MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
When Abby Linton stands on the podium, baton in hand, she’s not just leading a new generation of performers — she’s carrying forward a legacy that stretches back more than four decades.
LINK: Sky Ryders to host free dress rehearsal performance at Gowans Stadium on Monday
Linton, from Maize, grew up surrounded by the thunder and brass of drum corps life. Her father, Pat James, marched with the Geneseo Knights in the 1980s — a highlight of his youth and something he spoke about with reverence. For Linton, who spent her childhood at drum corps shows, the dream of marching always lingered just out of reach.
“I always played a woodwind instrument, so I couldn’t really march in a traditional corps,” he said. “But when my dad was recruited to help start the Sky Ryders back up about a year ago, I was always watching from the sidelines.”
Then, last December, when her father passed away — and any doubts about whether he’d take up the mantle vanished.
“After he passed, I knew I had to be part of this,” Linton said. “It was a way to honor his dream and the love he had for the activity.”
Now, as drum major of the newly revived Sky Ryders — a corps returning after nearly 30 years away — she has discovered that leading from the front is more than just calling tempo changes.
“Being a drum major is a lot more than just waving my hands on a podium,” she said. “I help set the culture. It’s my job to make sure everyone feels welcome, respected, and ready to give it their all. We’re building something brand new here, so how we treat each other really matters.”
And the Sky Ryders are attracting young performers ready to carry the dream forward.
Fourteen-year-old Desiree Keel is the youngest member on the field this season — and almost didn’t make the cut.
Keel says it was her band teacher who first told her about the Sky Ryders — and the story stuck.
“My band teacher marched here, and he told me about it,” she said. “I thought this would take me to the next level in band.”
Keel was just 13 when she attended her audition camp, but she made the age limit by the skin of her teeth — turning 14 just in time. Now she’s two weeks into the season and learning that the drum corps is an entirely different world.
“It’s a lot of work,” she said, “but it’s so much fun too. It’s really worth it.”
Fifteen-year-old Aiden Brinkley, from Nickerson High School agrees. He heard about the Sky Ryders from his dad, a middle school band director.
“At high school, we practice for maybe an hour,” he said. “Here, it’s four-hour blocks — back-to-back, every day. But it’s fun, and I’m learning so much.”
For 16-year-old Liam Ford, who traveled from Dallas to join, the drive is rooted in family too. His dad briefly marched in the drum corps in 1989 and has always been his biggest fan.
“My passion for music really came from him,” Liam said. “I’ve followed DCI for years, so when I heard they were bringing this back, I knew I wanted to do it.”
Unlike the big touring corps, Sky Ryders’ SoundSport program has created a home for high school-age performers to dip their toes into the art form early — and maybe dream bigger for the future.
“This is a great early experience,” Liam said. “I definitely want to keep doing this. It’s like a first step.”
For drum major Linton, every step — every note, every count — is a tribute to the man who first showed him the magic of a corps under the lights.