Drumming in the Dark
Logline
When a promising percussionist in her high school band loses her eyesight in a tragic accident, she overcomes adversity to help an excellent college drumline compete in the P.U. competition.
Synopsis
Candice Linton is born to play the drums. She grows into an exceptional tenors player in her high school marching band and even gets accepted on a full music scholarship to a prestigious college. Things couldn't look any better for her, until tragedy strikes. Her family is involved in a bad car accident and while everyone survives, Candice is left with a serious problem – blindness.
Severely depressed, Candice gives up on life. All she wants to do is sit in her room and suffer in misery. Her parents, Sal and Tara, don’t know what to do for her. Even her younger sister Sam is lost.
May Whithers, the band instructor at the college Candice was going to attend offers Candice the opportunity to participate in a new program that will allow her to attend the university. She will help Candice get her GED and then take college courses. Her son Steve, different in appearance with his purple mohawk, ear piercing, and large tattoo of a snare drum on his arm, is eager to assist. The problem is: trying to convince Candice to join the program.
When Candice refuses, her parents decide it’s in her best interest to push her to. They drop her off at the campus, where she stays with May and Steve. Steve knows how to read Braille and attempts to teach Candice, but she refuses to cooperate at first. Steve gives her a dose of tough love, helping Candice to learn that it’s in her best interest to gain independence. She starts by learning to play the tenors without her sight. Being blind has given her an even better ear for music. While she isn’t perfect, she does very well under her circumstances.
During her private sessions with Steve, the two fall in love. When a friend describes Steve to Candice, she panics over what Sal will think of Steve’s outer appearance, even going so far as to lie about a boyfriend who is completely made up to appease her parents. Tara finds out from May that Candice is seeing her son, causing Tara to keep the information from her husband.
Candice grows as a drummer and is invited to play with the band for football games, only she will stand on the sideline and drum so she doesn’t have to march. She garners local fame and attracts stands full of fans.
The college’s drum-line is invited to compete in a prestigious competition, only one of their tenors players breaks his arm and they don’t qualify if they are one short. Candice takes his place but the team knows they won’t win if all of the line doesn’t march. Taking on the hardest task of her life, Candice tries to march on the field while playing the tenors, but fails miserably. When her team changes their formation to something that will be easier for Candice, she proves that one can succeed in life with a handicap.
Severely depressed, Candice gives up on life. All she wants to do is sit in her room and suffer in misery. Her parents, Sal and Tara, don’t know what to do for her. Even her younger sister Sam is lost.
May Whithers, the band instructor at the college Candice was going to attend offers Candice the opportunity to participate in a new program that will allow her to attend the university. She will help Candice get her GED and then take college courses. Her son Steve, different in appearance with his purple mohawk, ear piercing, and large tattoo of a snare drum on his arm, is eager to assist. The problem is: trying to convince Candice to join the program.
When Candice refuses, her parents decide it’s in her best interest to push her to. They drop her off at the campus, where she stays with May and Steve. Steve knows how to read Braille and attempts to teach Candice, but she refuses to cooperate at first. Steve gives her a dose of tough love, helping Candice to learn that it’s in her best interest to gain independence. She starts by learning to play the tenors without her sight. Being blind has given her an even better ear for music. While she isn’t perfect, she does very well under her circumstances.
During her private sessions with Steve, the two fall in love. When a friend describes Steve to Candice, she panics over what Sal will think of Steve’s outer appearance, even going so far as to lie about a boyfriend who is completely made up to appease her parents. Tara finds out from May that Candice is seeing her son, causing Tara to keep the information from her husband.
Candice grows as a drummer and is invited to play with the band for football games, only she will stand on the sideline and drum so she doesn’t have to march. She garners local fame and attracts stands full of fans.
The college’s drum-line is invited to compete in a prestigious competition, only one of their tenors players breaks his arm and they don’t qualify if they are one short. Candice takes his place but the team knows they won’t win if all of the line doesn’t march. Taking on the hardest task of her life, Candice tries to march on the field while playing the tenors, but fails miserably. When her team changes their formation to something that will be easier for Candice, she proves that one can succeed in life with a handicap.
