Page 25 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2017

What started as a small idea grew into the Bay Ratz Marching Battery, now composed of twenty-eight musicians, divided into the more advanced Ratz and the beginner players, called Mice. The youngest drummer is five.
The Bay Ratz began performing
on street corners, earning money
for equipment. Now, they have
marched all across the Mississippi
Gulf Coast, from Second Saturday
in Bay Saint Louis to Mardi Gras
parades. With fun beats and crowd interaction, it is easy to see why this drum line is quickly becoming a local favorite.
They have gotten popular enough that they no longer have to shake a can for donations; now, the Ratz ask for compensation, all of which goes towards keeping the group free for anyone who wants to join and
learn percussion instruments. They’ve also formed a relationship with the Boys and Girls Club of Bay Saint Louis.
“We teach kids to read music,” said Wilemon. “The older kids are writing and arranging music. We want the kids to play music, not work music. It’s all about fun.”
Jia Sharma-Chaube, 9, is one of the Mice. She loves to “make loud noises,” saying that the music takes
her to a different place. Her sister, India, 10, is also a part of the Mice. No stranger to music (India sings and plays piano) she says she is drawn to the life of the music. She carries the tenor drum — unusual for such a young drummer, especially a girl.
For a drum line, the Bay Ratz and Mice have a large female presence, which has become a source of pride. Anna Grace Boxx, 16, is a Rat and the drum major
at Bay High School. She joined in September and
has become one of the group’s most diverse talents, playing a number of different percussion instruments.
Kyle Ott, 17, is also learning on different instruments. He’s always been musical — playing guitar since he was a kid and the trumpet at Bay High — but he’s only picked up percussion recently. Now, he’s
marching with Ratz on bass and plays tenor with the Mice. “This is a place to
let loose,” Kyle said. “It’s just a place for us to get together and just make
music.”
“That’s the beauty
of this group,” said Archana Sharma, Jia
and India’s mom. “You don’t have to
be musical. Brian is such a good teacher. He
makes it so easy.”
Wilemon co-directs with Zac Fillhart, the chef at
Bay Saint Louis’s Starfish Cafe. After his wife, Melody, told him about the group, he began working with the Ratz, sharing his skills as a trained percussionist.
“They’re a rolling thunder,” said Fillhart. “I love watching things connect in a kid’s mind.” The creative spark in the mind of a child may be the magic of
the Bay Ratz. It teaches music, but it also creates community, offering a diverse environment and developing role models.
The group welcomes new members of any age and is committing to keeping everything free. Everything is on a volunteer basis, which means they survive on donations.
The Bay Ratz are offering a second class for beginners, starting in the new year. They meet Thursdays and Sundays at the Boys and Girls Club in Bay Saint Louis.
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