This Green Man is on a drumroll. Utah Valley University (UVU) Green Man Group team captain Andrew Sherman won first place in the collegiate rudimental snare at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), held Nov. 9-12 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The win comes seven months after the Green Man Group won first place in NCAA Division 1 at the NCA Game Day National Championships in Daytona, Florida,

Sherman’s percussion students at American Fork High School (AFHS) were the reason he was in Indianapolis during the competition. The AFHS drumline was going to nationals, which took place in Indianapolis at the same time as PASIC.

 “I thought that I might as well try this thing out and see how I do,” Sherman said.

“I’d seen videos of PASIC winners for the collegiate level, and I thought that maybe if I try my best, I’ll have a chance — I could maybe do it. When I went there and saw some of the performers, I was like, ‘I don’t have a chance.’”

After competing with the solo that he wrote himself, Sherman was proud of his performance but unsure of how he stacked up with the other competitors. When he was named the first-place winner, he was stunned.

 “I was just blown away,” he said. “Like, wow, what? What just happened? That’s just crazy.”

Sherman credits the support he’s received from UVU for his win. The Green Man Group, UVU’s drumline, prides itself on being nontraditional and unique, said Kenton Nielson, director of the Green Man Group.

“While we primarily play marching percussion instruments, we also create multiple shows each year where we perform making instruments from buckets, garbage cans, swinging on chains, ladders, brooms, and literally the kitchen sink,” Nielson said.

The financial support UVU offers its drumline also sets the Green Man Group apart, according to Nielson.

 “We are the only university in the country that offers full tuition and full-year scholarships for drumline,” he said. “This scholarship program, in combination with the high quality of our performances, has allowed UVU to become the premier destination for students looking to have the very best drumline experience of any university in the country.”

Sherman said that the scholarship program is what drew him to UVU.

“A huge shout out for UVU and President Tuminez for making all this possible,” Sherman said. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities and the support necessary to compete at this level. It’s really thanks to them.”

The Percussive Arts Society (PAS) is the world’s largest percussion organization, sporting 5,000 members across 40 chapters in the United States and another 28 international chapters. PASIC, the organization’s annual convention, features “top names in drumming and percussion,” according to the PAS website.