WGI Spring FOCUS 2017

spring 2017

f ocus

Historyin the Making All the action at the 2017 WGI World Championships

the official news of wgi sport of the arts

WORLD VIEW INDOOR MARCHING GOES GLOBAL

$40,000 SETTING A SCHOLARSHIP RECORD

MEET THE MASTERS

2017 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

CONGRATULATIONS

Music City Mystique

2017 PIW Gold Medalists

Rhythm X Winds

2017 WIW Gold Medalists

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f ocus

inside

Alter Ego (IW)

the official news of wgi sport of the arts

SPRING 2017 Volume 30, Issue 1

Winter Guard International RON NANKERVIS Executive Director

16

BART WOODLEY Director of Operations

GROWING STRONG: SO MANY COLOR GUARDS COMPETED THIS YEAR THAT FIVE VENUES WERE REQUIRED.

CRYSTAL WALKER Marketing & Communications Manager Published By: In Tune Partners, LLC IRWIN KORNFELD CEO WILL EDWARDS President MAC RANDALL Editor-in-Chief JACKIE JORDAN Creative Director MICHAEL R. VELLA Production Manager BARBARA BOUGHTON Business Manager CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Morena Guerrero Jenny Lyons Michael Reed PHOTOGRAPHY Adam Alonzo Bill Grossman Lifetouch Photography Linda Unser Sid Unser WGI FOCUS is an educational publication of WGI Sport of the Arts.

It is published every Spring and has a circulation of 16,000 copies.

To subscribe, visit wgi.org/focus To submit an article for consideration, please email: crystal@wgi.org WINTER GUARD INTERNATIONAL 2405 Crosspointe Drive Dayton, OH 45342 937-247-5919 office@wgi.org www.wgi.org

2017 WGI

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

POW Percussion (PIW)

16 COLOR GUARD

Pride of Cincinnati went back-to-back in IW, while Carmel HS won its fourth SW gold medal. Also taking top placements were AMP Winter Guard (IO), firsttime finalist Stockdale HS (SO), FIU Winterguard (IA), and Klein Oak HS (SA).

30 PERCUSSION

It was a golden year for Music City Mystique (PIW), Chino Hills HS (PSW), Infinity 2 (PIO), Burleson Centennial HS (PSO), Modulation Z (PIA), Fair Lawn HS (PSA), Ayala HS (PSCW), and Tomball HS (PSCO).

42 WINDS

For Rhythm X Winds (WIW), Avon HS (WSW), the new Chromium Winds (WIO), Central Lafourche HS (WSO), Inertia Independent (WIA), and Valley Christian HS (WSA), the third Winds finals was a charm.

42

WINDS OF CHANGE: THE SKILL AND IMAGINATION OF WGI WINDS GROUPS ARE EVOLVING AT A RAPID PACE.

30

INTERNATIONAL STYLE: PERCUSSION ENSEMBLES CAME TO DAYTON FROM ALL ACROSS NORTH AMERICA AND BEYOND.

9 ENSEMBLE

WGI celebrates its 40th anniversary ... Honoring Shirlee Whitcomb’s life and legacy ... Indoor marching shows its global reach ... Three marching arts legends are inducted into WGI’s Hall of Fame ... and more!

50 SCHOLARSHIPS A record 25 performers got welcome assistance from WGI this year.

www.wgi.org

FIU Indoor Winds (WIW)

WGI FOCUS 5

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e n s emb l e

NEWS FROM THE FLOOR AND MORE

WGI CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF PAGEANTRY

COLOR GUARDS GATHER AT THE CLOSE OF THE 2017 CHAMPIONSHIPS.

In the spring of 1977, six people met in San Francisco, Calif., to create an organization that would unify and foster the activities of color guards across the United States and around the world. In the spring of 2017, that organization—WGI Sport of the Arts—celebrated its 40th anniversary at the annual World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. An event that began with 34 competing units in 1978 has grown to include nearly 600 groups in three Inside UD Arena, a special parade of champions took place during both the Color Guard World Class performance divisions this year. retreat on April 8 and the Percussion World Class The Sport of the Arts’ auspicious retreat on April 22, as members of past Independent anniversary was celebrated in a and Scholastic World groups marched with the 2017 number of ways. In the months THE leading up to the World ChampionFIRST WGI finalists. Some alumni came wearing their old cosCHAMPION: tumes; some had their children wear them, adding an ships, a regular series of “WGI 40” QUASAR, video clips appeared on wgi.org, 1978 extra layer of emotion to the proceedings.

At the same time as WGI was commemorating its featuring highlights from the past past, it continued to look to the future by supporting young four decades. North Carolina sculptor and prop designer performers. In recognition of this anniversary year, the WGI Jeff Hurr, whose connection with WGI goes back 15 years to Scholarship Program awarded an extraordinary $40,000 to his daughter’s tenure in the West Johnston High School 25 students (turn to pg. 50 for further details). color guard, created a white aluminum sculpture to stand “We are excited to celebrate our 40th anniversary and outside the University of Dayton Arena during the champithe incredible growth through the years,” said Bart Woodonships. The sculpture consisted of two letters, W and G, ley, Director of Operations and Sponsor Relations for WGI. with a space provided for a person to stand next to them “We look forward to continued growth and opportunities to and form the letter I. The related hashtag #IAMWGI quickly get more students involved in the Sport of the Arts.” appeared on a range of social media outlets.

IN MEMORIAM: SHIRLEE WHITCOMB WGI’s 40th season was the first not to be graced by the presence of Shirlee Whitcomb, one of Winter Guard International’s six original founders.

Whitcomb, who also founded the Western Band Association and was one of Drum Corps International’s first female judges, passed away on January 4, 2017, at the age of 83.

www.wgi.org

Among her many invaluable contributions to the marching arts were the creation of the color guard scoring system and adjudication manual.

For the first two decades of WGI’s existence, she was its Education Director, working with instructors and judges to bolster the foundations of the activity. In more

recent years, she was WGI’s Director of Color Guard Development, helping guards in the A and Open Classes to realize their potential.

With her “Notes from Shirlee” educational articles and video interviews on wgi.org, she brought her passion for color guard to a wider audience. Along with Lynn Lindstrom and Stanley Knaub,

Whitcomb was part of the inaugural class of WGI Hall of Fame inductees in 1992.

Twenty-fi ve years later, she was remembered with a moment of silence at this year’s World Championships.

The very fact that WGI is here to celebrate its 40th anniversary is a testament to the contributions of Shirlee Whitcomb.

WGI FOCUS 9

e n s emb l e THREE CREATIVE PIONEERS ENTER HALL OF FAME

NEW VIDEOS EXPLAIN TECH

On the evening of April 5, just before the 40th WGI Color Guard World Championships got underway, JON VANDERKOLFF, members of the activity paused PEGGY TWIGGS, AND MICHAEL SHAPIRO to honor the three newest inductees into the WGI Hall of But over her years with the 27th Lancers, the Fame: Michael Shapiro, Peggy Twiggs, and Jon Cadets, Emerald Marquis, Odyssey, Blessed Vanderkolff.

Sacrament, and WGI’s very first champion, Quasar Michael Shapiro has been a part of the WGI (among many others), she has done much more. universe for 30 years, beginning as a performer Her work as an instructor raised the activity’s skill with the Alliance of Miami (Fla.) in 1987. Although level, making a new wave of complex he’s best known for his work as a Choreography, choreography possible. In her teaching, designer and director with the Twiggs has always emphasized how Corona and Tarpon Springs High visual design, technique can be an art in itself, and School color guards, his influence has and technical her enthusiasm and dedication have been felt across the country and— inspired generations of performers. through his international efforts with precision have Jon Vanderkolff occupies a unique the U.K.’s Mayflower guard—around been central in place in the marching arts. Not only has the world. His choreography has the work of this he won titles with ensembles in three repeatedly set trends, while his different organizations—WGI, Drum equipment writing has expanded the legendary trio.

Corps International, and Bands of limits of what was thought possible on the floor. “At the end of a Michael Shapiro show,” America—but he is also the owner of both an Emmy Award and a Tony Award for his visual design of the his friend and colleague Fred Feeney said at the celebrated Broadway show Blast! With Emerald induction ceremony, “we all feel like we have lived.”

Marquis and Santa Clara Vanguard, he has created If all Peggy Twiggs had done was create the dozens of unforgettable WGI shows over the years. trademark flag move known as the “Peggy Spin,” Congratulations to all three inductees! she would still be a legend in the color guard world.

The WGI educational video series Indoor Percussion TOP SECRETS aims to cover every essential topic for indoor performance. Its three newest installments focus on electronic technology. In module seven, a team of experts discusses amplification and signal flow (including mixing), while module eight concentrates on sampling.

Finally, module nine looks at hardware and software synthesizers, with commentary from some of the top designers in the activity. All three modules are available for download now at shop.wgi.org.

A STILL FROM MODULE 7: AMPLIFICATION

WORLD REPRESENTATION AT FINALS

AIMACHI

10 WGI FOCUS

BCC DRUMLINE

International groups put the “I” in WGI at this year’s World Championships.

All three color guard classes had finalists from outside the United States.

Japan’s Aimachi took the silver medal in Independent World, the highest the group has placed. The Netherlands’ Sensation Performance Ensemble finished in 6th place in Independent Open, just one year after fellow Dutch guard Pride of the Netherlands placed 4th in the same class. Canadian guards also made their presence known, with Quebec’s 3rd Legend making finals in Independent A. On the percussion side, Thailand’s BCC Drumline was a Percussion Scholastic Open finalist; they had also reached the finals at their one prior Dayton appearance, in 2014.

The extent of the marching arts’ global reach wasn’t just visible at the Championships. In October, WGI held successful Regionals in Malaysia and Indonesia, and WGI representatives met with delegates from a number of Southeast Asian countries to help facilitate the growth of the activity in what is a burgeoning marching-arts hotbed. WGI also maintained its European influence with a guard and percussion regional in the Netherlands in February.

The future is indeed bright for continued expansion of the Sport of the Arts!

www.wgi.org

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Pride of Cincinnati (IW)

ONE FOR THE DECADES

Carmel HS (SW)

Pride of Cincinnati and Carmel see gold in ruby celebration

By Jenny Lyons and Michael Reed The confetti has settled on another color guard season, as WGI celebrated its 40th year in existence. World Championships week saw hundreds of incredible performances by guards from around the globe, spanning fi ve venues over three days.

Performers at the top of their class continued to propel the activity forward with intellectually engaging concepts and standard-setting choreography. The trend of exploring dimensionality through props continued, most notably with reigning Independent World champion Pride of Cincinnati’s rotating, latticed cube—from which performers hung, leapt, tossed, caught, and conquered—as well as Scholastic World champion Carmel High School’s beautiful golden swings, on which the performers maneuvered as light as air.

All classes saw their share of placement trading, but Independent World in particular experienced tremendous 16

WGI FOCUS

www.wgi.org

AMP Winter Guard (IO)

FIU Winterguard (IA)

FAN FAV

Stockdale HS (SO)

Klein Oak HS (SA)

FAN FAV

WGI FOCUS 17

movement between Prelims, Semis, and Finals. Although Pride maintained their firstplace standing throughout the week in spite of Aimachi’s strong showing, Blessed Sacrament edged Imbue out of a bronze medal by tenths.

The top 15 saw numerous upsets on Finals night, with both Diamante and FeniX showing impressive upward mobility in the season’s final hours. To cap off this ruby-anniversary event, WGI took pause at Finals retreat to look back over four decades of pageantry with a celebratory Parade of Champions, featuring representation of all its gold medalists since 1978 in their full costume regalia.

INDEPENDENT WORLD

Achieving the first back-to-back Independent World win in a decade, Pride of Cincinnati (Ohio) sealed their fate as six-time World Champions with “The Inevitable Direction of My Life.”

Pride delved into both the depths of the human psyche and new creative possibilities with their cubic stage. Though the medal they earned was silver, Aimachi (Japan) dazzled in gold and black, stealing hearts with their flawless performance of “May the Music Never End.” Never failing to provoke thought, Blessed Sacrament (Mass.) won bronze with “B.,” a unique Aimachi (IW)

Blessed Sacrament (IW)

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WGI FOCUS

take on the opera Madama Butterfly that generated stillness, abandon, and new-wave drama.

In “A Moment, Imbued,” Imbue (Calif.) ran the gamut of emotions while manipulating a moment in time. The conceptual intrigue continued with “Dual” by first-time World Class finalist CGT Dallas (Texas)—which engaged in wordplay between dual and duel with loud colors, ramps, and heavy use of saber—and with Paramount (Ga.), whose bold, modular program “TO THINK IS ENOUGH” explored conceptual freedom and artistic singularity through contrasts in soundtrack, choreography, and aesthetics.

With “Blueprint 31,” Alter Ego (Conn.) stepped into the unknown with a sleek blue-and-white color scheme and a dynamic soloist. Meanwhile, Fantasia (Calif.) patiently used stillness and free-flowing silks to beautiful effect in their rosy, understated “by any other name.” In sharp contrast, Diamante (Calif.) took a dark turn with “Obsession,” a gripping exposé of a mind obsessed.

The 2017 edition of Onyx (Ohio) shattered expectations in “BIZARRE BAZAAR.” Among the surprises hidden in the ensemble’s ever-unopened tarp was a one-of-a-kind take on spectacle and risk. Using a strikingly vulnerable soloist and a stark white silk against a dark ensemble, UCF Pegasus World (Fla.) appealed to the viewer’s “Ethos.” First-time finalist Lexis (Ky.) explored coming of age in their charming program “Once Upon Another Time.”

Imbue (IW)

TOP RANKING GROUPS FOR COLOR GUARD

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Independent World

Pride of Cincinnati The Inevitable Direction of My Life

Aimachi May the Music Never End

Blessed Sacrament B.

Scholastic World

Carmel HS Arabesque

Avon HS Vox Balaenae

James Logan HS Hope

Independent Open

AMP Winter Guard I Carry Your Heart

In Motion Performance Ensemble Human Family

University of South Florida Oh-WAY-nuh-suh

Scholastic Open

Stockdale HS Resolve

Lyman HS Spiraling

North Syracuse Central HS Clubé Brasil: The Music of Astrud Gilberto

Independent A

FIU Winterguard The Road Ahead

MBI The Bee

Allegiance Ansel Adams: The Beauty of Black and White

Scholastic A

Klein Oak HS Jamie

Dartmouth HS Bioluminescence

Kickapoo HS Emulation Done Her Wrong

Less than a year after the devastating Pulse shootings, Black Gold (Texas) paid tribute to those lost in their poignant program “ONE: We are here to remember.” FeniX Independent

(Ariz.) dove into their passionate “Weathering the Storm,” while Juxtaposition (Ohio) revamped Dickens’ Great Expectations in “The Miss Havisham Effect.”

SCHOLASTIC WORLD

Carmel HS (Ind.) was a revelation in gold this year, earning their fourth top placement with “Arabesque.” These golden girls ascended to first with balletic beauty and effortless grace, performing the show’s namesake and making masterful use of CGT Dallas (IW)

their ornate swings. In “Vox Balaenae,” silver medalist Avon HS (Ind.) gave a sometimes whimsical, always compelling interpretation of the voice of the whale, using a jellyfish robot, fluid soundtrack, and solid soloists. Bronze medalist James Logan HS (Calif.) brought “Hope” to the arena with a musically reimagined version of Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” speech, climbing block-like props to uplifting heights during an emotionally charged dance feature.

On a bright and sweeping floor, Center Grove HS (Ind.) invited us to “Be the Change” with a seamless display of variation. Awash in a gradient of oceanic greens and blues, the sirens of Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.) performed “Untethered”

Black Gold (IW)

Avon HS (SW)

Avon HS (SW)

FAN FAV Paramount (IW)

James Logan HS (SW)

WGI FOCUS 19

Center Grove HS (SW)

Stoneman Douglas HS (SW) Flanagan HS (SW)

West Broward HS (SW)

FAN FAV

In Motion Performance Ensemble (IO)

to an ambient soundtrack. In “Apollo Control,” set to an original arrangement of Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” Flanagan HS (Fla.) soared, taking us with them on the historic Apollo 8 mission.

Back on earth, Trumbull HS (Conn.) took a haunting look at what it means to be trapped by the one-dimensional happenings on our various screens in “Twenty-Seventeen.” West Broward HS (Fla.) stood out with the infectiously fresh and funky “AMY,” paying delightful homage to the late British songstress Amy Winehouse. James Bowie HS (Texas) gave a smart and striking interpretation of the Wordsworth poem “Intimations of Immortality,” meandering through complex themes with sophisticated beauty.

Arcadia HS (Calif.) took us on a triumphant journey through Barack Obama’s presidency in “HOPE,” a highlight of which was 20

WGI FOCUS

a gorgeous flag feature set to “Amazing Grace.” In a playful interpretation of a classic, and an impressive demonstration of performance range, Greenfield-Central HS (Ind.) brought “Peter and the Wolf” to life. By revealing an inundation of silver mirrors, costumes, and silks, Warren Central HS (Ind.) showed audiences “The Silver Lining.”

Miamisburg HS (Ohio) celebrated excellence in their fun look at “The Drum Major Instinct,” including a flag feature to “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and a show-stopping double turnaround line. Backed by high-voltage music, the skydiving “Adrenaline Junkies” of Shenendehowa HS (N.Y.) floated high above the earth with gravity-defying props. Finally, Bellbrook HS (Ohio) tackled the literal with “BELL...Brook,” featuring live music with a variety of bells. www.wgi.org

www.WinterGuardTarps.com

INDEPENDENT OPEN

AMP Winter Guard (N.J.) earned a first-place

finish with their take on love gone awry and Damien Rice’s familiar “9 Crimes” in their winning show, “I Carry Your Heart.” In Motion Performance Ensemble (Calif.) implored us to remember that we are “more alike than unalike” in their hopeful program, “Human Family,” which won them second place. Reaching third, University of South Florida (Fla.) provided an impassioned plea for Mother Earth in their heartfelt “Oh-WAY-nuh-suh.”

Through memorable movement and the contrast of deep colors against pure white, Paramount Open (Ga.) explored “Still Life.” Amid pleas written on cardboard signs and the tattered garb of refugees, Legacy Performing Arts (Ind.) offered a message of hope with “There Will Be Rest,” as did Sensation Performance Ensemble (Netherlands) in hijab-like University of South Florida (IO)

scarves with strong arguments for the “Power of Education.” In a similar vein, Reverie Independent (Ga.) empowered themselves and the audience with “Rise Up,” as they constructed an industrial-era skyline.

In “Deconstructing Time,” Malachi Independent (Colo.) disassembled a massive clock while manipulating time via movement and sound. Vox Artium (Calif.) dreamt of a kinder world in their politically charged “In Times of Chaos.” Mirroring their blue-to-red gradient design, Fusion Winter Guard (N.J.) ascended from sadness into joy in “THE FIGHT INSIDE OF YOU.” In the elegantly crafted “My Muse,” Stonewall Independent (Va.) immortalized their muse in pink, caramel, and gold with soft Victorian-era aesthetics. The Brigadiers (N.Y.) picked up the “PIECES” in their emotionally driven program, while Legacy presented by Carolina Gold (N.C.) brought song lyrics to life in “With His Song.” The Pride of Missouri State (Mo.) explored the pain of solitude in “All by Myself,” while Q (Pa.) delved into connection with “Desire.”

Legacy Performing Arts (IO)

Lyman HS (SO)

AMP Winter Guard (IO)

Sensation Performance Ensemble (IO)

Mill Creek HS (SO)

Paramount Open (IO)

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SCHOLASTIC OPEN

First-time finalist and champion Stockdale HS (Calif.) conveyed incredible will and perseverance in “Resolve,” which wowed with its soaring flag feature and lush soundtrack. Ever the class act, Lyman HS (Fla.) clinched a silver medal with their gorgeous ascent of a spiral staircase in “Spiraling.” North Syracuse Central HS (N.Y.) earned bronze by inviting audiences to their lively “Clubé Brasil: The Music of Astrud Gilberto.”

With an intriguing mix of “Adagio for Strings” and “Imagine,” Mill Creek HS (Ga.) took on concepts of balance and humanity in “People Need People.” The strong ladies of Smithfield-Selma HS (N.C.) delighted with trick sequences, exchanges, and rifle choreography galore in their ultra-fun and sassy “Annie Get Your Gun.” Clad in soft, sepia-toned animal print, Fishers HS (Ind.) took a somber look at the taming of the West with “Where the Buffalo Roamed.” Little Elm HS (Texas) went “Cybernetic” in their green and black analysis of a web-driven world. Milford HS (Ohio) showed how love can play one’s heart

like the keys of a piano in “Play My Heart,” and Hendrickson HS (Texas) brought about “The Winds of Change” with a joyous blue flag feature.

With a gradient aesthetic and lights, Marvin Ridge HS (N.C.) raged against “The Dying of Light.” Using a unique soundtrack and distinctly stylized movement, Washington HS (Mo.) took on the abstract in “Open to Interpretation.” In a more literal vein, El Dorado HS (Calif.) masterfully interpreted “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe. In “Andy,” Plymouth-Canton Educational Park (Mich.) canonized pop-art mogul Andy Warhol with bright colors and iconic soup cans. Finally, Eastlake HS (Texas) embodied the music of Copland’s Appalachian Spring in “Take One,” while Eden Prairie HS (Minn.) bolstered hope with “When One Door Closes.”

INDEPENDENT A

Gold medalist FIU Winterguard (Fla.) incorporated traffic imagery in “The Road Ahead,” with street signs, stoplight silks, North Syracuse Central HS (SO)

Smithfield-Selma HS (SO)

Fishers HS (SO)

WGI FOCUS 23

Interplay (IA)

The District Independent Winterguard (IA)

MBI (IA)

Allegiance (IA)

and pieces that formed a car at the ending. Silver medalist MBI (Minn.) combined honeybees and a spelling contest in “The Bee,” as members spelled challenging words until there was one winner. Allegiance (Ill.) took home the bronze medal for “Ansel Adams: The Beauty of Black and White,” in which several of the photographer’s nature shots materialized on the floor.

Interplay (Mich.) looked through windowpane silks in “When It Rains…,” as clumps of grey flags formed thunderheads. Our feathered friends from The District Independent Winterguard (S.C.) were “Strange Birds,” spinning owl-eye silks in a misty forest. Pennsauken Independent (N.J.) honored pioneers of the 1960s civil rights movement with “One person can change the world,” and an arid floor grew lush vegetation for Sacred Heart University Winter Guard (Conn.) in “GROW.” In “Moving On,” Anesidora (Colo.) reflected on the house they were leaving while loading a moving truck. A ladder to the sky was the focus for Pegasus A (Fla.) in “Hallowed Grounds,” 24

WGI FOCUS

as tribal spirits sought their resting place. The piano inspired Onyx (Ohio) to present the ebony and ivory colors, piano benches, and Steinway logo flags of “Opus 9,” while Georgia State University Winterguard (Ga.) made lemonade in “When

Life Gives You Lemons,” with vibrant yellow color throughout.

Quebec’s 3rd Legend conveyed longing and other intense romantic emotions in “Heart to Heart.” CGT Fort Worth (Texas) gave us an hypnotic fantasy using a colorful array of silks in “Dreaming in Color.” Black Gold A (Texas) was an Impressionist painting come to life for “A Golden Sunday,” as an afternoon shower gave way to sunlight, and wandering Lancaster Independent (N.Y.) carried suitcases for their journey in “Fair Haired Traveler.”

San Diego State University Aztec Winter Guard (Calif.) brought exotic Indian influences to the Midwest with “In the Eye,” while Tampa Independent (Fla.) displayed raw feelings of grief at a loved one’s gravesite in “With a Heavy Heart.” www.wgi.org

Pennsauken Independent (IA) Black Gold A (IA)

Dartmouth HS (SA)

FAN FAV

FAN FAV

Paradigm (Fla.) looked at mankind’s effect on the planet for good and ill in “Genesis.” BriA Independent (Texas) celebrated

Lowndes HS (Ga.) enchanted us with “Goodnight Moon,” inspired by the children’s bedtime book. Greater Johnstown

the energy and optimism of youth with “The Promise of Living,” and JMU Nuance Winterguard (Va.) turned the floor into a flower garden for “Roses in Bloom.”

HS (N.Y.) performed “Summit” on a mountain range floor, exhorting us to pursue our dreams, and Harrison HS (Ga.) employed a minimalist black set that magnified the impact of aqua and maroon silks in “The Empty Bench.”

Small in numbers but great in execution, Clovis HS (Calif.) gave us the sensitive and poignant “Starting Over.” Cary HS (N.C.) explored the mysteries of love on a magnifying-glass floor with “The Meaning of It All.” Mt. Carmel HS (Calif.) plotted the heavens in “Discovering the Ancient Skies” while spinning star-like structures on poles. Green Hope HS (N.C.) created chills on an icy mountain peak floor in “Wherever You May Go,” and Cumberland Valley HS (Pa.) provided disturbing visions of post-apocalyptic life with “After.”

West Ranch HS (Calif.) utilized coat racks in “Coat of Many Colors,” about a mother who sewed a coat of rags. The girls of

SCHOLASTIC A

Klein Oak HS (Texas) told the tale of an emotionally distant man

leaving a woman who still loves him in “Jamie,” earning gold.

Dartmouth HS (Mass.) created stunning effects using green LED

lighting in “Bioluminescence,” good for silver. Bronze medalist Kickapoo HS Emulation (Mo.) took us to a rural setting where a country girl got jilted in “Done Her Wrong,” while Mililani HS (Hi.) held an optimistic view of the future amid negative stereotypes of today’s youth in “The Lost Generation.”

Dawson HS (Texas) was geared up with “COGnizant,” as large rotating cog props kept the concept in the forefront. www.wgi.org

WGI FOCUS 25

Kettering Fairmont HS (Ohio) danced with

mannequins in “Wallflower,” set on a gym floor at a school dance. Allen HS Varsity (Texas) incorporated a 12-foot lamp in “Illusory Light,” turning their members into rays of light. East Lincoln HS (N.C.) packed a wallop of a program with “If I Don’t Have You,” combining power with sensitivity, and Southlake Carroll HS (Texas) moved from drab, negative messages to colorful, positive encouragements in “Brand New Me.”

A large maroon fabric contorted every which way for Marian Catholic HS (Ill.) in the plaintive “It’s Over Now,” while Fleming Island HS (Fla.) earned huge applause for a brilliant closing flag feature in “Every Second Counts.” Terre Haute South HS (Ind.) tore through the arena with “Wrecking Ball,” using an armada of grey spheres. Father Ryan HS (Tenn.) was a

Girl Scout troop enjoying a weekend “Get Together” in the forest. Colerain HS (Ohio) performed Sylvia Plath’s poem “The Mirror,” about the thoughts of a mirror reflecting a woman’s gaze. And Westerville North HS (Ohio) couldn’t sleep in “Insomniac,” but a flurry of movement tired them out.

Mililani HS (SA)

Kickapoo HS Emulation (SA) Dawson HS (SA)

26

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Lowndes HS (SA)

www.wgi.org

FJM_WGI_Focus ads.indd 11

5/11/17 9:54 AM

WGI 2017 PIW

Music City Mystique - Gold Matrix Performing Arts Rhythm X Monarch Independent Cap City Percussion Atlanta Quest George Mason University

PSW

Ayala HS - Bronze Etiwanda HS Homer Hanna HS Center Grove HS James Logan HS Fishers HS Lebanon HS Lambert HS Homestead HS

PSCO

Tomball HS - Gold Hickory HS North Gwinnett HS

PIA

Modulation Z - Gold Aftermath Percussion Huron Valley Percussion

PSA

Victor HS - Bronze Oak Grove HS Foothill HS Minooka Community HS

PSCW

Ayala HS - Gold Goshen HS - Silver

PIO

Rise Percussion - Silver Freedom Percussion - Bronze ConneXus Percussion Bakersfield College INov8 Winter Percussion 5points Percussion Audio Theater Liberty University Indoor Drumline Matrix Open NorCal Indoor

PSO

Burleson Centennial HS - Gold Victor J. Andrew HS - Bronze Newsome HS South County HS Lawrence Township Central Crossing HS BCC Drumline Clinton HS Norton HS

OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF Thanks to these finalists and all the other ensembles who made Innovative Percussion the most widely used stick and mallet in WGI.

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Join Carol Abohatab, choreographer

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Music City Mystique (PIW)

Chino Hills HS (PSW)

SILVER STICKS Mystique wins record 8th title, SoCal sweeps PSW in 25th Finals

By Michael Reed It was a record-setting weekend in Dayton, Ohio, for the silver anniversary of the WGI Percussion World Championships. An unprecedented 234 ensembles entered this year’s event, with groups hailing from as far away as Thailand. The people came out in droves, filling even the backside seating in a packed UD Arena on Saturday evening (April 22).

Music City Mystique took their record eighth Independent World Championship, while Chino Hills High School led a trio of California lines sweeping the medals in Scholastic World. The other classes featured winners from north, south, east, and west, proving that there is strength in all regions of the country—and giving every reason to believe that the 2018 Percussion World Championships, to be held April 19-22 once again in Dayton, will be even stronger.

PERCUSSION INDEPENDENT WORLD

Music City Mystique (Tenn.) captured gold with “The Hand of

Man,” using raw, brute aggression to portray how humanity causes desolation in spite of our progress. Broken City (Calif.) presented the final chapter of a trilogy with their silver medal-winning “Spine,” a kinetic work of performance art in which it was up to the viewer to construct his or her own meaning. A family chose the wrong house in “The Uninvited” for bronze medalist Pulse Percussion (Calif.), as malevolent spirits grew increasingly hostile, driving a possessed father to bloodshed.

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WGI FOCUS

Infinity 2 (PIO)

Fair Lawn HS (PSA) Ayala HS (PSCW)

Burleson Centennial HS (PSO) Modulation Z (PIA)

Tomball HS (PSCO)

WGI FOCUS 31

STRYKE Percussion (PIW)

Broken City (PIW)

Pulse Percussion (PIW)

RCC (PIW)

FAN FAV Arcadia HS (PSW)

Matrix (PIW)

In “Silence of the Heavens,” a peaceful program that RCC (Calif.) based on Daisaku Ikeda’s “Poetry by Water,” dragonflies hovered over a gentle pond. Matrix (Ohio) dealt with grief following loss, as boxes with spotlights shining on empty wooden chairs heightened the aura of mourning “In Beautiful Eyesolation.” Honoring past success, Rhythm X (Ohio) presented the greatest-hits program “Looking Back,” concluding that they wouldn’t change a thing. In “Alike,” Monarch Independent (Texas) demonstrated with a brightly blossoming floor how one person can break through groupthink.

United Percussion (N.J.) defied one of nature’s laws in “Sir Isaac’s Wonder,” as golden orbs ignored gravity and floated in the air. Infinity (Fla.) rose “Out of the Ashes,” with members struggling to overcome their harsh life in a penitentiary cell block. King Kong’s giant hand swooped up an unfortunate lady outside a jungle fortress for STRYKE Percussion (Fla.) in “King.” POW Percussion (Calif.) freed a bird, who then discovered that the world is dangerous and sought her cage’s protection in “Captive.”

Cap City Percussion (Ohio) depicted ceremonies of bird-worshippers in “Rituals of the Winged Tribe,” climaxing with a human sacrifice. Atlanta Quest (Ga.) asked viewers to ponder our legacy to future generations with “What We Leave Behind.” In “Pendulum,” Redline (Mich.) seemed to be in perpetual motion, fluidly swaying to swinging silver spheres inside triangular structures. And for “Time in a Bottle,” George 32

WGI FOCUS

Mason University (Va.) incorporated clock imagery inspired by

Dalí’s painting The Persistence of Memory.

PERCUSSION SCHOLASTIC WORLD

Gold medalist Chino Hills HS (Calif.) used rocking chairs and a swing set to contrast age and youth as an old man reflected back “Through Aging Eyes,” trying to recapture childhood innocence. Silver medalist Arcadia HS (Calif.) looked at man’s treatment of his fellow humans in “Kindred,” and noted that despite our advances we have a “conquer or be conquered” instinct. Bronze medalist Ayala HS (Calif.) asked thought-provoking questions about the nature of art with “The Point of It All,” while amazing us with exceptional drumming.

Avon HS (Ind.) stressed the importance of making the most of our time in this life with “Pendulum,” as the swinging of a clock provided a unifying visual thread. Dartmouth HS (Mass.) took us on a thrilling ride in “Emotional Roller Coaster,” using an amusement-park ride as a metaphor for life’s ups and downs. With megaphones and a speaker’s lectern, Etiwanda HS (Calif.) implored us to join together and fight for what matters in “Stand.” Homer Hanna HS (Texas) used elastic strands that joined sections, crisscrossed, and stretched from corner to corner with “String Theory.”

In “Sahra,” which means “desert” in Arabic, the drumming of Center Grove HS (Ind.) was as hot as the blazing sun. James www.wgi.org

Dartmouth HS (PSW)

Ayala HS (PSW)

TOP RANKING GROUPS FOR PERCUSSION

FAN FAV

Avon HS (PSW)

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Percussion Independent World

Music City Mystique The Hand of Man

Broken City Spine

Pulse Percussion The Uninvited

Percussion Scholastic World

Chino Hills HS Through Aging Eyes

Arcadia HS Kindred

Ayala HS T he Point of It All

Percussion Independent Open

Infinity 2 Inventing Bliss

Rise Percussion Whispers

Freedom Percussion Reflect

Percussion Scholastic Open

Burleson Centennial HS The Harvest

Clear Brook HS The Descent

Victor J. Andrew HS disarm

Percussion Independent A

Modulation Z What’s Out There

Farmington United Percussion Ensemble Folklore

Unity Percussion Vincent

Percussion Scholastic A

Fair Lawn HS Below Zero

E.D. White HS Leap of Faith

Victor HS The Muse

Percussion Scholastic Concert World

Ayala HS Beyond the Candle’s Glow

Goshen HS Winter Solstice

Tunstall HS Journey to the Hereafter

Percussion Scholastic Concert Open

Tomball HS Scenes from the Woods

Dakota Ridge HS String Theory

Clayton HS A Metheny Tribute

Logan HS (Calif.) showed that all points of view have value in “Less Than,” performed on a set with every conceivable color.

Fishers HS (Ind.) found themselves “LOST” in the middle of a spooky forest, but soon discovered their bearings. Lebanon HS (Ohio) utilized ramps, stages, and tiered platforms, adding verticality to their uplifting program “Elevate.”

Lambert HS (Ga.) depicted the last days of “Atlantis,” a powerful island nation that mysteriously vanished. Homestead HS (Calif.) had a big breakfast in “Clockwork Orange Juice,” with 12-foot bacon strips helping to create a surreal ballet. For “In the Air Tonight,” Centerville HS (Ohio) performed on a starry floor, with stars atop 15-foot poles. Franklin Central HS (Ind.) honored the American worker in “Iron Clad,” with large cranes and a glowing smelting furnace.

PERCUSSION INDEPENDENT OPEN

Goggle-wearing percussionists combined pieces and parts for gold medalist Infinity 2 (Fla.), creating a smiling Rubik’s Cube-like contraption in “Inventing Bliss.” Shadowy apparitions tormented silver medalist Rise Percussion (Colo.) in “Whispers,” eerily reminding members that they were being watched. An elderly man looking in the mirror struggled to remember loved ones in “Reflect” by Freedom Percussion (Mo.), which won bronze. Spirit Winter Percussion (Mass.) masterfully performed classics by Rachmaninoff and www.wgi.org

Rimsky-Korsakov in “Etchings of a Soul: A Russian Illustration.”

Orange County Independent (Calif.) captured love developing into obsession in “Consumed.” With “Spark,” Civitas Independent (S.C.) explored how revolutions, creativity, and romance can grow with the right jolt. ConneXus Percussion (Ohio) showed their alter egos with red masks worn backwards in “The Passenger.” A band of demons threw the angels out of Heaven in “At the Gates” for Breakthrough Indoor Percussion (Ariz.), and Bakersfield College (Calif.) provided valuable life lessons on getting along with people in “How to be a person.”

INov8 Winter Percussion (Ind.) showed how one idea can inspire multitudes in “The Ripples Must Be Endless.” Digital clocks counted the seconds for 5points Percussion (Texas) with “A Dot in Time.” Audio Theater (Tenn.) told the tale of “Victor Frankenstein,” who exclaimed, “It’s alive!” after flipping a switch. Liberty University Indoor Drumline (Va.) made ripples of their own with “DROP,” keeping dry with yellow umbrellas.

Using the HOLLYWOOD sign as a backdrop, Matrix Open (Ohio) encapsulated fame and broken dreams in “Among the Angels,” and a dilapidated old theater was restored to host productions for NorCal Indoor (Calif.) in “Alive Again.”

PERCUSSION SCHOLASTIC OPEN

Moving among amber waves of grain, Burleson Centennial HS (Texas) used a wheat field as a metaphor for life in the gold WGI FOCUS 33

medal-winning “The Harvest.” Clear Brook HS (Texas) rappelled deep into the earth to reach an unexplored cavern—and a silver medal—in “The Descent.” Victor J. Andrew HS (Ill.) looked at the impact of gun violence in the bronze-winning “disarm,” with a haunting moment of silence for its victims. Backed by fiery Latin music, Newsome HS (Fla.) described a matador’s craft in “Seeing Red.” Norwalk HS (Conn.) reflected on what makes us feel “Alive,” whether through our senses or through music. Arcadia HS (Calif.) used spinning fan blades set against peaks to evoke “The Wind Upon the Mountains.” South County HS (Va.) showed how both the warrior and the artist must persevere to find success in “Rise Rise Percussion (PIO)

Spirit Winter Percussion (PIO)

Above.” A woman left her office for a vacation to France, India, and Japan in Lawrence Township (Ind.)’s “Wanderlust,” and Central Crossing HS (Ohio) asked “Where Does the Time Go?” Trumbull HS (Conn.) went from a pristine forest to a futuristic metropolis before apocalypse struck, ruining “Utopia.” Old Bridge HS (N.J.) determined that love beats hatred and ignorance in the powerful “Where Is the Love.”

With elaborate costumes, BCC Drumline (Thailand) presented “Khon,” featuring a dance-based art form of their homeland, while Clinton HS (Miss.) was inspired by poet Maya Angelou’s words in “Still I Rise.” Members glided across the floor on prop carts and bicycles for Plymouth Canton Community Schools (Mich.) in “Ride,” and Norton HS (Ohio) showed how much of life we miss staring at screens for hours with “Unplugged.”

Orange County Independent (PIO)

Victor J. Andrew HS (PSO) Newsome HS (PSO) Clear Brook HS (PSO)

FAN FAV Freedom Percussion (PIO)

Norwalk HS (PSO)

FAN FAV 34

WGI FOCUS

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Resistance Indoor Percussion (PIA)

Aftermath Percussion (PIA) Farmington United Percussion Ensemble (PIA) Unity Percussion (PIA)

FAN FAV PERCUSSION INDEPENDENT A

Gold-medal winner Modulation Z (Mo.) gave the audience out-of-this-world drumming with “What’s Out There,” letting us decide whether we’re all alone in the universe. Farmington United Percussion Ensemble (Mich.) passed down customs from the tribe of drumming in the silver medal-winning “Folklore.” Set on a floor inspired by Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,” Unity Percussion (Fla.) used yellow parasols as stars in “Vincent,” which won a bronze medal. Resistance Indoor Percussion (Okla.) made us wonder if they were framed in “Conspiracy.”

With “Perspectives,” which employed a 3-D floor, Aftermath Percussion (Pa.) showed that it’s all a matter of how you look at things. G2 (Mich.) used cardiac imagery to tell of love lost, then rekindled in “Matters of the Heart,” featuring a proposal. With “Legendary,” Lake Effect Percussion (Mich.) honored the memory of Muhammad Ali. A man reminisced about great times with his father in “When I see you again” for Solaris Percussion 36

WGI FOCUS

(Fla.), and Huron Valley Percussion (Mich.) reminded us of the hard work necessary for perfection in “Ten Thousand Hours.”

For Purecussion Music (Neb.)’s “Falling,” a disoriented girl regained balance and happiness. REEF Independent (Fla.) chose between hope and despair, picking the former after reading “The Book.” South Indoor Percussion (W.V.) reminded us to use our moments to truly live in “Time,” while Shadow Indoor Percussion (Wis.) lived in mental prisons before breaking free from “The Fortress of Solitude.” A girl couldn’t resist Warner University Royalty Percussion (Fla.), eventually “Becoming One of Them,” and the currents were kind for Rochester Lourdes (Minn.) in “Go with the Flow.”

PERCUSSION SCHOLASTIC A

Wintertime fun turned worrisome for gold medalist Fair Lawn HS (N.J.) in “Below Zero,” as an oncoming blizzard forced mountain climbers to hustle to reach the summit. Silver www.wgi.org

Oak Grove HS (PSA)

FAN FAV Grand Blanc HS (PSA)

E.D. White HS (PSA)

Victor HS (PSA)

medalist E.D. White HS (La.) captured the moment before a skydiver jumps in “Leap of Faith.” Bronze medalist Victor HS (N.Y.) was inspired by “The Muse,” whose magical beauty came at great cost as she collapsed in death. Oak Grove HS (Miss.) played drums swinging on swing sets, and members hung in midair with “Willful Suspension.”

In “Shadows,” black-clad doubles mirrored every movement for Grand Blanc HS (Mich.). Pearl HS (Miss.) found their bearings after changing directions in “Compass,” aided by large spinning arrows. Water drained away, leaving parched earth for Unionville HS (Pa.) in “Drought,” but rains eventually came.

Irondale HS (Minn.) portrayed Life and Death as a couple in “Forever,” summing up their everlasting romance, and Foothill HS (Nev.) turned pages of giant encyclopedias to give us a history lesson with “Through the Ages.”

The queen of “The Hive” survived a giant can of Raid, but not the fl yswatter wielded by Zionsville Community HS (Ind.). www.wgi.org

Halls HS (Tenn.) took us to a hotel where the guests checked in but never checked out in “Twilight Zone.” Seymour HS (Tenn.) brought illumination with “enLIGHTened,” as giant lightbulb props lit up brightly at the finish, while West Bloomfield HS (Mich.) redirected life’s stresses into the art of painting with “Into the Canvas.” Central Dauphin HS (Pa.) took us way back for “Ancient Echoes,” as a primitive clan built a large idol, and Minooka Community HS (Ill.) merrily rowed their boats in “Life Is But a Dream.”

PERCUSSION SCHOLASTIC CONCERT WORLD

Ayala HS (Calif.) earned their fourth consecutive title with “Beyond the Candle’s Glow,” as a quiet timpani solo blossomed into a tour de force of subtlety and aggression. Showcasing a cornucopia of techniques, silver-winning Goshen HS (Ind.) played melodies associated with the longest night in “Winter WGI FOCUS 37

Solstice.” Tunstall HS (Va.) dedicated the bronze-winning “Journey to the Hereafter” to a fallen comrade, as one could envision memories accompanying the music.

PERCUSSION SCHOLASTIC CONCERT OPEN

Gold medalist Tomball HS (Texas) created a soundtrack for a forest adventure with “Scenes from the Woods.” Silver medalist Dakota Ridge Goshen HS (PSCW)

HS (Colo.) built a program about the physics concept “String

Theory,” as musical layers grew more complex. Bronze medalist Clayton HS (N.C.) seamlessly blended guitarist Pat Metheny’s most well-known songs in “A Metheny Tribute.”

If it rang, it was in the show for Campbell County HS (Ky.), as “Bellissimo” utilized all manner of chimes and bells, while Broomfield HS (Colo.) let out a breath to leave the past behind in “Exhale.” Hickory HS (Va.) repaired what was broken in “Fix You,” and North Gwinnett HS (Ga.) asked what inspires greatness in “Where ART Thou?”

Tunstall HS (PSCW)

Dakota Ridge HS (PSCO) Clayton HS (PSCO)

Broomfield HS (PSCO)

Campbell County HS (PSCO)

FAN FAV 38 WGI WGI FOCUS 38 FOCUS

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Avon HS (WSW)

Rhythm X and Avon Are Winners in Mesmerizing Winds Final

By Morena Guerrero In three short years since its birth in 2015, WGI Winds has taken major strides. On April 23, the WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio, saw an influx of 35 Winds groups from across the country, some returning and some making their debuts. As the division continues to mature, the programs are showing more depth and finding innovative ways to tell stories. What made this year distinctly different from last year is the way in which each group decided to use their props, their bodies, their voices, and their music to create shows that were mesmerizing and unique.

Very few groups employed percussion sections this year, and those that did placed them in the back of the performance floor. Several groups found other means, both acoustic and electronic, to create percussive textures, but all of them made winds the primary focus. Members in various groups used their own vocals; one group had a member rap. Many ensembles also used choreography—even dabbing, a trending dance that excited the younger members of the audience—to push their story and music further.

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WGI FOCUS

Chromium Winds (WIO)

FAN FAV www.wgi.org

Rhythm X Winds (WIW)

Inertia Independent Winds (WIA) Valley Christian HS (WSA)

Central Lafourche HS (WSO)

www.wgi.org

wgi focus 43

WINDS INDEPENDENT WORLD

Unlike previous Rhythm X Winds (Ohio) shows, “Jumping Through Loops” expressed its theme through props, including a unicycle and three hula hoops. Both the uniforms and the tarp featured gold hoops—apt for a gold medalist.

Competing for the first time in WIW, silver medalist STRYKE Wynds (Fla.) presented “The Radiohead Jazz Project.” Set on a record-player tarp, it featured modern jazz renditions of Radiohead songs like “Creep,” incorporating instrumental techniques such as trumpet muting.

Bronze medalist FIU Indoor Winds (Fla.) dressed up as hunters for “Hunting Rabbits,” on a tarp decorated with four sets of rabbit holes. Four dancers teased the hunters, evoking Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny. Crossmen (Texas) made their WGI Winds debut with “Raise the Roof,” as members marched on a tarp resembling a blueprint.

WINDS SCHOLASTIC WORLD

Avon HS (Ind.) won gold for “In Flight,” which featured windmill props and members dressed as pilots. In the silver-winning “Aquarium,” Cleveland HS (N.C.) turned musicians into a school of fish and used clever staging elements, including a sunken ship and a treasure chest that blew bubbles. “Brainworks,” by bronze medalist Central HS (Ind.), featured powerline workers’ costumes and the pianist in the center acting as “control” for the brain. Plymouth HS (Ind.) played “Pure Imagination” with a percussion line, color guard members, and a full front ensemble flanked by a colorful tarp and props.

WINDS INDEPENDENT OPEN

In their inaugural season representing the Cavaliers, Chromium Winds (Ill.) took both first place and Independent Fans

Favorite with the gripping “Voices in My Head,” as members acted manic throughout. Silver medalist Midas Winds (N.C.) set “Pipe Dream” on a tarp that looked like water pipes, of which the ensemble seemed to be an extension. Bronze medalist Point Winds Theater (Ga.) integrated rap into “Start the Movement,” using Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” as members cleaned their “street.” The Royal Cavaliers (Calif.) dressed as cyborgs for “SteamHAKT,” exploring the relationship between man and machine. In “A Round,” Warner University Indoor Winds (Fla.) filled their tarp with objects that turn around—and used props and color guard members to further the theme.

WINDS SCHOLASTIC OPEN

For the gold medal-winning “Bird of a Feather,” Central Lafourche HS (La.) dressed its members up as birds, with nests as props. In “Lucid,” silver medalist Flanagan HS (Fla.) performed on a dreamy, cosmic tarp. Decatur Central HS (Ind.) wore headlights, danced with the audience, and used large green pipes to create a percussive voice—and win bronze—in “The Emerald Order.” Both the South Jones HS (Miss.) tarp and members simulated planet Earth’s image in “The Wow Signal.”

Mountains surrounded climbers dressed for cold weather as Miamisburg HS (Ohio) presented “The Summit.”

WINDS INDEPENDENT A

Inertia Independent (Ohio) took the gold with “Ascension,”

featuring ladder props and a version of “Amazing Grace” accompanied by a violin. “Up in the Woods” began with Horizon Winds (Fla.) singing Bon Iver’s “Woods” in lumberjack costumes; the silver medalists then used their props (logs) to create beats for music including the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.” LakeShoremen (Mich.) were “robots” in monochrome uniforms, eventually freed to show their true colors, in the

STRYKE Wynds (WIW)

Flanagan HS (WSO)

Cleveland HS (WSW) Midas Winds (WIO)

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WGI FOCUS

www.wgi.org

TOP RANKING GROUPS FOR WINDS

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Winds Arcadia HS (PSW) Independent World

Rhythm X Winds Jumping Through Loops

STRYKE Wynds The Radiohead Jazz Project

FIU Indoor Winds Hunting Rabbits

Winds Scholastic World

Avon HS In Flight

Cleveland HS Aquarium

Central HS Brainworks

Winds Independent Open

Chromium Winds Voices in My Head

Midas Winds Pipe Dream

Point Winds Theater Start the Movement

Winds Scholastic Open

Central Lafourche HS Bird of a Feather

Flanagan HS Lucid

Decatur Central HS The Emerald Order

Winds Independent A

Inertia Independent Winds Ascension

Horizon Winds Up in the Woods

LakeShoremen EVOLVE

Winds Scholastic A

Valley Christian HS Shades of Night

Forsyth Central HS Along Came a Spider

Newnan HS A Matter of Time

bronze-winning “EVOLVE.” Project Arts (Fla.) incorporated stomping and delicate East Asian themes, with cherry blossoms prominent, in “Hidden.” In “Swept,” Railmen Winter Winds (Neb.) dressed as chimney sweepers and tapped their brushes to the tune of “Chim Chim Cher-ee.”

WINDS SCHOLASTIC A

In “Shades of Night,” gold medalist Valley Christian HS (Calif.) captivated audiences with metallic neon colors on their flags and several props. Silver medalist Forsyth Central HS (Ga.) used an indoor percussion line as well as a pit for “Along Came a Spider,” as a flautist “fl y” in the front was caught in the silk “webs” of other members. Bronze medalist Newnan HS (Ga.) used choreography and a clock gear in the middle of their stage to present “A Matter of Time.”

Daviess County HS (Ky.) members marched totem poles onto a tarp resembling a volcano in “Totem.” For the pun-happy “Into the Wood…Winds,” Johnston County Schools (N.C.)

played jazz pieces on a forest-like tarp while acting as the wind to the “tree props” they were holding. Precise drill and music combined with hula hoops and other large, colorful shapes for Mt. Juliet HS (Tenn.) in “Square, Circle, Triangle.” Pecos HS (Texas) presented the theatrical “Cyborg” against a background made to look like circuitry.

Scholastic Fans Favorite Lake Hamilton HS (Ark.) paid homage to classic hip-hop in “Old School RHAP” with a graffiti backdrop, as well as light-up shoes and props. For “The Raven,” inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, Kosciusko HS (Miss.) dressed in Victorian style. Hart County HS (Ky.) marched on a tarp that resembled an old Swiss clock, with flags to match, in the prop-heavy “On the Clock.” Olympic HS (N.C.) became Clark Kent on top of a red and blue city-like tarp, using drill to exhibit emotions that made them “Not So Superman.” And using a percussion line, a front ensemble, and color guard members, Smith-Cotton HS (Mo.) created an “Echo Effect: Constant Reverberations,” both musically and visually.

Horizon Winds (WIA)

Lake Hamilton HS (WSA)

Forsyth Central HS (WSA)

FAN FAV www.wgi.org

WGI FOCUS 45

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YEARS TO PERFECT SECONDS TO IMPRESS

Scholarships 2017 In honor of WGI’s 40th anniversary, the WGI Scholarship Program provided $40,000 to 25 guard, percussion, and winds members in 2017. This includes one new scholarship: the Shirlee Whitcomb Memorial Scholarship, received by Shenendehowa HS’ Kristin Thayer. The Yamaha Music Education Scholarship was given to Rhythm X Winds’ Alison Zimmerman. The Zildjian/ Mark Thurston Scholarship was won by Matrix Open’s Bethany Cady; ConneXus Percussion’s Joshua Boulis received the Yamaha/Dennis DeLucia Scholarship; and Fred J. Miller Memorial Scholarships went to Mechanicsburg HS’ Marianna Fernbaugh and Conestoga Valley HS’ Emily Kuhn. Little Elm HS’ Ashley Harris received the Bob Wiles Memorial Scholarship, Bakersfield College’s Randy Villegas won the Lynn Lindstrom Memorial Scholarship, and Mike McCool Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Pride of Cincinnati’s Angela Mayhue, Emanon’s Vincent Pries, and Fantasia’s Jordin Veazie.

WINDS

ALISON ZIMMERMAN Rhythm X

COLOR GUARD

HANNAH LEVERSEE Apopka HS

ERIN CADENHEAD Spirit Ind of U of Houston

KALYN ENDRES Olentangy HS

TESSA FERGUSON A.L. Brown HS

MARIANNA FERNBAUGH Mechanicsburg HS

AVA FRANKEL Green Hope HS

STEPHANY GONZALEZ FIU Winterguard

ASHLEY HARRIS Little Elm

LADELYA JONES Marion Catholic HS

JANELLE MATSUOKA Mililiani HS

ANGELA MAYHUE Pride of Cincinnati

CASSIE MUNDAY Smithfield-Selma HS

VINCENT PRIES Emanon

BRIANA ROWE-LACKEY Paramount Open WG

GRACE SLAPAK James Bowie HS

CAROLANNE SWITZER Phoenix HS

KRISTIN THAYER Shenendehowa HS

JORDIN VEAZIE Fantasia

EMILY KUHN Conestoga Valley HS

RANDY VILLEGAS Bakersfield College

PERCUSSION

JOSHUA BOULIS ConneXus Percussion

BETHANY CADY Matrix Open

AMBER GREANEY Avon HS

AKSHAY KAMAL Homestead HS

WANT TO GIVE TO THE WGI SCHOLARSHIP FUND? Go to facebook.com/WGIsportofthearts or mail your donations to WGI Scholarship Donation, 2405 Crosspointe Drive, Dayton, OH 45342.

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PERC12399 Marching Toms 8300 Series FOCUS.qxp_Layout 1 5/11/17 2:25 PM Page 1

NEW Marching

Toms

30 years of marching percussion history and leadership in design is now coming to life.

Yamaha proudly introduces a new lineup of marching percussion featuring maple shells. Years of industry-leading research with the world’s top drum and bugle corps have led to the development of marching percussion instruments with improved hardware performance, increased tone projection, and exemplary articulation, demonstrating why Yamaha is the number one brand of marching percussion in the United States.

8300 Series Marching Toms

Visit 4wrd.it/MQ83FOCUS2 for complete details