Keeping up with just one instrument can be a headache, but Audrey Schoenig, 10, manages to play proficiently on several. During marching season, they play the tenor drums in the battery, the drumline seen marching around the field,

During pep band at basketball games, they play mellophone, a brass instrument similar to a french horn, or tenor drums. For jazz band, they play the drumset, and during normal concert band, they play general percussion.

“I think I just get bored of playing just one instrument. As we get closer to a new season, I practice the instrument I’m about to play on more and more. This year, I started practicing for marching band year round, and I feel way more prepared for next year; I think it’s really going to help me,” Schoenig

said. “It also teaches me time management and how to prioritize tasks.”

Those are not the only benefits that can come from playing multiple instruments, though. Schoenig believes that when you play more instruments, it’s easier to listen ‘around the band’, listen to different instruments’ parts, and match tone quality and sound with everyone else. 

No matter the other instruments they play, and despite the fact that they did not start their band career on a percussion instrument, Schoenig always returns to percussion.

 “Any of the percussion instruments are more fun,” Schoenig said. “I started taking lessons for it and then started liking it more. As I got better on drums, I thought that it should become my main ‘thing’.”