Percussion Starts Off On The Right Foot
The winter percussion ensemble poses for a picture after receiving an award at one of their competitions.
January 31, 2020
Selma High School’s winter percussion ensemble kicked off the year at the first SJVCGPR competition, receiving first place with a score of 72.65 in their class, on Saturday, January 25th.
SJVCGPR, or San Joaquin Valley Color Guard Percussion Regional, is the circuit in which the ensemble competes in the class of Scholastic A. This circuit is very competitive in the valley, which is demonstrated through the students’ ambition. Motivated to improve, many students know exactly what they need to work on.
“I think we can all improve on adapting to the environment better considering we’ve been rehearsing mainly outside and then suddenly performed in a gym,” admitted sophomore Victoria Juarez.
Among things like adaptability and working to fix minor details as an ensemble, students are also eager to show their full performance capabilities.
“As a cymbal player I have more freedom to focus on the visual aspect of our show,” expressed sophomore Joshua Ramirez. ”I can really put my emotions into my expressions as I’m performing.”
Their show titled “Edge of Darkness” follows visual soloist, Aj Montijo, as he portrays a difficult time in life where there seems to be no solution, and his journey to self-discovery. Montijo and others on the floor provide a compelling story of isolation and healing for the audience who, as observed, were on the edge of their seats.
“I was very impressed by how the group portrayed the story they were trying to portray,” explained Band Director Mr. Lima. “They were getting the emotions that the show needs up to the judges and up to the audience.”
There are a total of five shows in the season, including championships, with the stakes getting higher with every one. For the second year in a row, Winter Percussion will be performing for WGI, or Winter Guard International. This year the competition will be held in Temecula. As the competition advances, so does Selma High’s drive to win. Over all, improvement is at the front of the ensemble’s mind.
“As a senior I’m expecting to grow from this show on,” added Angelica Frutis. “I also hope for us to keep beating Clovis East, putting it all out onto the floor.”
The Selma High Winter Percussion ensemble is looking forward to the rest of the year and would be grateful for the support of their peers throughout this season.
