Hillside's Drums of Thunder Will Rock MetLife Stadium Sunday

Drum roll please... the renowned elementary school percussion corps from Hillside School known as Drums of Thunder has announced its first performances of the school year.

And they are quite the performances!

On Sunday, Oct. 9 the group of 35 young drummers, ages 9, 10, and 11, will perform in front of 82,000 spectators during the halftime show at the NFL's New York Giants vs. Seattle Seahawks game at MetLife stadium.

In addition, the group will perform at Montclair State University's homecoming football game on Oct. 29.

Indeed, under the direction of founder Louis D’Amico, Drums of Thunder is sure to have a full slate of events.

In the past, Drums of Thunder has traveled to all corners of the East Coast to perform in a wide variety of prestigious venues, from a live appearance on NBC’s The Today Show in 2006, to recent engagements at professional NFL, NBA, Tennis and MLS sporting events. They also perform at New Year’s Eve festivities and charity events each year.

Drums of Thunder routinely receives standing ovations and return invitations. For over 30 years, they have impressed audiences with their mix of drumming styles, executed with a level of precision seldom seen among child percussionists.

Drums of Thunder’s quality and professionalism is maintained through daily group practice in percussion classes taught by D’Amico as part of a public school music program.

The group of committed musicians began in 1980 as the brainchild of D’Amico and has since become a mainstay of the Montclair public school’s unique music offerings. To become a member of this elite corps, children are encouraged to develop their skills with introductory percussion classes in third grade. Fourth and fifth graders are then selected for the Drums of Thunder group.

“Drums of Thunder is so cool,” says fifth grader Lucas Cooperman, the current commander of Drums of Thunder. “We have to practice a lot but it’s worth it. The drumming is awesome and it feels like we are all a team, a family.”