8/08/23 - Downbeat Percussion Assembly & Bridges Color Guard

On August 8, to close out the 2023 Bridges Summer Program, the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison (OHM) BOCES hosted performances by DownBeat Percussion and the Bridges Color Guard.

The Bridges Color Guard is comprised of students in grades 5-12 from the Bridges program and is led by Bridges music therapist Ryan Gerling and Bridges physical education teacher Carol Martin. The group performed choreographed dances and routines with various colored flags to enhance and interpret music.

DownBeat Percussion is a drumline composed of world class percussionists who thrive on energy, precision and performance. The group performs in front of more than 70,000 people every week. Since 2013, they have served as the official drumline of the Buffalo Bills, performing at every home game. The members of DownBeat Percussion are all active in the field of education and have dedicated a large portion of their lives to spreading the art of percussion and all of the opportunities it has to offer.

Students from the Bridges program had a wonderful time dancing, singing and enjoying the lovely tunes. It was an amazing way to celebrate a very successful and fun summer in the Bridges program! Color guard helps improve students’ self-esteem, focus, gross motor skills and ability to positively emote and express using body language, while also working as part of a team.