On Sept. 14, the percussion section of the marching band performed at the annual Thunder in the Hills Percussion Invitational, bringing home first place in the advanced small division with their show.
The showcase, “Opus 78,” represents a symphony coming to life, symbolizing the process and struggles of composing a piece of music. The show is usually performed by the entire band, but for this competition, the percussion section took the lead, performing their part of the larger production.
“[This show is] really special because it digs deep into what music really is and why we do what we do,” senior soloist Renushri Yannam said. “It’s cool to see how many different elements such as choreography, music and practice come together in the show.”
Alongside the music, the visual elements of the show played a significant role in crafting an engaging performance.
“I really like how our uniforms match the color guard costumes, but then also the props that we have,” senior drum major Sophia Summers said. “If you come to a performance you’ll see the props move around, which is something we did last year that we really liked.”
The percussion section has been working continuously all summer to perfect their part of the show.
“We come in and we make sure we have the right attitude and the right mindset, so we can get things done and get better every day,” junior drill instructor Simon King said. “We don’t waste any time and we make sure we’re doing the best we can.”
This year, band continued their first place streak in the small advanced division while also taking home caption awards for Best Bass Line and Best Front Ensemble.
“The goal is always in my mind, how can we perform the best we can, not what placement we get,” King said. “This year the difficulty is more and the time is less, so it’s just trying to push it harder and faster while getting better quicker. I was less nervous than I thought I was, and it felt really good [after] because we did really well and it all paid off.”
The band’s continued success isn’t by chance; it comes from a mindset of improvement year after year.
“We start fresh each year,” Yannam said. “We don’t talk about last year’s accomplishments since it’s a new group of people and a completely different show, so we have to put in just as much work as before.”