Unity is one of the most essential aspects of a percussion ensemble. 

Tomorrow, the percussion ensemble will compete in the Indiana Percussion Association Invitational at Greenfield Central. The percussion ensemble is a band with only the percussion instruments, such as the drums and marimba. The ensemble has been working to ensure their performance will be competitive amongst the 30 other competing schools. 

“We have really been focusing on the details and breaking everything down and then building it up from there. I am eager to see how we line up with the rest of the competition because I know there will be a lot of people there who we typically compete against,” junior Jamie Vandergriff said. 

The ensemble has prepared a performance focused on the theme “Stick with Me.”

  “For this year, our show is called Stick with Me. It has everything to do with straight lines, and the whole idea of staying together and breaking apart and then coming all back together again,” senior Sydney Branch said. “The theme just involves everything about sticking together in both a physical and emotional sense. We think about times where we have stuck together or where we were separated from people who were important to us, and that has really helped us put the show together in a way that has meaning.” 

The ensemble has also been working individually to fine tune their own components of the show. 

“I am a part of the battery, which is on the floor moves around, unlike the pitt, which stays in front because of the larger instruments, so I am really focusing on technique as well as the marching. That is a big component to our part, so we are working on our performance faces and making sure that we are performing up to the very top seat of the gymnasium. Some days we also practice carrying and different choreography with our drums on,” Branch said. 

For other sections, rehearsals look different. 

“For the pitt, most of practice is focused on playing our parts together. Each player has to be playing the exact same way as the people next to them so that we all make the same sound. It is more of an almost psychological practice because you have to stay focused, and the only physical aspect is the technique with your hands,” Vandergriff said. 

Combining each part of the percussion ensemble should bring the show  together, helping the band reach their goals for their competition. 

“This year we have been focusing on this show a lot since it is a lot faster than some of our previous ones. There is also new equipment, such as the marimbas marching in the beginning, which is not normal because we usually stay attached to our keyboards. We also have wood blocks we are incorporating, so it is a new style. Our goal is to be better than we were  last year and to just keep improving from there,” Vandergriff said.