LOUISIANA DRUMLINE CAMP IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION FORMED IN FEBRUARY 2009. WHEN RAYMOND ELLISON, THE PARENT OF A HIGH SCHOOL BAND STUDENT NOTICED THE NEED TO PROPERLY TRAIN LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL DRUMMERS. ELLISON COLLABORATED WITH AN OLD FRIEND, TERANCE HIGGINS, WORLD RENOWNED DRUMMER OF THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND TO ORGANIZE A DRUM CAMP FOR STUDENTS IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA. HIGGINS, YEARNING TO GIVE BACK TO HIS COMMUNITY CALLED CHILDHOOD FRIEND DERRICK HILLIARD, A FORMER SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY MARCHING BAND PERCUSSION INSTRUCTOR. HE EAGERLY AGREED TO OFFER HIS ASSISTANCE. HILLIARD BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL BAND SCENE RECRUITED SHOAN RUFFIN,A LEADING PERCUSSION INSTRUCTOR  IN NEW ORLEANS AND TEACHER AT ST. AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL AND ROOTS OF MUSIC. THE ALL-STAR STAFF WAS COMPLETED WITH THE ADDITION OF CHARLES SMITH AND KEITH JOHNSON BOTH PERCUSSION INSTRUCTORS AT LOUISIANA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (LLI) BATON ROUGE, LA.

THE GROUP WASTED NO TIME PLANNING THEIR FIRST EVENT, WHICH CONSISTED OF A ONE-DAY DRUM CAMP WITH KEY FOCUS ON TRAINING IN RUDIMENTS, MUSIC READING, STICK CONTROL AND EXERCISE. THE EVENT WAS HELD ON APRIL 18,2009 AT MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR CHARTER SCHOOL LOCATED IN THE LOWER NINTH WARD.THE GROUP INTENDED TO RECRUIT FIFTY(50) STUDENTS FROM THE NEW ORLEANS AREA TO PARTICIPATE,HOWEVER RESPONSE WAS SO POSITIVE OVER ONE HUNDRED STUDENTS SIGNED UP AND ATTENDED THE CAMP.

THE CAMP ALSO INCLUDED GUEST INSTRUCTOR DR. JOHN WOOTON, DIRECTOR OF PERCUSSION STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND AUTHOR OF “THE DRUMMERS RUDIMENTAL REFERENCE BOOK”.

THE STAFF AT LOUISIANA DRUMLINE CAMP IS COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHILE REBUILDING A LONG STANDING DRUMMING TRADITION. OUR GOAL IS TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP AND DISCIPLINE THROUGH HANDS ON TRAINING.