Dylan Yates likes to bang the drums.

The senior at Foley High is also good with those drums. So good in fact, he earned one of 125 spots for high school students nationwide in the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band.

“I’m still amazed,” said Yates before the ceremony at Foley High, adding that he played “The Zone,” an original composition for the drum by his band teacher, Carl Malone, on an audition video and had to prepare a two-minute personal video. He does not know exactly how many other drummers applied but, “It was 32 or 33 pages of applicants.”

The AAAMB will perform Jan. 8 at the Army All-American Bowl game for high school students at the Alamodrome in San Antonio. The band will also appear in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Yates isn’t sure exactly where he will be going to college, but he is leaning toward the University of Southern Mississippi and plans to write music, teach and perform.

No matter where he winds up, Malone is sure that Yates will do well.

“He has been a member of just about every honor band in the state,” said Malone.

Yates’ grandparents, Johnny and Polly Boggs of Gadsen  were present at the ceremony naming Yates to the band.

“We are very proud of him,” said Polly Boggs. She recounted that she and her husband bought Yates his first drum, a tom-tom, when he was a year and a half old.

“He would go everywhere, beating that drum,” chuckled Boggs.

His mother, Pam Malone, said she eventually took the drum away, but when he was 10 years old, “He asked for a real drum.”

Malone gave in and says Yates, “has not stopped” playing and learning his instrument. She added his stepfather, Robert Malone, the Foley Middle School band teacher, taught Yates the basics.

“That didn’t go over very well sometimes,” laughed Malone.

But Yates did learn, and his performance of “The Zone” was received with acclaim from the band and the students crowded into the gymnasium.

The students cried “WHOOOO!” as Yates twirled his drumsticks. He was helped into the black-and-yellow AAAMB band jacket by Army personnel at the presentation.

“I’m just glad you are a Foley Lion,” said Principal Russ Moore.

The Army All-American Bowl was founded in 2001. The AAAMB selection committee includes The National Association for Music Education, Drum Corps International, Head Director and Show Coordinator Nola Jones and All American Games.

INFORMATION

You can see Yates’ presentation on the web at allamericangames.tv

For more information on the AAAMB, go to usarmyallamericanbowl.com