The winter percussion group, the high school winter guard and the middle school winter guard competed at their final competition of the year on March 29.  

The winter percussion director Matt Hauser had been working with the students since November. Hauser worked with the front ensemble music, and Hauser’s colleague Javi wrote the battery music. The winter percussion scored an 87.5 in the intermediate class

“It was a group project between a lot of people coming together to make this thing happen,” Hauser said.

Fossil students and staff are ecstatic with their first place win.

“It was a really cool turnaround from last year,” Hauser said, “We struggled a little bit and ended up placing fourth in our class last year, and to come back and get first this year was really cool.”

According to Hauser, the winter percussion performance, “A Ghost Story,” starts at a funeral procession where the girl who passed away wakes up and tries to interact with members of the ensemble, but they can’t hear or see her.

“In the middle of the show, she starts to get frustrated and angry. But eventually the second half the show is about her coming to terms and realizing that she’s a ghost. And she starts to experience the memories that she had with the people that are in the ensemble.”

At the end of the show, there is a big celebration showing that the main character is able to move on to what is next.

“She starts to show in a coffin. At the very end, the coffin stands back up, and she goes back in. Then there’s a secret door on the back of it.” Hauser said, “The last thing that happens in the show is we open the door back up, and she’s gone.”

Members of the percussion performance enjoyed spending time with each other and getting to win 1st place after all of their hard work.

“I really enjoyed spending time with my friends and being able to show what we worked for all year,” freshman Ben Foster said.