WGI 2011 Fall FOCUS

fall 2011

focus the official news of wgi sport of the arts

Outdoor to Indoor MAKING THE TRANSITION

The Ensemble

NAME GAME

BLACK WATCH THE SPORT OF THE ARTS CELEBRATES

35 YEARS 1_WGI_Cover.indd 1

Is Right On Time

SPINFEST!!

GOES TO TEXAS

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focus

wgi

the official news of wgi sport of the arts

FALL 2011 Volume 25, Issue 3

Winter Guard International

Northglenn HS 1997

Ron Nankervis Chief Executive Officer Bart Woodley Director of Operations Aaron Jenkins Marketing & Communication Manager Published By: In Tune Partners, LLC Irwin Kornfeld CEO Will Edwards President Angelo Biasi Publisher Mac Randall Editor-in-Chief Jackie Jordan Creative Director Robin Garber Production Director Barbara Boughton Business Manager Contributing Writers: Michael Boo, Alex Mendoza, Cathy Applefeld Olson, Michael Reed Photography: Adam Alonzo, Jolesch Photography, Dan Scafidi, Linda Unser, and Sid Unser WGI FOCUS is an educational publication of WGI Sport of the Arts. Its purpose is to broaden communication within the family of color guards and percussion ensembles. FOCUS is published three times per year.

WGI FOCUS is a free publication with a circulation of 14,000 copies and 12,000 online viewers. All members of the WGI family may submit articles for consideration. WGI reserves the right to edit all submitted material.

If your address has changed, please notify the WGI office. Failure to do this could result in the loss of your WGI FOCUS subscription. We don’t want to lose touch with you!

For advertising information please contact Aaron Jenkins; phone: 937-247-5919; email: aaron@wgi.org WINTER GUARD INTERNATIONAL 2405 Crosspointe Drive Dayton, OH 45342 937-247-5919 office@wgi.org www.wgi.org

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Over the past 35 years, WGI has helped foster major developments in indoor performance.

INSIDE 7 ENSEMBLE

WGI celebrates its 35th anniversary with new programs, products, and opportunities ... Spinfest!! on Tour makes its second run ... A new educational DVD takes you Across the Floor ... WGI regulars in the Macy’s Day Parade ...

Gateway designer Michael McIntosh profiled ... and much more!

14 CLOSE-UP

The Black Watch guard has been around longer than WGI, and its emphasis on tradition and family continue to make it popular in its 46th year.

16 SPOTLIGHT

Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes Spinfest!!

20 THE SPORT OF THE ARTS AT 35

The 2012 season is WGI’s 35th, which gives our Michael Boo—who’s attended every Championship since the start—good reason to reflect on history.

25 HOW WGI’S GROUPS GOT THEIR NAMES

Ever wonder where the name Onyx came from? Or Redline? It’s revealed here, along with some background on naming trends in the activity and our picks for the most creative names in WGI history.

28 CLINIC

The transition from outdoor to indoor marching can be challenging, but a little hard work and dedication can ease the shift from field to floor.

28

30 SCHOLARSHIP

Michelle Muller wanted to be an artist when she grew up. Little did she know that her art would involve putting a percussion ensemble through its paces in gymnasiums and sports arenas.

34 WHAT’S YOUR WGIQ?

Find the differences between two photographs of East Side Fury from the 2011 Percussion Championships.

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NEWS FROM THE FLOOR AND MORE Avon HS

Coral and jade are typical 35th-anniversary gifts, but WGI plans to celebrate its impressive milestone in ways that will benefit the organization far more than trinkets and gems. Expanding programs, products, and educational opportunities will positively affect everyone who participates in the Sport of the Arts during this anniversary season and for years to come.

United WGI’s focus on education will Percussion see many new venues this season.

Pushing the percussion side of higher learning is Caleb Rothe, filling a new Percussion Education Coordinator position. “His experience and dedication to indoor percussion,” WGI Director of Operations Bart Woodley says, “will bring a wealth of knowledge to WGI and participating ensembles.

In addition to the articles and videos he’ll be posting on wgi.org/education this season, Rothe has already helped plan WGI’s indoor marching clinic at PASIC 2011 [see item below].”

Groups participating this year will notice a familiar name popping up more often. WGI’s former receptionist and bookkeeper Judy Bollman is now the Participant Relations Manager, and has refocused her job to cater to the needs of the color guards and percussion ensembles attending WGI regionals and World Championships. Bollman will be each group’s point of contact for any questions about competing

on a national level and how to prepare.

In a new partnership with CompetitionSuite, WGI will debut a new tabulation and media delivery program at competitions this season. “Not only does it eliminate the need for CDs and MP3 players, but it will also be able to send text messages when commentary is available to instructors, as well as several other useful tools to track progress through the season,” Woodley says.

Additionally, WGI plans to invest in the preservation of the memories of the 2012 World Championships by capturing video in high definition for the first time ever. The only way to see it better is to be there live. Come celebrate 35 years of WGI in Dayton, Ohio, this April!

CHOOSE YOUR OWN CHAMPIONSHIP SEAT

wgi

For the first time in WGI history, you can select individual seats when buying tickets for the 2012 World Championships! Just head on over to wgi.org/tickets and purchase your seats with the new online ticketing system. While you’re there, you can look at maps and photos of all sections of the UD Arena and decide where you’d like to be. New for 2012, only Finals event tickets are sold in advance; all Prelims and Semi-Finals tickets must be purchased at the door. You can also buy tickets by downloading the ticket order form at wgi.org/tickets and 136 mailing it in with a check (or faxing with credit card info), by calling toll-free (866) 5897161, or by going to the 136 WGI Facebook fan page: facebook.com/wgifans. www.wgi.org

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WGI CLINIC AT PASIC PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention) 2011 will host an indoor marching clinic by Tim Fairbanks, Andrew Markworth, Tim Jackson, and Rhythm X on Saturday, November 12, at 9:00 a.m. in the main ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Hope to see you there!

PHOTO SEATS: LIFESIZE /THINKSTOCK; TICKET: ISTOCKPHOTO/THINKSTOCK; DRUMSTICKS: ISTOCKPHOTO/THINKSTOCK

THE 35th SEASON TAKES SHAPE

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Color Kit Aids Design Decisions

A workshop at the 2011 Spinfest!!in Dallas

SPINFEST!!

HITS THE ROAD AGAIN— WITH DRUMS Last year, Spinfest!! on Tour brought a traveling educational program to a variety of regions—from New England to Texas—and met with great responses from color guard instructors all across the country. And so it’s making a return this season. Spinfest!! on Tour events will run from the beginning of November through early January within local circuits who have contracted with WGI to host them.

This time around, the possibility of three different study tracks will be on offer: one for instructors, one for students, and one for local judges (attendees can choose to take all three as well). And for the first time, Drumfest!!, which will explore indoor percussion topics in a manner similar to Spinfest!!, will also be available—although only for instructors. Now, both local color guard and percussion circuits can turn to WGI to arrange for top administrators, adjudicators, instructors, and designers to come to their area and present educational clinics.

“WGI is extremely proud of our educational efforts,” WGI Marketing Manager Bart Woodley says. “Teaching people how to teach, and how to be better designers and judges, is crucial for the continued development of the Sport of the Arts.”

At press time, locations for Spinfest!! and Drumfest!! on Tour were still being determined. Keep up to date on this by visiting wgi.org regularly. Information about the events can be found by searching for the “Educational Events” section of the WGI website or by going directly to wgi.org/contents/Spinfest-on-Tour.html.

Color schemes are among the most important things that a designer can determine. That’s why McCormick’s created its Designer’s Color Kit, which includes swatches of all 175 colors that it offers in poly china silk and lamé. The swatches are movable, and each is labeled on the back with its color name for easy sorting. A built-in color wheel uses basic color theory to explain different combinations and the emotions that they can convey. The kit also comes with a workspace that allows designers to lay swatches next to each other and evaluate various schemes side by side. For more information, go to mccormicksnet.com.

Sampling Drum Pad Expands Your Sound Want to add electronic sound sampling to your performance setup? Roland’s new SPD-SX Sampling Pad makes it easy. This multi-pad percussion instrument has 2 GB of onboard memory—providing more than three hours of CD-quality sampling in stereo—and three powerful effects engines, along with many other features. Users can capture samples via the stereo mic/line input or import them through a USB connection.

The SPD-SX can be played on a tabletop or stand and used with standard drum hardware. For further details, visit rolandconnect.com.

NEW EDUCATIONAL DVD GOES ACROSS THE FLOOR The WGI Education Department is excited to announce the release of a new DVD, Across the Floor, featuring Carol Abohatab, choreographer for the Santa Clara Vanguard World Guard and a modern dance teacher for more than 20 years. Join Abohatab as she teaches you everything you need to know about methods of travel, getting in and out of the ground, turns, leaps, and jumps! Across the Floor will be available mid-November on wgi.org/store. And it’s not the only educational DVD in the works from WGI—stay tuned for news about similar products in the near future.

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www.wgi.org

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©2011 Avedis Zildjian Company. Photo by: David Mexicotte & Nate Mara

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WHERE the sounds COME really

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Alex Burgan, Avon High School (Avon, Indiana)

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WGI ENSEMBLES IN ACTION AT MACY’S PARADE Plymouth-Canton HS Every Thanksgiving Day morning, college and high school marching bands from across the country take part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. During this televised event, viewed by tens of millions of people, it’s easy to get caught up watching the elaborate floats and giant balloons. But for all the bands taking part, this is a rare moment to perform on an international stage.

Homestead HS For those who follow indoor marching, this year’s parade (the 85th) should be particularly enjoyable.

Several groups who have competed with WGI will be marching down Broadway on November 24. The list of participants includes Carmel High School from Carmel, Ind.; Dobyns-Bennett High School from Kingsport, Tenn.; Homestead High School from Cupertino, Calif.; Legacy High School from Broomfield, Colo.; and Plymouth-Canton High School from Canton, Mich.

In addition, Macy’s own Great American Marching Band, which features more than 250 participants rep-

resenting all 50 states of the union, will be supported by WGI sponsors Mapex, Sabian, Vic Firth, and Remo—and another sponsor, The Band Hall, has created a custom uniform for the performance.

WGI ensembles have had a long and illustrious history of performing in the Macy’s Day Parade, and we wish all of this year’s marchers the best of luck. Have a great time in the Big Apple!

Thank You to Our Partners and Sponsors Presenting Sponsors

Corporate Partners

World Championship Sponsors

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A FEW WORDS WITH MICHAEL McINTOSH Today he’s a designer for Gateway Percussion, Carmel High School, and Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps. But over nearly three decades, Michael McIntosh has been involved in every aspect of the percussion activity, as a performer, an instructor, a composer, and a judge. He spoke to WGI Focus recently about his past, his present, and his future.

How he became a percussionist: I was a saxophone player until Don Click, my section leader at Brentwood High School in Tennessee, asked me to play bass drum in the marching band. My one “indoor” performance consisted of forming a group between two schools and performing at the Villa Rica Invitational in Georgia. I saw the University of Georgia drum line perform there and was instantly hooked.

His biggest thrill: I definitely loved performing with the Avon HS 2002 (taught by McIntosh) Blue Devils. As a composer,

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I love challenging the members of whatever team and genre I’m writing for. I must say, though, teaching is still the biggest thrill for me. I love watching kids “get it.” I love listening to members laughing during water breaks, which tells me they’re having a good time.

Judging’s effect on him: It’s given me a great respect for WGI and DCI designers, who not only can do it at the highest level but can do it at that level year in and year out.

Proudest moments: Having the opportunity to judge the 2011 IW groups was an amazing, emotional experience. Also this summer, taking talented WGI members from all over the country with different techniques and philosophies and, along with a wonderful staff, winning the 2011 Fred Sanford Percussion Trophy with the Cavaliers.

What he’s looking forward to most this season: Creating art with

friends.

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Close-Up

Longevity Has Its

Benefits

Tradition Keeps Black Watch Going Strong

By Cathy Applefeld Olson

B

lack Watch may be in its 46th year, but we’ll refrain from calling the ensemble middle-aged. At this rate, the Mount Laurel, N.J.-based color guard is likely to be around forever. Indeed, there aren’t many marching arts organizations that can claim a similar legacy. From its 1966 founding as a drum and bugle corps through its most recent show, “Sheer Madness,” which included sheer material that appeared to float over the floor, Black Watch has continually pushed the artistic envelope while maintaining an enviable familial atmosphere.

“Members and alumni come back all the time to help out and teach,” says Claudette Wolfrom, Black Watch’s longtime director, who says she showed up to help a friend with the group in 1970 and has been at the helm ever since.

“And I’ve always had parents come and back us up even though they don’t have kids in here anymore. That’s probably the best thing that happens with us—to have that kind of backing.”

A 11-time Independent World finalist, Black Watch attracts students from a wide surrounding area. Generating publicity generally through word of mouth only, the guard has fluctuated in size from 12 members to nearly 40. “If you have a good year, that makes more kids come out and want to join,” says Joyce Wolfrom Roos, Claudette’s daughter, who marched with the group herself in the ’80s and now helps oversee its sabre line.

Woolfrom Roos adds that some of Black Watch’s

‘‘

instructors, including artistic director Joe Heininger, choreographer Jude Boughton, and lead tech Matt Hurley, work with other ensembles during the outdoor marching season. “A lot of kids in the other groups like working with [the instructors], so they want to come work with them indoors in Black Watch,” she says.

Another compelling reason for joining is the Black Watch tradition. “The routines we’ve been doing every year before we go on the floor are still what we do today,” says Wolfrom Roos. “We say the Hail Mary, we say the Our Father, and anyone who’s marched in Black Watch knows the Birdie Song.”

Then again, tradition isn’t everything. Wolfrom says she has embraced color guard’s gradual evolution from mili-

Parents back us up even though

’’

they don’t have kids in here anymore.

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taristic movements to more fluid dance stylings. “People talk about going back to just fl ags and sabres—and no one did that more than we did—but I like the changes,” she says. “Change is good.”

Black Watch’s members are bonded not only by common performance goals, but also by sheer physical proximity. Without a home school whose facilities it can rely on, the group practices Friday afternoons, Saturdays, and Sundays. “When kids come on the weekends to practice, they stay at each other’s houses, so guess what? You better like each other,” Wolfrom jokes. www.wgi.org

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Spotlight

Color Guard Education

Goes West Dallas, Texas, Gives Spinfest!!

2011 a Warm Welcome

Rosie Queen directs a Spinfest!! attendee.

Below: A Spinfest!! 4 Performers class.

By Aaron Jenkins

S

pinfest!! blazed a new trail this past September when it showed up in Texas for the first time. The biennial educational event—held in Orlando, Fla., since its inception in 2005—relocated to the Dallas area this year. WGI Director of Operations Bart Woodley said, “With the growing number of color guards in Texas, we knew there was a built-in population of young instructors looking for this educational opportunity.”

Some of the best-known designers, technicians, and administrators in the activity offered up a wealth of knowledge to approximately 200 attendees. Equipment experts Mykail Costner, T.J. Doucette, Rosie Queen, Andy Toth, and Michael Townsend discussed working with fl ags, rifles, and sabers, while Dr. Edmer Lazaro brought a health-and-wellness perspective to the equipment classes. Lazaro and Doucette showed that the Sport of the Arts is also a science during their co-presentation “The Biomechanics of Spinning.”

The stress of designing a show can weigh heavily on guard programs. Fortunately, inspiration flowed from WGI Hall of Famers Scott Chandler and Karl Lowe, as well as seasoned veterans Ed Devlin, Michael Raiford and Joe Sowders, as they gave important advice on staging and development. Designers Tommy Keenum from The Band Hall and Alan Spaeth from McCormick’s brought the color for the color guard, while Director’s Showcase International provided Elite Rifles and Gloves.

‘‘

Dancing their way through Spinfest!!, Carol Abohatab, Jennifer Hinshaw, and Michael Rosales made everyone sweat while they learned. Exploring improvisation, the choreographer’s process, and teaching technique proved beneficial to all in attendance, and the Dynamic Movement class presented by Algy got the entire room energized.

The administrative role in a color guard isn’t glamorous, but it’s vital to a group’s success. WGI Director of Color Guard Dale Powers told attendees everything he knows about setting up a strong base for the rest of a guard’s staff to work from. And WGI Head Judge Curtis Costanza gave instructors insights into the judging community.

Although most of the weekend focused on instructor education, WGI also extended the learning opportunity to performers.

The first ever Spinfest!! 4 Performers was a huge hit. “Many of the kids who attended had no idea what to expect,” Dale Powers reported. “They worked hard for eight hours of classes. I know they were a bit overwhelmed by the talent that was teaching them at first, but they kept going and never stopped for fear they would miss something. I was very impressed by their discipline and commitment.”

“I am baffled that WGI can collect such an amazing cast of clinicians for this event,” Woodley said. “It truly is a unique collaboration of knowledge. I was awestruck to be in the same room with all these people!” Individual class videos will be available for download on wgi.org/fannetwork.

I was awestruck

to be in the same room with all these people!

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THE SPORT OF THE T A S T R A

O

n April 15 and 16, 1978, Winter Guard International held its first championship finals at Conant High School in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, following an inaugural season of 14 winter guard competitions across the country, including three regionals. Having lived in the Chicago area my entire life, I was intrigued to drop in on the first championship, which included just 29 groups from 13 states. (Only four were from west of the Mississippi River and none were from southern states.)

In the 33 years that have passed since then, I have attended every WGI World Championship. Now, as WGI enters its 35th season, it is humbling for me to think back on that first title event and reflect on how the organization, and the activity, has grown. In 1978, there was just one class of guards, and just two high school groups made finals (Marcus Whitman from N.Y. and Norwin Knights from Pa.). The regional differences in approach and execution were startling. It wouldn’t be until 1993 that percussion was added to the mix.

Quasar, from the East and under the direction of George Zingali, won the first title with a smoothness of equipment handling that belied the group’s extensive aerial fireworks.

In contrast, John Brazale’s Phantom Regiment placed second with a costumed “Star Wars” show that focused on drill evolutions and epitomized the far more aggressive nature of Midwest guards. And in total contrast to either of those units, Stanley Knaub’s Seattle Imperials brought dance to the floor; they were so quiet in their balletic approach that many in the audience were challenged to remind themselves they were watching a color guard. (Only three years earlier, recorded music was just starting to become prevalent among most guards.)

Anyone who’s familiar with the activity today would hardly recognize it as it was then. Each unit had to perform a certain number of specified actions, such as a straight-line pass in review and a presentation of the national fl ag.

Additionally, the first Champion1 WGI FOCUS

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As WGI approaches a milestone anniversary, one man who’s been there for the whole journey shares his memories. BY MICHAEL BOO ship was a rather homegrown affair: There was a volunteer staff of 10 and the first championship fl ag was sewn

by Lynn Lindstrom, WGI’s first Executive Director, who remembers that the organization’s budget that first year was just $1,250. (You can read many more details on the birth of WGI at wgi.org/contents/History.html.)

I will never forget the single most shocking moment of that first finals evening at Conant High School. When Phantom Regiment neared the end of their show, Darth Vader jumped up from under a blanket in the stands—not two feet in front of me—and turned to menace the audience before running down to the floor. The guard, which had rewritten the ending of its show just for the finals, encircled the character before leading him off to justice.

I still don’t know how I never noticed the person under the blanket, who must have kept still for hours until it was the guard’s time to perform.

After 35 years of WGI wonders, such memories are plentiful and cherished.

In 1979, prelims were held at Oregon HS in the suburbs of Madison, Wis. The school gym was so small that people were practically hanging from the rafters. The state fire marshal would definitely not have been happy. In 1980, we went to Cape Cod and were shocked that both prelims and finals were in a hockey rink that had only 10 rows of seats. The judges sat in

1991 MIAMISBURG HS

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1979 ST. ANTH ONY

1978 PHANTO M REGI MENT

20 02 JA MES LO GAN HS

20 05 CENTERVILLE HS 1985: FIRST FINALS AT UD ARENA 1982 FINALE www.wgi.org 21

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1993 CLOV IS WEST HS

20 06

the catwalk perched over the MUSIC CITY audience, which prevented anyMYSTIQUE one beyond the sixth row from seeing the tops of the aerial tosses. But worse was the fact that the rink’s ice was still there, underneath sheets of Masonite.

The creases between the panels would stop any equipment that was slid between performers, and any time a guard wearing dark pants kneeled, sat, or lay on the ground, their uniforms were covered with white dust.

20 07 The activity had grown, and it BLESSED was clear that WGI had to find a bet- SACRAMENT ter facility for the World Championships. (This was further made clear during the 1982 Championships at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University, when all souvenir transactions had to take place on the public streets because nothing was allowed to be sold by outside vendors on campus property.) would look at a video recording And that’s why we’ve visited the University of Dayof the 1978 Seattle Imperials and be ton Arena 25 times since, with just four excursions amazed to hear that in its time, the dance elements were controversial to other locations since 1983. among many in the “old guard.” Even In 1993, WGI took the bold step of creating a championship for indoor marching percussion. percussionists are no longer freaked Under the leadership of Ward Durrett and George out when they take sessions in dance and body movement.

Lindstrom, it was held on a theater stage in WGI’s influence has long since downtown Dayton during the guard events at UD spread beyond North America, with Arena, with just nine scholastic ensembles. Very finalists in the guard and percussion few people were in the audience, and the event lost a lot of money. I remember it well because I was the weekends coming from Japan and Europe. Shirlee Whitannouncer. That premiere competition was won by Clovis comb was one of the six people who first came together West HS from California, who championed the introduction from various regions to form WGI. She says, “We never of amplification. dreamed this would grow to the proportions it has, espeThe second-place percussion finisher in 1993, Lincoln- cially internationally.”

Way HS, attempted a great amount of I too never anticipated such growth in the winter guard and indoor marching permovement that emphasized the need cussion worlds, or how much those for the event to be held in a larger worlds would expand their circle of space. The directors of those nine high influence in the schools. It’s been a school units met the following day and fascinating ride, and I trust the year agreed that they would have to move will never come when I am no longer the activity to a gymnasium. The folamazed by what I witness in the two lowing year, at West Carrollton HS near activities.

Dayton, the gym could barely contain the audience, conjuring up memories But I doubt that my heart, now 35 years older, could withstand another of prelims during WGI’s second year. one of those Darth Vader experiences.

In 1995, the event moved to the cav20 01 MISSIO N VIEJO HS ernous confines of Wright University’s Nut1996 BLUE DEVILS ter Center and stayed there for many years, with independent groups now added into the mix. Due to the explosive growth of the percussion events (which currently include 350 ensembles in regionals and 200 at the World Championships), the culmination of the WGI season is now spread over two weekends, one for guard and one for percussion.

Over the years, it’s been fascinating to observe the evolution of both winter guard and indoor marching percussion. Dance, once the domain of just a handful of guards, is now an established element of all programs. It’s no longer thought of as something separate from equipment handling; the two go hand in hand. A guard member today 22 WGI FOCUS

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NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT • BLESSED SACRAMENT • ONYX • ZYDECO COLORGUARD • BRADDOCK INDEPENDENT • CROWN GUARD • BLACK WATCH • THE KNIGHTS • ALTER EGO • DIAMANTE • PREMONITION • SACRED HEART • CARMEL HS • WARREN CENTRAL HS • CHOCTAWHATCHEE HS • ARCADIA HS • CENTER GROVE HS • MIAMISBURG HS • RANCHO BERNARDO HS • TRUMBULL HS • CENTERVILLE HS • FREEDOM HS • CHESHIRE HS • SEMINOLE HS • ARS NOVA • FIRST FLIGHT • INTERPLAY • NORTH BY NORTHWEST • USF WINTERGUARD • WIND • BEATRIX • CAPELLA WINTERGUARD • SPECTRUM • NORTHGATE INDEPENDENT • PATRIOTS • TOP HATS • MECHANICSBURG HS • SOUTH BRUNSWICK HS • GATES CHILI HS • VALENCIA HS • WEST JOHNSTON HS • WALLED LAKE CENTRAL HS • CRESTVIEW HS • MISSION VIEJO HS • LAKE CENTRAL HS • AYALA HS • COOPER CITY HS • ORCHARD PARK HS • FIU PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE • AMERICAS INDEPENDENT • IDENTITY • USURPATION • ELIZABETHTOWN INDEPENDENT • AUREUS INDEPENDENT • RIVER CITY INDEPENDENT • CENTRAL INDEPENDENT • SOUTHEAST INDEPENDENT • ART 101 • PACIFICAIRES • ARS NOVA • KOKOMO • BYRNES HS • HOMESTEAD HS • DESOTO HS • GREENFIELD CENTRAL HS • FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH HS • PLYMOUTH-CANTON HS • CROATAN HS • PASSAIC HS • FRIENDSWOOD HS • AMERICAS HS • MANSFIELD HS • PULSE PERCUSSION • REDLINE • UNITED PERCUSSION • NORTH COAST ACADEMY • GATEWAY PERCUSSION • BLUE KNIGHTS • MATRIX • INFINITY • EAST SIDE FURY • SURROUND SOUND • TIMBER CREEK INDEPENDENT • ODYSSEY PERCUSSION • AYALA HS • MISSION VIEJO HS • ARCADIA HS • JAMES LOGAN HS • FRED J. PAGE HS • FORSYTH CENTRAL HS • AVON HS • UPLAND HS • WALLED LAKE HS • PLYMOUTH CANTON HS • CHOCTAWHATCHEE HS • CENTERVILLE HS • STRYKE PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE • PENN STATE UNIVERSITY • BY MICHAEL REED PALMETTO PERCUSSION • GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY • ATLANTA QUEST • hey say we only get one chance TYLER JUNIOR COLLEGE to make a first impression. Be• MINNESOTA BRASS INDOOR • ALTERNATIVE fore a new independent guard or PERCUSSION • BEYER HS drumline has its debut contest, • DORMAN HS • HARPETH before the entry fees are paid, HS • UPPER DARBY HS • BROOKWOOD MS-HS • and even before the first auditions are held, LEGACY HS • ESCAMBIA HS one key aspect of the group will help make • IRONDALE HS • FLEMMING ISLAND HS • NOVI HS that impression: its name.

• TATE HS • GOSHEN HS • In WGI’s formative days, many groups JAMES A. GARFIELD HS • HICKORY HS •DAPHNE HS • BOSTON UNIVERSITY • CHATTANOOGA INDEPENDENT • SPIRIT OF AMERICA PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE

OUPS R G S ' I G W W HO GOT THEIR

s e m Na

For color guards and percussion ensembles, what you call yourself can—and should—say a lot about who you are.

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Redline’s name evokes Detroit history.

were affiliated with drum and bugle corps and kept the corps name for the winter guard. DCI stalwarts Phantom Regiment and the Cavaliers are two names that were pivotal to the growth of the activity, and they continue to thrill thousands every summer at football stadiums across the country.

Several top World Class guards started as an outgrowth of a local corps and have sur-

ALTER EGO • DIAMANTE • PREMONITION • SACRED HEART • CARMEL HS • WARREN CENTRAL HS • CHOCTAWHATCHEE HS • ARCADIA HS • CENTER GROVE HS • MIAMISBURG HS • RANCHO BERNARDO HS • TRUMBULL HS • CENTERVILLE HS • FREEDOM HS • CHESHIRE HS • SEMINOLE HS • ARS NOVA • FIRST FLIGHT • INTERPLAY • NORTH BY NORTHWEST • USF WINTERGUARD • WIND • BEATRIX • CAPELLA WINTERGUARD • SPECTRUM • NORTHGATE INDEPENDENT • PATRIOTS • TOP HATS • MECHANICSBURG HS • SOUTH BRUNSWICK HS • GATES CHILI HS • VALENCIA HS • WEST JOHNSTON HS • WALLED LAKE CENTRAL HS • CRESTVIEW HS • MISSION VIEJO HS • LAKE CENTRAL HS • AYALA HS • COOPER CITY HS • ORCHARD PARK HS • FIU PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE • AMERICAS INDEPENDENT • IDENTITY • USURPATION • ELIZABETHTOWN INDEPENDENT • AUREUS INDEPENDENT • RIVER CITY INDEPENDENT • CENTRAL INDEPENDENT • SOUTHEAST INDEPENDENT • ART 101 • PACIFICAIRES • ARS NOVA • KOKOMO • BYRNES HS • HOMESTEAD HS • DESOTO HS • GREENFIELD CENTRAL HS • FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH HS • PLYMOUTH-CANTON HS • CROATAN HS • PASSAIC HS • FRIENDSWOOD HS • AMERICAS HS • MANSFIELD HS • PULSE PERCUSSION • REDLINE • UNITED PERCUSSION • NORTH COAST ACADEMY • GATEWAY PERCUSSION • BLUE KNIGHTS • MATRIX • INFINITY • EAST SIDE FURY • SURROUND SOUND • TIMBER CREEK INDEPENDENT • ODYSSEY PERCUSSION • AYALA HS • MISSION VIEJO HS • ARCADIA HS • JAMES LOGAN HS • FRED J. PAGE HS • FORSYTH CENTRAL HS • AVON HS • UPLAND HS • WALLED LAKE HS • PLYMOUTH CANTON HS • CHOCTAWHATCHEE HS • CENTERVILLE HS • STRYKE PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE • PENN STATE UNIVERSITY • PALMETTO PERCUSSION • GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY • ATLANTA QUEST • TYLER JUNIOR COLLEGE • MINNESOTA BRASS INDOOR • ALTERNATIVE PERCUSSION • BEYER HS • DORMAN HS • HARPETH HS • UPPER DARBY HS • BROOKWOOD MS-HS • LEGACY HS • ESCAMBIA HS • IRONDALE HS • FLEMMING ISLAND HS • NOVI HS • TATE HS • GOSHEN HS • JAMES A. GARFIELD HS • HICKORY HS •DAPHNE HS • BOSTON UNIVERSITY • CHATTANOOGA INDEPENDENT • SPIRIT OF AMERICA PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE • ENVISION PERCUSSION THEATER • GENESIS • GREEN THUNDER PERCUSSION • TWIN25 CITIES AREA .wgi.org INDEPENDENT • ................

HURON VALLEY PERCUSSION • UNIVERSITY HS • ...

PLAINFIELD H • BASHA HS 10/6/11 4:08:58 PM

NORTHEAST INDEPENDENT • BLESSED SACRAMENT OUR NAME IS • ONYX • ZYDECO COLORGUARD • BRADDOCK INDEPENDENT • CROWN GUARD • BLACK WATCH • ing to director Michael THE KNIGHTS • ALTER EGO • DIAMANTE • PREMONILentz, “We were sortTION • SACRED HEART • ing through magazines CARMEL HS • WARREN CENTRAL HS • CHOCTAWlooking for a name for The All-Time HATCHEE HS • ARCADIA Dimension’s feeder Most Creative WGIGROVE HS • HS • CENTER guard and came across FinalistMIAMISBURG HS • RANCHO Names BERNARDO HS • TRUMBULL an ad for a black onyx A Alter EgoHS • CENTERVILLE HS • stone. We liked the B BeyondFREEDOM HS • CHESHIRE idea and it seemed to HS • SEMINOLE HS • ARS NOVA • FIRST FLIGHT fit.” In 1995, Dimension C City Slickers • INTERPLAY • NORTH D Dark Sky Percussion itself became Onyx, and in 2009, the secBY NORTHWEST • USF ond unit acquired a new name. “We wanted E EmanonWINTERGUARD • WIND • (“no name” spelled • CAPELLA WINBEATRIX to give Onyx A/Open their own look while backwards) TERGUARD • SPECTRUM • keeping them close to their roots, and we F FieldNORTHGATE INDEPENDENT of View • PATRIOTS • TOP HATS chose O2,” Lentz explains. “It means Onyx G Green Thunder • MECHANICSBURG HS • to the second power.”

SOUTH BRUNSWICK HS • H High Voltage How do you decide on a group name?

GATES CHILI HS • VALENCIA I Infinity HS • WEST JOHNSTON HS • For some directors, the name was already WALLED LAKE CENTRAL HS J Jinx decided years in advance, when the dream • CRESTVIEW HS • MISSION VIEJO HS • LAKE CENTRAL of starting an independent ensemble be- K Kaleidoscope HS • AYALA HS • COOPER gan. For others, the choice came only af- L Light Brigade CITY HS • ORCHARD PARK M Menagerie ter a lengthy search. Redline has earned HS • FIU PERFORMANCE Lights • AMERICAS quite a reputation in just three brief years N NorthernENSEMBLE • IDENTITY on the WGI stage, making finals in the PIW O Onyx INDEPENDENT • USURPATION • ELIZAclass each year, and its staff did not take P PariahBETHTOWN INDEPENDENT its name choice lightly. Martin Harrison, Q Quasar • AUREUS INDEPENDENT • RIVER CITY INDEPENRedline’s director, says that “the idea we R Rhythm XDENT • CENTRAL INDEPENDENT • SOUTHEAST originally had was the simpler, the better.

S Shaktai INDEPENDENT • ART 101 • It needed to be easy to remember, strong, PACIFICAIRES • ARS NOVA T Tsunami Blue and to exemplify what we wanted the or• KOKOMO • BYRNES HS • U Usurpation HOMESTEAD HS • DESOTO ganization to be. When you’re first starting HS • GREENFIELD CENTRAL out, it’s important to have a name that will V Velocity HS • FRANCIS HOWELL inspire confidence. We started by compil- W White Gold NORTH HS • PLYMOUTHing a list of words and phrases: profession- X XposeCANTON HS • CROATAN HS • PASSAIC HS • FRIENDGROUPHS HERE al, edgy, innovative, pushing the envelope, Y YOUR SWOOD • AMERICAS HS (No ensemble whose • MANSFIELD HS • PULSE fast-paced, exciting, classy, excellence, name begins with “Y” • REDLINE has made fiPERCUSSION nals) entertaining, breaking down boundaries, • UNITED PERCUSSION • etc. We also wanted it to be indicative of Z ZydecoNORTH COAST ACADEMY • GATEWAY PERCUSSION • our region: Motor City, Michigan, Detroit.

BLUE KNIGHTS • MATRIX • After many failed ideas, we settled on Redline. It INFINITY • EAST SIDE FURY seemed to say all the things we wanted. When we • SURROUND SOUND • TIMwere able to add the image of a tachometer into the BER CREEK INDEPENDENT • ODYSSEY PERCUSSION • logo and pay tribute to the automotive history of AYALA HS • MISSION VIEJO HS • ARCADIA HS • JAMES the region, it was the icing on the cake.”

LOGAN HS • FRED J. PAGE In the end, there’s no right or wrong way to name HS • FORSYTH CENTRAL an ensemble. Just about any verb, noun, or adjecHS • AVON HS • UPLAND HS • WALLED LAKE HS • tive can be turned into a name. Standard spelling is PLYMOUTH CANTON HS • optional, as many groups use more creative spellCHOCTAWHATCHEE HS • ings. If a group is connected to a school or drum CENTERVILLE HS • STRYKE PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE • corps, the choice is easy. If the PENN STATE UNIVERSITY • staff chooses to go in its own PALMETTO PERCUSSION • GEORGE MASON UNIVERdirection, the important thing SITY • ATLANTA QUEST • is that the title reflect the atTYLER JUNIOR COLLEGE tributes its leadership wishes • MINNESOTA BRASS INDOOR • ALTERNATIVE to convey. Whatever the group PERCUSSION • BEYER HS is called, its name will become • DORMAN HS • HARPETH part of its identity. But no matHS • UPPER DARBY HS • BROOKWOOD MS-HS • ter what its “brand” may be, if LEGACY HS • ESCAMBIA HS the performance level is there • IRONDALE HS • FLEMand the ensemble connects MING ISLAND HS • NOVI HS • TATE HS • GOSHEN HS • with the audience, the people JAMES A. GARFIELD HS • are going to be on their feet HICKORY HS •DAPHNE HS • BOSTON UNIVERSITY • cheering their hearts out.

CHATTANOOGA INDEPENDENT • SPIRIT OF AMERICA www.wgi.org PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE • ENVISION PERCUSSION THEATER • GENESIS •

Onyx

vived even though their sponsor groups are now defunct; two notable examples are Pride of Cincinnati and Black Watch. Blessed Sacrament retained the name of its parent group, which began in the 1930s as an all-female drill team.

Longtime competitor the Light Brigade was originally the product of a merger between two guards in the Philadelphia area. “We decided that both units would give up their names,” directors Sheila Henderson says. “We went back and forth [about a new name] and finally someone mentioned ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade.’ So we decided to just use the Light Brigade, and someone else said to use ‘The Buffalo Soldiers’ as our nickname. So if you ever see our logo, you’ll always see the name with a picture of a buffalo and our nickname under that.”

As WGI grew from its humble beginnings into the multifaceted organization it is today, the variety of independent group names grew along with it.

Over time, the majority of independent ensembles became truly that—no longer affiliated with a parent group. Many groups began to include the word “independent” in their names, with one prominent early example being IW finalist Braddock Independent, spawned from Braddock High School.

There was one exception to the independence trend, though: the growth of college-sponsored units. It wasn’t until the 17th WGI Championships in 1994 that a group carrying the moniker of a university made finals. When it finally occurred, however, it wasn’t a guard that accomplished the feat; the University of Toledo’s drum line placed fourth in the Independent class in the second WGI Percussion World Championships. In fact, no guard with a sponsor institution as part of its name qualified for finals until 1999, when JSU Center Stage made the top 15 in the IA class. (Fantasia from Riverside Community College and Chimeras from Middle Tennessee State University were finalists well before this, but the names of the colleges those groups were based out of were not included in the group names.)

On occasion, a unit may decide to change its name. Most people are probably not aware that 2010 IW Champion Onyx began its existence in 1988 under the name Dimension. In OUR NAME IS 1993, the decision was made to start a feeder guard. AccordLight 26 WGI FOCUS

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Brigade

FROM A TO Z:

10/6/11 4:07:55 PM

Dedication is what got us here.

The TheQuantum QuantumMarching MarchingProject Projectcontinues continuesinin2011.

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2/16/11 9:16AM AM 10/3/11 10:37:58

Clinic

When

Fall Turns to Winter Dedication and Hard Work Can Ease the Move from Field to Floor

By Alex Mendoza

I

n recent years, indoor and outdoor marching have become increasingly intertwined stylistically. The distinction between the two activities used to be simple to identify, but body movement, increasingly complex productions, and integration of electronics are now commonplace for the heavy hitters of the marching band world. All this means that when it comes time to make the annual transition from the marching field to the indoorbased arts, it feels a lot more natural to do so.

That doesn’t mean it’s less work, however. Training now occurs year-round, with band members and percussionists being asked to move in a similar style to their color guard compatriots. Sometimes guard members are required to wield not just a fl ag, but instruments as well.

Winston Churchill’s 2003 show “Construction” was one of the first programs to truly exhibit what was possible when combining a World Class guard and a World Class percussion ensemble. This inspired several marching programs, both indoor and outdoor, to follow suit in their own styles.

“I feel that it is my job as an educator to minimize the differences from the field to the floor,” Josh Torres, percussion instructor at Center Grove High School, explains.

“That being said, there are obviously some issues that require more attention in marching band and drum corps than they do in indoor percussion. But our goal every year is to be a BOA Grand National Finalist—which takes the exact same amount of dedication and effort as it does to

be a WGI World Class Finalist. Our students are pretty good about understanding that an outstanding fall will lead to a great winter, and that a great winter will have positive outcomes for future fall groups.”

A two-time champion and, most recently, the 2011 Percussion Scholastic World bronze medalist, Center Grove has been a perennial powerhouse on the WGI scene, as well as standing alongside the marching band greats of Bands of America Grand National Championships. The group is known for its challenging musical programming and demanding visuals in both areas of pageantry—and the fact that its members are working on the same things the whole year through explains how they can maintain their enviable skill sets.

“I tell my students that in order to be successful for the winter, they should use the summer and fall to master how to move and play,” Torres states. “No matter what, hard work and dedication are necessary to perform at the top level, and whatever exercises we play in the fall season are the same ones we incorporate during the winter season.

“But above all else, I think it’s important to have balance in life. It isn’t all about marching band, and it isn’t all about color guard or drum line. It’s about placing an equal level of importance on all the pageantry activities, as well as concert band/wind ensemble. I honestly feel that this balance is what makes any student a strong performer in both settings for any ensemble.”

Our students are pretty good about understanding that an outstanding fall will lead to a great winter.

28 WGI FOCUS

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10/3/11 10:42:15 AM

Scholarship

What It

Means to Be an

Artist

A Front Ensemble Leader Discovers Herself

By Michelle Muller

Walled Lake Central High School Walled Lake, Mich.

E

very year in elementary school on Career Day, as all my classmates dressed up as firefighters, policemen, and doctors, I would put on a beret and white T-shirt and say that I wanted to be an artist. To a first grader, that meant bringing in a paintbrush and a cardboard palette. Little did I know then that being an artist would actually mean playing a marimba in front of thousands of people at the University of Dayton Arena.

I discovered music in sixth grade and began playing flute in concert band. This led me to taking on the bassoon in seventh grade and essentially not knowing where I’d go if I were to join the marching band. Mr. David Rogers, the high school band director, came with a few marching band kids to our class and we ended up deciding that I could play in Walled Lake Central’s front ensemble since I had a decent piano background. One could say that the rest is history.

Being part of a winter drum line taught me about discipline, leadership, and musicianship. During my junior year, our show “The Ripple Effect” challenged us in brand new ways, and we had come close to a breakthrough at the end of the season. By my senior year, my main goal

was to be a driving force in taking Walled Lake Percussion farther than it had ever gone before.

However, after becoming the front ensemble’s section leader, I quickly learned that it got lonely at the top. It was the middle of the season and I was thinking that the only person I had was myself, when a fellow member of the pit, Bella Cerroni, showed me that not only could I make it through everything, but that I could still attain my original goal. She fought through what was considered a seasonending injury and maintained her split center marimba spot. Her tenacity spread to me, and hasn’t left me since.

Bella, along with my teachers Nick Pourcho and Paul Loos, helped me through those rough moments that every leader has when a group is knee-deep in the season. Back at the trailer after the performance of a lifetime at the 2011 finals, I finally appreciated all those moments, and I realized that I had never been alone—I was part of one amazing group.

Sometimes I look back on those elementary school days, when I never imagined the great things I could do with my music. Back then, being an artist just meant making pictures. Through participating in Walled Lake Percussion, I’ve shown myself that it means so much more; it’s When percussion teacher, arranger, clinician, and judge Dennis DeLucia about finding abilities in yourself that get was inducted into the WGI Hall of Fame in 2006, Yamaha introduced a you through the horrible times, the scholarship in his name. The Yamaha/Dennis DeLucia scholarship, awarded frustrating times, and most important, every year to one deserving percussion student, is both a way to honor the best of times.

DeLucia’s contributions to marching music and a continuation of Yamaha’s

THE DeLUCIA SCHOLARSHIP

long history of supporting music education. For more information about the WGI Scholarship Program, visit wgi.org/about/scholarship.php.

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Michelle Muller received the Yamaha/ Dennis DeLucia Scholarship in 2011. www.wgi.org

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10/3/11 12:18:51 PM 9/27/11 9/27/11 11:47 11:47 AM AM

There are 10 differences between the top shot and the bottom shot of East Side Fury at the 2011 Championships. What are they?

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