Percussion Independent Open Finals Review

By Alex Mendoza

Palmetto Percussion – The Butterfly Effect
Columbia, SC
Gold Medalist, 93.863

In the past there have been movies and books centered on the idea should we be able to travel back in time that if we change one thing then if effect everything in the future is changed. While taking this prospect on paper or celluloid is a daunting task, the fact that Palmetto managed to convey this idea with crystal-clear clarity allowed them to leap from a Third Place preliminary placement and leap to the top of the pack. The ensemble earned top honors in the Percussion Analysis category – well-deserved for the line’s inhuman display of control and ability to simply produce complex rhythms with little or no effort. Musically and visually various factors were implemented that affected segments later in the show. The overall intensity and pacing of the program was another key strength that definitely aided in helping Palmetto soar to the top of the pack.

STRYKE Percussion Ensemble – Wish
Palm Beach, FL
Silver Medalist, 93.288

The idea of wishing upon a star is something we’ve known since childhood. Songs that have focused on this idea are a staple of our childhood, so it was interesting to see how STRYKE took these familiar melodies and created an entire program based on the idea of wishes and dreams. The strains of these tunes were presented throughout the program, given various shapes and forms and even intermixed at some points as the ensemble presented considerable musical chops and strong movement abilities. Their black tarp complemented their white uniforms, along with the ornamental star-design placed at the top left portion of the tarp. There are difficulties in focusing on a concept with so many possibilities, but the program’s pacing and unique musical arrangements were a defining factor in their strong second place finish.

OC Indoor – Time Control
Portland, OR
Bronze Medalist, 93.075

The 2009 PIA Champions made the jump from Independent “A” to Independent Open, proving with their show that much does happen in a short span of time. Their program was a clever take on time and how it is perceived in the musical sense, using metric modulations, various time signatures and varying speeds in order to simulate familiar elements such as speeding up (mathematical precision from the battery with their mind-boggling rhythmic patterns), or slowing down (modulated rolls that gave the impression of the music entering slow motion). The tarp was of an intricate design – black and on a grid one might see in the movie, “Tron”, or on a chart devised by Stephen Hawking. All in all it was a confident display of talent from an ensemble that definitely is on the right track, earned top honors in the Visual Caption and will surely continue to make waves in the future.

Tates Creek Indoor Ensemble – The Other Side
Lexington, KY
4th Place, 91.75

Mystery and intrigue – along with the standard of ramming for days on end – were just some of the entertaining elements Tates Creek offered in their program. The floor was divided into two equal parts – one side blue, the other side orange. The blue side had a sense of calm, while the orange side represented more a fiery hue. The visual design had the ensemble focusing on the aspects of duality, with the music and the visual changing moods at the sections crossed both sides. One particularly interesting segment had the line divided in two. There were a series of movements that had interesting responses, as one line would look in one direction, only to have the other look away. The latter end of the program featured the highly-skilled bass line, which occupied the right portion of the floor and definitely played with a fiery and intense energy – all the way to the end as the rest of the ensemble joined for an exhilarating closer.

George Mason University – Flow
Fairfax, VA
5th Place, 90.963

In an activity such as winter percussion the expectation is to have a sheer amount of force and energy behind every note; to simply find one’s self spellbound with the fast-moving hands and the deafening impact points that we would gladly sacrifice our hearing for. So when a unit like George Mason comes around and decides to go against the grain – to focus on subtlety, nuance, timbre – it’s an interesting prospect to witness first hand. As the performers of this group proved, however, drummers can still manage to generate just as much intensity with hushed moments of tranquil bliss in comparison to their decibel violating brethren. Not to say one is far superior to the other, but the musical demand placed on the performers was much appreciate, bringing a sense of finesse and fluidity – both literally and figuratively – in the musical selections. It was a welcome change of pace compared to the breakneck intensity of the other ensembles, which was a risk in itself. Kudos to the performers for managing to handle their responsibilities and focus on the side of music that tends to find itself less acknowledged in the activity.

Pariah – Motion
Ellijay, GA
6th Place, 88.913

Motion doesn’t solely function in the aspect that we learn in physics, and 2009 Percussion Independent Open Champions proved this by exploring the various motions we experience. Whether it was about motion in music or people in motion, or even locomotion, emotion and commotion, the melding of these various ideas seemed appropriate given that the activity is a fusion of most of these elements. The performers were dressed in blue uniforms, marching across at gray floor with steel-blue design of two intersecting lines. The musical content was of particular difficulty, but with effortless ease the performers managed to execute their book while marching across the floor at wide intervals – creating considerable challenges from a listening perspective. Samples provided the groundwork for each new phrase, or segment, masterfully executed by the ensemble and definitely added momentum to already well-designed program.

Brahma from USF – PYRO
Tampa, FL
87.475, 7th Place

Fire can either be a force of great assistance, or a force of sheer destruction. The performers of Brahma decided to focus on the latter, mercilessly utilizing intense music and rhythms as they sped across a tarp resembling an ocean of flames. Quotes from popular movies, songs and other forms of media highlighted the obsession with fire and its destructive qualities. While relentless in terms of its in-your-face attitude, the line did exhibit signs of musicality even as they continued to assault the audience with their volume and commitment to presenting a non-stop sense of velocity. The line concluded their program with the borrowed line from song by the Baroque Pop group Stars, “When there’s nothing left to burn, you have set yourself on fire”. And that they did – igniting the surrounding energy to a fierce closing statement that threatened to set the arena ablaze with blistering speeds and complex rhythms. Endurance wasn’t merely a trait of the ensemble – it was a necessity for the program and they managed to achieve with considerable skill and execution.


Genesis – Capture the Moment
Jenison, MI
87.263, 8th Place

The performers of Genesis presented a highly engaging music-meets-history lesson with their program that chronicled some of the finest moments in history – the ones that have established the legacy of humanity at large, as well as the moments that have managed to dwell in the darker end of the spectrum. The line’s careful attention to musical detail and making certain they captured the spirit of each profound moment – from the triumph and sense of pride of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon; Martin Luther King’s prolific “I Have A Dream” speech, the pitfalls of The Great Depression; and the productive bustled The Industrial Revolution. The ensemble was adept at conveying each segment not only musically, but from a communication standpoint the show definitely hit home. Adding to the entire scene were actual snapshots of these elements set on a black, yellow and white tarp that appeared to be various squares stacked upon one another; much like pictures spread across a table.

Dark Sky Percussion – The Red Thread
Flagstaff, AZ
87.238, 9th Place

Ancient Chinese tradition added a sense of mystic energy to the UD Arena with their Asian-inspired theme, “The Red Thread” Three backs that had a design of a red thread extending from left to right – the backdrops split apart – were set against a jet-black tarp. The opening provided background about the Chinese view on the red thread and its relevance to bringing people together. The battery followed with an especially strong opening statement. As the show progressed further information regarding the thread stated how at times the thread can tangle. This segment was represented with malevolent-sounding passage and intense drill. After the storm of notes subsided, the last portion regarding the thread and how it binds us all together lent itself to a more graceful and happier sounding closer – a stream of large red threads stretched across a floor to remind us of how we are all connected from person to person, place to place and note to note.

Boston University – Hypnotize
Boston, MA
85.438, 10th Place

There tends to be an inherent skepticism when it comes to the effectiveness, or the validity of being hypnotized, but Boston University enjoyed toying with the ideas from an effective musical and visual perspective. A light-blue swirl set against a white floor and curvy black lines was an appropriate backdrop for the group’s highly entertaining program. Samples guided the gray and blue clad performers to pretend as if their drums weighed a thousand pounds, while other times the hypnosis had them pretending to fly. A turbulent middle segment had the ensemble defying the requests of the hypnotizer as he attempted to remove them from hypnosis. It was filled with dissonant rhythms and forceful stabs – all effective in conveying the idea of resistance from the ensemble. Eventually the line snapped out of their hypnosis through a suspenseful countdown segment, appearing disoriented and still in character even as they left the floor.

Green Thunder Percussion – Momentum
Rosemont, IL
85.225, 11th Place

Music and visual elements thrive on momentum and pacing. There are endless possibilities to gauge the way an audience will react presents a challenge on its own accord, but the performers of Green Thunder Percussion managed to strike the right balance. The ensemble’s musical and visual energy was irrefutable, as they presented a series of incredibly fast passages that stayed true to the show’s title. How they managed to keep the energy throughout the entire program will remain a mystery, but it’s clear the able performers understand how to captivate an audience – even with a challenging program. And of course the ensemble’s green color selection more than likely wasn’t a fluke – as we’re accustomed to seeing green lights and our response is to go forward. Green Thunder did just that, except at a level most people would cringe upon seeing first hand.

Alternative Percussion – Underneath It All
San Diego, CA
84.488, 12th Place

The hustle and bustle of everyday life is one of those aspects that can overwhelm a person. It can easily convolute all the positive elements in our lives, shifting our focus on the negative as opposed to the positive. Alternative’s program observed these varying factors with negative words such as “death”, “taxes” and “anger” scrawled onto the floor. The music reflected this anxiety with tense segments paired alongside drill that represented a person nearly on the lunatic fringe. Eventually the female narrator pleased for all these elements to stop, shouting and setting the pace for a more delicate ballad section. The performers removed the left sleeve of the hot-pink uniform, unveiling a cool and comfortable blue shade underneath. Pieces of the brown tarp covered the negative words and the performers removed their tops to reveal the rest of the blue uniform, followed by a sample that reinforced the idea that underneath all the stress there are things worth celebrating – ending with a light blue tarp and the word “love” inscribed as two people shared a kiss.

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