'Decided to pick it up:' Franklin teen who's already set school record in golf also plays drums in rock band





Mallory Swartz



FRANKLIN -- It's common for high school students to belong to this group or that group, but one Franklin teenager is bridging the gap.

Mallory Swartz, a Franklin High School junior has already set a school record in golf, and finished first at a number of tournaments during her first two seasons on the team.

"I just wanna keep improving my game, because you never wanna be satisfied with how you're doing. You always want to improve at everything, and for me, it's just keep doing what I'm doing and get better at what I'm doing. I would like to help my team make it to state again as well, just because we have so much fun with it and we're just so proud of how far we've come as well," said Swartz.

Mallory Swartz



Mallory Swartz



Mallory Swartz



After spending time hitting the links, Swartz trades in her golf clubs for drumsticks.

"Seeing and hearing drums, I was like 'wow -- I wanna do that,' and I decided to pick it up," said Swartz.

Mallory Swartz



And pick it up she did! She's now a member of the "Screaming in the Cul de Sac" rock band. Her love of rock started in middle school, and playing the drums came after years of playing saxophone in the band.

"I started diving into Avenged Sevenfold, and I found some heavier stuff like SlipKnot and Five Finger Death Punch and I started loving it and that's when I was like 'those drums sound awesome up there,'" said Swartz.

Mallory Swartz





Now rock is a part of who she is.

"I'm just here to do my thing and I'm here to rock out with it," said Swartz.

"Screaming in the Cul de Sac" was formed six months ago, and since then, they've played a number of open jam nights and even had the chance to play at Summerfest, the world's largest music festival, after finishing as a finalist for "Rock-on-Sin," a youth band competition.

"Beforehand, I would say there were some nerves, because there's always the 'what ifs' going on in your head, and thinking about what could go wrong, but once I get behind that kit and take a look around at the crowd, it's like 'OK -- I'm here to rock out and I'm gonna do it,'" said Swartz.

Mallory Swartz



Rock she does, but that's not all she does as she works to find that balance.

"It's not an easy thing to do. I try for both things. I try to do some stuff every other day at least. Otherwise almost every day I'm doing something golf-related and drum-related. I mean both things, I would say, have their pros and cons for me. Golf is still that competition aspect that I really like because you're competing against the best girls and teams and even the course itself, and you have the high-level competition, but it's also a fun way to get to know girls and everything," said Swartz.

So whether she's rocking out or putting for birdie, Swartz gives "multi-faceted" a new meaning.

"I am this more quiet and reserved person, and to say 'I'm a drummer,' like 'oh my God.' They think it's awesome, and when they see me play, they're always so proud. I don't wanna say I'm one person. I'm just me and that's what I do," said Swartz.

Swartz is also a member of the National Honor Society and said she hopes to play golf at the collegiate level, while, of course, also finding time to play in the band.