While you are sure to have heard of a high school marching band, you may not be familiar with winter percussion. Fossil Ridge High School branched out this year and started a winter percussion group of its own. It is described by Neal Titus, Fossil’s winter percussion director, as “almost identical to what marching band is, except it’s just the percussion kids.” 

Like many clubs and sports teams at Fossil, winter percussion has faced many challenging and changing restrictions this year. Starting off their year with only virtual practices, the members had to get used to practicing on their own, without the company of their fellow musicians. “It was people learning their music at home,” says Titus, recalling their early on practices.

However, Winter Percussion still had an event to prepare for, despite the challenges they were working through. The group’s one opportunity to show off the work they had put into their season came this past Saturday, the 27th of March.

The showcase was put on by Winter Guard International Sport of the Arts, a non-profit organization that allows students to perform and compete for their school in color guard, percussion, and winds. WGI also acts as a sort of leader to the winter guard community. The showcase involved all of the schools sending in videos of them performing their music.

Fossil’s band started the year with the slow loss of their season. Titus illustrates, “I think it’s important to note that we had our fall season taken away from us, bit by bit.” Because of the incredible sense of loss they were facing, winter percussion was pleased to be able to finally have the ability to perform, even virtually.

Because of the lack of opportunity the group has been faced with this year, the virtual showcase was extremely important to Fossil’s winter percussion. Titus remarks, “Our whole season was leading up to this event.” The showcase was also the final bookend to the season, the last performance the group would get to participate in.

While the importance of the showcase is in no way insignificant, it went quite well for Fossil, and was a great experience for the winter percussion. Titus speculates, “I don’t think people were ready for the production value that we were able to provide them,” in regards to the students’ reaction to their video.

After such a struggle this year, winter percussion persevered and was able to show off the work they have done this year. When thinking of the season and his students, Titus states “We’re really proud of everybody.”