TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

An Offer He Can Beat

ADVERTISEMENT

By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

FOREST HILLS - Tyler Metcalf plans to drum his way up and down the East Coast this summer as he makes the jump from high school senior to college freshman.

He is joining the Teal Sound, a drum and bugle corps based in Jacksonville. The 135-member marching band includes high school and college students and tours the country during the summer. Performers start in Georgia in June and cover New England, the mid-Atlantic and the South in July, before ending with four shows in Ohio and Indiana in August.

Metcalf will be back to Tampa in time to start classes at the University of South Florida.

It will be a hectic three months, but Metcalf is used to juggling.

The 18-year-old will graduate on Monday from Chamberlain High School with a 4.3 grade-point average, weighted because of his honors classes.

"I'm not sure why I took so many tough classes this year," he said, laughing.

When Metcalf enrolled at Chamberlain as a freshman, he got involved with National FFA Organization and band. He had played guitar since seventh grade but wanted to try percussion, and he got involved with Chamberlain's drum line. In FFA, he raised pigs for the state fair and participated in speaking events.

As he got more involved with band, he scaled back his FFA activities but remained active enough to serve as secretary this year. Metcalf also was a vice president in band. Once a week after school, he went to Newsome High School in Lithia to work with students in that school's drum line.

Graduation snuck up on him with so much going on, but it was starting to sink in as classes wound down. He knew he would miss Chamberlain.

"I am sad to leave," Metcalf said. "I love all my friends."

He knows he will miss having a laid-back summer, too, but the chance to play in a touring drum corps appealed to him. A former teacher had recommended he try, and Metcalf auditioned at the University of Central Florida and attended a weekend camp in Jacksonville before getting accepted.

The Teal Sound is a member of Drum Corps International and goes to different cities to compete against other members. It's like the major leagues of marching band, Metcalf said.

It kicks off with a "spring training" camp in Georgia and then the traveling begins. The students perform and compete almost daily.

Metcalf hopes his summer on the tenors, a set of drums designed for marching, gives him a boost when he auditions for the university drum line.

He is considering a career in the fire service, like his father, Mike Metcalf, a captain with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. He would also like to minor in music.

Metcalf said he likes any sort of career related to the medical field or helping people - the main requirement he has is that he do something active.

"I'm not the kind of guy who can see myself sitting at a desk," he said.

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE

Hillsborough County public high schools will hold commencements this week and next.

Chamberlain

GRADUATION: 7 p.m. Monday, USF Sun Dome

ANTICIPATED GRADUATES: 460

PRINCIPAL: Jeff Boldt

VALEDICTORIAN: Chandni Jalaram Patel, 6.45 grade point average

SALUTATORIAN: Jamie Lynn Mera, 6.26 grade point average

CLASS PRESIDENT: Kristina Garcia

Gaither

GRADUATION: 12 p.m., Friday, USF Sun Dome

ANTICIPATED GRADUATES: 508

PRINCIPAL: Brenda Grasso

VALEDICTORIAN: Jason Thomley, 6.4244 grade point average

SALUTATORIAN: Phillip Ackart, 6.3827 grade point average

CLASS PRESIDENT: Gavin Scott

Leto

GRADUATION: 3 p.m. Tuesday, USF Sun Dome

ANTICIPATED GRADUATES: 420

PRINCIPAL: David Brown

VALEDICTORIAN: Anabel Fernandez, 6.13 grade point average

SALUTATORIAN: Shanna Marie Lindemeyer, 5.98 grade point average

CLASS PRESIDENT: Jonathan Green

Sickles

GRADUATION: 7 p.m. Tuesday, USF Sun Dome

ANTICIPATED GRADUATES: 692

PRINCIPAL: Jake Russell

VALEDICTORIAN: Melissa Kerster, 6.16 grade point average

SALUTATORIAN: Everett Millman, 6.06 grade point average

CLASS PRESIDENT: Ciprian Mejia

Source: Hillsborough County school district

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503 or cpastor@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT