On Feb. 3 Aliso Niguel’s Concert Percussion debuted their show “Whispers of Yesterday: I Will Leave You Words” at Arcadia High School and came home with a first-place victory and a $300 donation to their program.
The ANHS Concert Band rehearses alongside the ANHS Drumline, which hasn’t performed in a competition yet. Facing many challenges such as long practices and approaching competitions, hopes for a win among the Aliso students weren’t very high but they came out and did their best.
This particular competition was in Arcadia (AHS), about an hour away from Aliso and there were four other schools in Aliso’s category. Along with competing against other schools, students also had the opportunity to watch and listen to WGI percussion groups, which are considered to be some of the best in the nation.
“Without getting that fixed as soon as possible…One, that instrument wouldn’t sound that good. Two, we would get a penalty for setting up and leaving too late. Third, I would be responsible for breaking a $2,000 plus marimba. Adrenaline generously kicked in and somehow with the help of other people we fixed it,” said TaeEun Jun (12).
Since winter drumline and concert percussion are considered winter sports, the competition was held indoors in AHS’s main gym.
Pressure remained high even as the group was pushing onto the floor because section leader TaeEun Jun’s marimba broke. Since groups were only given four minutes of time to set up and perform, Aliso worried about a major deduction due to instrument issues.
Fortunately, Jun was able to fix his marimba just in the four minutes time and Aliso was able to play without any time deductions, potentially aiding their winning results.
In this particular circuit, first place doesn’t just win a title but also a $300 for their program. Students and staff were overjoyed at their victory. It wasn’t just the win that brought students joy that weekend, but the team itself and their excitement for the start of a new season.
Many students joined concert percussion for its inviting atmosphere, helpful staff and challenging music.
“I joined concert percussion in order to test my limits as a musician. After being in orchestra for nine years and having done the musical last year, I wanted to explore other options to push myself musically. I also wanted to explore different options for our new electric string group and how I can launch that program before graduating, such as collaboration with band and drumline, and to see what kinds of opportunities students can partake in. I can confidently say this experience has helped me grow as a musician, and I’ve gained a whole new respect for band kids in general,” says Kayla Borlasa (12)
Concert percussion hopes to continue to see consistent victories over the upcoming season along with the formation and performance of not just their concert show but their drumline show “Mizu” which will be debuting on March 10.
Another major goal is to continue this program in the years following, with new students joining and working on the difficult and beautiful music.
