270-member band, the music performance major said. “The drumline, we set the foundation,” Kirkland said. Cameron Kirkland says he’s been involved in music practically since birth. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times) “We are the heartbeat of the band,” he added. “Without us, there’s no sense of time. We definitely are the foundation of how the band is supposed to sound, what they’re supposed to play, how fast or slow they’re...