Drumline brings the world of show-style marching bands (popular at traditionally black, Southern colleges) to the big screen for the first time. The story, by Shawn Schepps, was inspired by the high school drumline experiences of executive producer/executive music producer Dallas Austin. Devon (Nick Cannon of Nickelodeon's The Nick Cannon Show) is a Harlem drummer who earns a full scholarship to the fictional Atlanta A&T University. There, his talent gets the attention of the school's embattled musical director, Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones), who puts his students' education and appreciation for musical tradition ahead of the marching band's popularity. Devon's brashly egotistical attitude doesn't endear him to Lee, whose slogan for the band is One band, one sound, or to the drumline's disciplined captain, Sean (Leonard Roberts, late of TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Devon has more success with the dance captain of the marching band, Laila (Zoe Saldana, who played a ballet dancer in Center Stage), a Southern belle

New York teen Devon Miles (Nick Cannon) receives a music scholarship to a Southern university, where he hopes to be part of the award-winning marching band. At first, the independent, brash Devon struggles to adapt to the new environment, and soon learns that it takes more than talent to lead the band to victory. -