Henry Torres seems like just a typical senior at CMHS. He likes to skateboard, bike around Costa Mesa wearing his Dora the Explorer backpack and recognizable baseball caps, and eat food. However, once one sits down for a chat with Henry, they will notice how his hands motions are rhythmic; how he can’t keep his fingers still. He knocks on classroom doors in rhythm, and he taps out his drum rudiments incessantly while concentrating on a difficult Trigonometry lesson.

The drum captain for the CMHS Marching Band and Drumline, Henry loves the challenge of drumming.

“I like how it’s very hard to understand. Some people think it’s an easy thing, just hitting drumsticks on drums. You got to learn the rudiments, the rhythm, the beat, the inside metronome. It’s amazing.”

His passion for drumming was first introduced to him by his mother when he was eight years old. 

“She bought me this little sucky drum toy. It didn’t even have real sticks, they were plastic. But it was fun! So much fun…”  

Originally wanting to play the bass guitar, Henry was put in the percussion section by Mrs. Gilboe.  As a freshman, Henry joined the marching band along with his friends and started out playing bass drum in the battery, eventually progressing to snare.

“I love snare. It has a high pitched sound… It’s more manlier.”

His family has been very supportive of his decision to drum. The only son out of three children, Henry feels very loved within his family. Initially, there was conflict between his sport obsessed father and himself over Henry’s disinterest in joining sports.

“My Dad’s very hardcore and sporty. I like music and film and anything that doesn’t relate to sports.”

But Henry feels that he has made his father into a more musical person.


His senior year has been everything he hoped for. He went to Homecoming, kept up his grades, and had great seasons in both Marching Band and Drumline. He made drum captain, and allowed the entire percussion section in the CMHS Band to bond and love each other.

“Bonding’s more important than playing the music. If you know how to bond, you listen to each other and the music is instant,” Henry commented. 

Henry also joined the KMESA News team this year, to help gain an understanding of the world of film he is interested in. Having grown up watching chick flicks with his sisters, describing the movies as “emotional” and a way to see his sisters cry, Henry loves “being backstage, getting everything together to make this creative world that people would want to watch.” Starting out making small videos for his YouTube channel, he is obsessed with making the “best movie ever” as the best director ever. 

Henry plans on going to OCC next year to study film and possibly join a drum corps. After, he hopes to transfer to USC. Although he was at first torn apart between music and film, thanks to his drum instructor Chase Kellis, Henry realizes that film is his true calling.

“I’m tired of high school. I have no regrets.”
He is excited to meet different people, learn about film, and choosing what time to have class.

“I love making movies and thinking about movies… I would leave anything for film and drumming.”