Page 80 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2019

There’s a rule in the Bay Ratz Marching Battery, a drum line for students based in Bay St. Louis, called the “Emily rule.” It is named for one of its members, 17-year-old Bay High student Emily Birch.
EMILY
BIRCH
story by Jeff Clark photo courtesy of Emily Birch
“The drums we carry are heavy and uncomfortable and Emily carries the biggest, heaviest drum,” said Bay Ratz founder Brain Wilemon. “The rule is that no one can complain until Emily complains and Emily never complains. She goes through life like this –— accepting challenges with grace and gratitude.”
It makes great sense that Emily is a part of the Bay Ratz as well as the high school band because music is one of her greatest passions in life. “I love music,” she said. “I’m a pretty shy person, so I use music as a way to get to know people and have conversations with them. You can find out a lot about a person by talking to them about music.”
She plans to follow her passion by getting a degree in music. Although she hasn’t made a
decision between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, she knows
she wants to pursue music. “I really want to teach music to others,” she said.
Aside from her musical pursuits, Emily is embedded in the community
of Hancock County. She is an intern at the 100 Men DBA Hall in Bay St. Louis and she works for the Hancock County NAACP where she writes and edits newsletters.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s the greatest job. I write parts of the newsletter and I help (chapter president) Greg Barabino with
the editing. I have learned so much working for the NAACP. One of the main things I have learned is that we should never judge others, especially for their skin color.”
80 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • April 2019
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