East Central HS took us on a musical journey with their show “Spring Theory”. They were able to capture the feelings of the four seasons, starting with the cold desolate winter with a vibraphone solo and transitioning to the spring. A voiceover guided the audience through the changes and their music reflected what came with the season’s change. The group had a good mix of ensemble and individual moments, including some vibe solos and a high energy timpani solo in the third movement.

Penn-Trafford came from the heavens to give us their show “Fear Not…the Dark”. They featured a harp in the center of the setup, but their interesting instrumentation didn’t end there. Their show progressed from the Angelic sounds of harps and vibraphones to the more demonic sounding textures of the second movement and back again to the light to close it out. They were able to incorporate some interesting instrumentation to help solidify these theme changes, most notably a gift wooden hammer and block to add some impact.

Hatboro-Horsham mystified with their show “Shattered Time”.  Donning their all-black suits with red ties, they incorporated incredibly varied instrumentation and did so flawlessly. Playing into the theme of time, the ensemble was able to play around with time signatures and did so flawlessly. Their energy was palpable both musically and visually and left the audience wanting more as they rolled off the floor.

West Clermont HS burnt the house down with their show “Guided by fire”. The performance was introduced with a dark and eerie song to set the tone for their show. Throughout the run, the ensemble was backed up by some incredible textures coming from the rhythm section to help continue setting a fiery tone. They put out a wonderful ensemble sound with fantastic layering between the woods and metals, all culminating in a powerful build to end the show.

Lewis Cass HS took the floor at UD with style for their show “I’d Rather Be”, dressed in blue gradient uniforms reminiscent of the night sky. They performed a variety of musical styles, incorporating long musical swells with exciting and impactful payoffs. The keyboards were accompanied by an incredibly talented and energetic drum set player placed at the center of the ensemble, who set the tone for an incredible performance. Their energy radiated across the other members and into the audience as they performed.

Muscle Shoals HS took us out on a warm summer day with their show “The Isle of Man”. They immediately set the tone with their warm sounds, bringing the audience with them to enjoy a day on the beach with a beautiful soprano sax solo. Throughout the show, they showcased individual members as well as a tambourine trio that featured twice. The warm beach atmosphere continued throughout and culminated in a high impact timpani and another soprano sax solo to accompany the ensemble during the last phrase of the show.

Corona Del Sol HS stomped on the floor with their show “Godzilla – King of the Monsters”. Right off the bat, they committed to the Godzilla theme by wearing lizard like uniforms. They started the show off by running with a high energy drum set feature and the momentum never slowed after that. All throughout the show, the rhythm section brought buckets of energy and were captivating to watch. In front of them, the massive keyboard sections showcased some incredible blend of sound. They also feature some Taiko drums and were able to throw out some incredible textures from them with brushes and sticks alike.

Campbell County HS took the floor with their show “Violent Earth”. The show featured some great use of effect percussion. They rolled on with hanging clay flowerpots attached to their boards and made frequent use of them throughout the show for a unique sonic texture. They also used what seemed to be rocks in bowls similar to how you would use and ocean drum to complement the flowerpot texture. Their ensemble sound was stellar and well-complimented by the rhythm section.

Plainfield HS took the stage with their show “School of Rach”, donning red accented, flat collared suits. Plainfield started the show off strong with a vibraphone solo. Throughout the show, the ensemble showcased an incredible blend of sound. The main event of the performance was the ensemble’s take on the Led Zeppelin classic, Stairway to Heaven. The concert percussion rendition of the classic rock staple had all the hallmarks of the original, including the iconic guitar solo.

Cleveland HS came out swinging with their show “ElecTRONic”. Their uniforms looked like circuit boards and were scented with red and blue LED glasses. The front-line boards were also adorned with LED lights. To further push the electronic theme, they used effects petals on the boards at times to give them a unique sound. The performers were incredibly physical with their performance. A highlight of the show was the electronic drumbeat used in place of the traditional drum set. The member playing the set finished the show with a very energetic solo that the audience won’t soon forget.

Powhatan HS took the floor with their show “Minor Infraction”. They opened with a stellar marimba solo and layers that into a well-balanced unison ensemble moment. They featured a good blend in textures between their drum and effect heavy rhythm section and keyboards. The performers’ energy was infectious and was transferred straight from the floor into the stands.

Fishers HS took the floor with their show “The Essence of Time”. They started the show with a ticking clock sound that went right into a woods feature.  With reverb on ticking clock sounds or hand bells on marimbas, nowhere was this show short on interesting instrumentation. The kids were incredibly fun to watch and threw down some serious notes with impressive clarity. They played with many different time signatures throughout the show to play into their overall theme of time.

North Forney HS exploded on to the floor with their show “The End of Days”.  They brought unmatched energy with their performance, both musically and visually, as they explored themes of the end times. The blend of textures between the rhythmic and melodic sections added so much to the ensemble sound throughout the show. The group also incorporates multiple marimba solos into the show and showcased the individual talent of their performers. Each movement built into an exciting release of energy, and the energy crested on the floor shot straight into the audience and left us wanting more as they left the floor.

Catawba HS took the floor with their show “Aether” Catawba opened with a layered clave feature that really set the tone for the performance. Throughout the run they used inventive effect persuasion to give light to some unique rhythms. The performances by the timpani and rest of the rhythm section were spectacular. The blend between the drum set and melodic instruments never failed to disappoint as well. 

Corinth Holders HS made a strong impression with their show “The Inventor”. The theme of invention was prominent right off the bat with the members wearing steampunk-style goggles. They opened the show with a spoken word passage about invention and went into a good first musical phrase. The ballad began the motif of Pure Imagination, the classic song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and was followed by a wonderful effect percussion break with a host of non-traditional percussion materials. The pure imagination motif continued through the closer and the ensemble finished with a strong impact.

Ayala HS took the floor with their show “Abzu”. they started off the show with some bowed vibraphones to create some space textures. They were then joined by the rhythm section, who would frequently become the stars of the show with their unique soundscapes and incredible energy. The keyboards put out some incredibly clean sounds and were also very fun to watch perform. Overall, Ayala put together a very dynamic and interesting performance that captivated the audience.

Tunstall HS rolled into UD with their show “American genius” they showcased some solid playing as they conveyed themes of classic Americana to the audience. The members were wearing red tuxes and blue dresses. The highlight of the show was the incorporation of the drum set parts to the keyboard parts. They ended the show with a high energy ensemble moment lead by another stellar showcase from their drum set player.