Jeremiah Anglesey goes to his own beat

While watching a sports game at USU Eastern, have you ever noticed the upbeat energy, a kind of rhythm that reverberates through the crowd? Where does that energy come from, keeping the USU fans on their feet, cheering on their team? The Spirit Squad, and more specifically, the Drumline. When in the crowd, you can always hear the Drumline adding excitement to the game, energizing the crowd. Just like any other sport, the Drumline has practice and a coach, Jeremiah Anglesey, a student here at USU Eastern with a passion for music and band.

Anglesey initiated his music career in middle school, where he mentioned feeling somewhat compelled into it. There, he developed a deep affection for music, grateful that fate had directed him toward the world of music. Anglesey continued to play in high school, attending Carbon High, where he gained leadership experience before he came to Eastern. During his high school years, he held various leadership positions, including trumpet captain, band council president, and lieutenant colonel. Anglesey also possesses experience with multiple instruments, including the snare drum, the bass drum, the tenor drum, and the cymbals.

Currently, Anglesey is pursuing a general education degree and majoring in music education while also coaching the Spirit Squad Drumline here at Eastern. Before the present-day Drumline, the program faced some challenges. The program predates Anglesey’s involvement, having been established in 2016. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a struggle to maintain it due to the conditions of the world at the time. This led the program to wane and vanish for a while until Anglesey graduated from high school and revived it. We owe the existence of a Drumline at USU Eastern to him.

As the coach of the Drumline, Anglesey must prepare his team for performances, which involves practice and collaboration. The Drumline practices twice a week for an hour and a half to get ready for games. While this may not seem like an extensive practice time, the Drumline program permits its players to focus on their individual skills without having to worry too much about what their fellow teammates are doing. Of course, there still needs to be synergy for the Drumline to function effectively, and it is impressive how its players can work as a team while also honing their individual craft.

The Drumline is still relatively new at USU Eastern, having been established just a year ago. Hopefully, it will continue to grow in the future. Until then, we can appreciate the victories and accomplishments, such as when Anglesey helped the Carbon High School Band. He witnessed that high school team progress and make it to the state level, and just seeing his students improve is a very memorable experience for him. For anyone interested in joining the Drumline, Anglesey’s advice is to reach out, be willing to practice, prepare, and audition. Keep an eye out for Drumline performances, especially during parades, on Saint Patrick’s Day, and at basketball games, which Anglesey is particularly excited about.