Rita Macey Bernert was the dominant snare drummer of the 1950s, winning nine out 10 individual snare drum contests she entered while she marched in the Audubon Bon Bons drum line. She also competed as a member of the Audubon drum quartet, earning several more first place awards. She won the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) national individual contest in Miami, Florida in 1957. The same year, the Audubon drum line took top score at the American Legion (AL) national championships in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She played snare drum with Audubon from 1952 to 1958, also serving as the assistant percussion instructor, working with Bill Reamer, from 1956 to 1958. During those same three years, she was the arranger and instructor for the drum lines of Saint Nicholas All Girls and Bracken Cadets. She is a lifetime member of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers. She began playing snare drum with the Olde Citie Fife and Drum Corps of Philadelphia in 1976, performing at ceremonies with audiences including such dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth II of England, several United States presidents and other world leaders.
